Easy Air Fryer Salmon Bowls: 15-Minute Family-Style Dinner
These easy air fryer salmon bowls are ready in 15 minutes! Crispy salmon, fluffy rice, and colourful toppings make a quick, family-style dinner everyone will love.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s that some meals just bring everyone together. These Airfryer Salmon Bowls are exactly that. They’re sweet, savoury, a little bit spicy, and totally customizable—perfect for family-style dinners where everyone gets to build their own bowl just the way they like it.
We love using our air fryer for this recipe because the salmon cubes turn out perfectly golden and crispy on the outside while staying tender inside. But don’t worry if you don’t have one—you can bake the salmon in the oven and get just as tasty results.
This has quickly become a go-to in our house. The kids rave about it, and I love that leftovers pack beautifully into school lunches the next day. It’s comforting, colourful, and packed with omega-3s—nutrition and flavour working together in the best way.
Why You’ll Love These Salmon Bowls
- Quick and easy: Ready in about 15 minutes, thanks to the air fryer.
- Family-style flexibility: Set everything out and let everyone build their own bowl—it’s a fun way to serve dinner and helps picky eaters feel in control.
- Nutritious and balanced: With salmon for protein and omega-3s, rice for energy, and veggies and fruit for fibre and flavour, this meal checks all the boxes.
- Kid-approved: The sweet and savoury combo (with optional spicy mayo) makes this one a hit around the table.
- Perfect leftovers: Pack them into lunchboxes for a nourishing next-day meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh salmon
- Sesame oil
- Seasoning salt, chipotle mango powder, garlic powder
- Rice (leftover or freshly cooked)
- Edamame beans
- Mango (fresh or frozen)
- Cucumber
- Avocado (optional, but delicious)
- Mayonnaise + sriracha (for the sauce)
- Sesame seeds
How to Make Airfryer Salmon Bowls
Prep the salmon. Cube the salmon and toss with sesame oil, seasoning salt, chipotle mango powder, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
Cook. Place salmon cubes in the air fryer at 400°F for 11–12 minutes, until crispy on the edges and golden brown. (No air fryer? Bake at 425°F for 14–16 minutes instead.)
Prep the toppings. While the salmon cooks, dice the cucumber, cube the mango, slice the avocado, and thaw the edamame.
Mix the sauce. Stir together mayonnaise and sriracha to taste.
Build the bowls. Start with a base of rice, then layer salmon and your choice of toppings. Drizzle with sriracha mayo and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes + Variations
As a dietitian (and a mom), I love meals like this because they’re naturally balanced and can be customized for different preferences. Here are a few ways to make them your own:
- Salmon swap: No salmon on hand? Try shrimp, chicken, or even tofu cubes with the same seasoning.
- Switch the base: Rice is classic, but quinoa, soba noodles, or even cauliflower rice all work.
- Mix up the toppings: Mango and cucumber are a refreshing combo, but you can add shredded carrots, edamame hummus, or roasted veggies for extra variety.
- Kid-friendly tip: Serve toppings family-style so kids can choose what goes in their bowl. They may surprise you with what they’re willing to try when they get to “build it themselves.”
Storage Tips
These bowls make about 4 generous servings. Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the sauce separate until serving. Leftover salmon is also great flaked onto salads, wraps, or sandwiches.
More 15-Minute Recipes to Try
Love these salmon bowls? Here are a few more quick family meals to check out from my 15-Minute Supper Series:
- Cozy up with 15-minute Skillet Pasta (cheesy, savoury, and always a hit).
- Try Easy Skillet Lasagna for all the lasagna flavour without the fuss.
- Warm up with Thai Chicken Noodle Soup—comforting and ready in minutes.
- Build your own Sushi Wraps—a fun, hands-on dinner kids love to help make.
- Go for flavour-packed 15-Minute Korean Beef Tacos, guaranteed to be a family favourite.
The Bottom Line
These Airfryer Salmon Bowls prove that quick meals can still be fun, flavourful, and nourishing. With crispy salmon, fluffy rice, and colourful toppings, it’s a 15-minute dinner that brings the whole family together—at the table and again the next day in lunchboxes.
Easy Air Fryer Salmon Bowls: 15-Minute Family-Style Dinner
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fresh salmon cubed
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons chipotle mango powder I use Clubhouse
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 4 cups cooked rice from 1 1/4 cups dry
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans thawed
- 1 mango cubed, or 1 cup thawed frozen mango
- 1/2 cucumber diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sriracha to taste
- 4 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Cube the salmon and add it to a large bowl. Toss the cubes with the sesame oil, then sprinkle with the chipotle mango and garlic powders and seasoning salt. Toss again, and add the salmon to the preheated air-fryer. Cook for 11 to 12 minutes, until lightly crispy on the edges and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, prepare the edamame, mango, and cucumber, as directed, and set aside.
- In a small cup, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha, to taste, and set aside.
- Set out all of the ingredients, family style, and build your bowls, starting with the rice and adding salmon and desired toppings.
Notes
Sarah Remmer, RD, is a registered dietitian and mom of three, specializing in family and pediatric nutrition. She’s the founder of Centred Nutrition Collective and has nearly 20 years of experience helping families feel confident about feeding their kids.
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