This ginger honey baked salmon rice bowl is the perfect fresh weeknight meal. It's sweet from the honey, savory from the soy and just the right kick from the ginger which is balanced with the freshness from the mango salsa.
Blog post sponsored by Simply Honey Australia.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 10 minutes (plus marinating) Cook time: 15 minutes
- Meal prep: Balanced with salmon, rice and color
- Fridge storage: Store rice and salmon separately from mango salsa for 2-3 days
- Freezer storage: Freeze rice and salmon, not mango salsa
- Reheating: Add drizzle water to salmon and rice and reheat in microwave 1 minute intervals (~2-3 minutes)
- Customise: Adjust honey and ginger flavors to your preference, change salsa ingredients depending on seasonality
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Why you'll love this recipe
Honey. Perfectly sweet for a savoury meal and incredibly versatile. The same flavour profile also works beautifully in my honey dijon mustard chicken bites or honey lemon chicken with rice.
Salmon. Salmon bowls are one of the easiest meal-prep bases because you can mix and match toppings depending on what you have. Prefer something less gingery? Try my honey mustard sauce instead.
Ginger. The ginger in the honey brings a warm, punchy kick that cuts through sweetness perfectly. If you prefer a milder bowl, reduce the ginger slightly and it becomes closer to my honey soy chicken rice bowl.
Ingredients and substitutions
Salmon. Skin-off fillets bake more evenly and absorb the marinade better.
If your salmon has skin, gently slide a sharp knife between the flesh and skin to remove it (or you can pour boiling water over the skin and it'll come off with a quick peel).
Ginger in honey. This Simply Honey product adds built-in warmth and depth.
If using regular honey, add extra fresh ginger to mimic the flavour intensity.
Ginger. Fresh grated ginger provides the bright, spicy kick that makes this marinade pop - jarred ginger won't offer the same freshness.
Lemon & white wine vinegar. These acids balance the sweetness of the honey and help tenderise the salmon slightly, creating a more cohesive, bright marinade.
Soy sauce. All-purpose soy sauce adds essential saltiness and umami. Low-sodium soy works well if you prefer more control over seasoning.
Mango salsa. Fresh mango, cucumber, and a touch of red onion add brightness and crunch that cut through the richness of the salmon.
You can swap mango for pineapple, peach, or even canned fruit in a pinch.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make salmon bites bowl
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey in ginger, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, grated ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
Step 2: Cut salmon into bite-sized pieces and place in the marinade. Let the salmon sit for 10-20 minutes (or up to an hour).
Step 3: Add salmon pieces (in the marinade) to an oven-safe container and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10-12 minutes until cooked through (they'll break apart and be a lighter pink)
Step 4: Add cooked rice, top with salmon bites, spoon over extra sauce, and finish with mango salsa.
My Top Tips
Cut the salmon evenly. Uniform pieces mean even cooking.
Marinate briefly. Salmon absorbs flavor quickly - 10-20 minutes is enough without turning mushy.
Bake in marinade. This helps the flavor continue to be absorbed by the salmon and thickens it so you can pour leftovers over at the end.
Meal prepping salmon rice bowls
This bowl makes a balanced meal prep with salmon for protein, rice for carbs, and color from mango, cucumber, and red onion.
You can adjust the veggies/fruits depending on what you have around and is available.
Storing
Store rice and salmon together in one container, and keep the mango salsa separate to preserve freshness. Add a spoonful of leftover marinade to the salmon before refrigerating to prevent dryness.
It lasts 2-3 days, so pair it with other meal prep recipes from the blog to round out the week.
Reheating
Reheat the salmon and rice together in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of water or broth if needed. Add the fresh mango salsa only after reheating so it stays crisp and bright.
Freezing
You can freeze the baked salmon and rice, but not the salsa. Freeze salmon bites flat in a container for best texture, and thaw overnight before reheating. Add a fresh batch of salsa when serving to bring back the freshness of the bowl.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
Common questions about ginger honey salmon
It has a mild kick from fresh ginger, but you can reduce or increase ginger to taste.
Yes - frozen salmon works perfectly for this ginger honey baked salmon recipe as long as it's completely thawed first.
Although the frozen salmon does make it easier to dice, so dice first and then place back in the fridge to defrost and pat down excess liquid before marinating.
Frozen salmon can also have a milder flavour, so you may prefer marinating for the full 20 minutes to help the honey, ginger, and soy shine through.
The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 52-55°C (125-130°F) for a moist, tender finish. Overcooking will make the honey glaze dry out, so start checking at the 10-minute mark, especially with smaller salmon bites.
Recipe
Ginger Honey Salmon Rice Bowl
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) soy sauce, all purpose
- 60 g (½ cup) ginger in honey, or regular honey
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar, Note 2
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, fresh recommended
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil, optional but recommended
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, see note 3
- 15 g (2 tablespoon) ginger, grated, see note 3
- 600 g (1 ⅓ lb) Salmon, skin off approx.4 fillets
- 200 g (1 cups) rice, yields 3 cups cooked
- 1 mango
- 2 cucumber, small
- ½ red onion
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Grate 2 cloves garlic and 15 g (2 tablespoon) ginger, whisk together with 45 g soy sauce, 60 g (½ cup) ginger in honey, 15 g (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar, 15 g (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, 5 g (1 teaspoon) sesame oil.
- Cut 600 g (1 ⅓ lb) Salmon into bite-sized pieces and place in the marinade. Let the salmon sit for 10-20 minutes (or up to an hour).
- Cook 200 g (1 cups) rice according to your preferences or follow my tips and tricks
- Dice 1 mango, 2 cucumber, ½ red onion and mix together in a bowl. Set aside.
Cook
- Add salmon pieces (in the marinade) to an oven-safe container and bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through (they'll break apart and be a lighter pink)
- Add cooked rice, top with salmon bites, spoon over extra sauce, and finish with mango salsa.
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