15-Minute BBQ Salmon Rice Bowl

Easy BBQ Salmon Rice Bowl Recipe

How to Make a Salmon Bowl with Mayo, Pickles & BBQ Sauce

Try this creamy, easy salmon rice bowl for a quick weeknight dinner that you can prep in 15 minutes! Made with a combination of instant rice and frozen cauliflower rice, plus convenient cook-from-frozen salmon burgers, this meal makes dinnertime a whole lot simpler. Learn how to make a quick salmon bowl dressed with mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and pickles.

I love both the flavor and the convenience of this BBQ salmon rice bowl recipe. Deliciously rich and creamy mayo, salty-sweet BBQ sauce, and tangy pickles. All served over savory salmon and rice! Plus, it’s such a fast meal to prep. I get to enjoy a warm, freshly cooked meal that’s ready in minutes—complete with nutritious veggies, protein, carbs, and healthy fats.

Personally, I prefer to cook without a recipe—a skill I’ve developed over time as I’ve gained some Kitchen Confidence. Combining some convenience items (like sauces, frozen veggies, and frozen salmon burgers) with some fresh prep on the same day has made meal prep and healthy eating much more manageable for me. With time, I’ve found my groove in terms of what works for me, and I encourage you to do the same!

Salmon Bowl Recipe Components

• Rice: A combination of comforting white rice and frozen cauliflower rice for a dose of veggies.
• Salmon: I use frozen salmon burgers for convenience, which can be cooked straight from the freezer! (My preferred brand is Butcher Box’s frozen salmon burgers.)
• Flavorings: I used a combination of chopped pickles, mayonnaise, and BBQ sauce to give this salmon rice bowl a comforting barbecue flavor. Or, feel free to add or substitute different sauces to create different flavors!

Substitution Notes

• Instant Rice: You can use white or brown instant rice, or cook regular rice or frozen rice if preferred. Ultimately, you’ll just need some type of cooked rice, either prepped fresh on the day-of or meal prepped ahead of time. I like the convenience and quickness of instant rice (a.k.a parboiled rice), but use whatever works for you!
• Cauliflower Rice: I like to combine my cooked rice with some cauliflower rice for added veggies in this salmon bowl recipe. You can use fresh or frozen, cauliflower or broccoli rice.
• Salmon Burgers: I designed this salmon rice bowl using frozen salmon burgers because I keep these on-hand in my freezer. Or, you can also combine the cooked cauliflower/instant rice mixture with with salmon filets cooked to your liking! Try my crispy pan seared salmon for a stovetop option, my baked rosemary salmon for the oven, or one of my air fryer salmon recipes.
• Pickles: Personally, the addition of some salty, tangy pickles takes this bowl’s flavor to the next level for me! If you’re not a fan, feel free to omit them. For an alternative, try serving your bowl with sauerkraut, capers, green olives, or even kimchi for a zesty kick!
• Mayonnaise: I like to use store-bought or homemade avocado oil mayo, but you can use any variety of mayonnaise you prefer. For an alternative, you could try plain Greek yogurt or nondairy yogurt.
• BBQ Sauce: I love the barbecue flair in this simple dinner, but you can easily switch up the flavors here by changing the sauce! Try soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, coconut aminos, hot sauce, or even ketchup and mustard for some flavor variety.

How to Make Salmon Rice Bowls

To make these salmon bowls at home, start by cooking your instant rice according to package directions. Then, in a large pan, cook frozen salmon burgers on one side and frozen cauliflower rice with onion on the other side of the pan. Finally, once the burgers are cooked through and broken up, you can add the cooked rice and flavorings. That’s it! In 15 minutes, a nutritious dinner is served.

For more 15-minute dinner ideas like this, try my mac and cheese with hot dogs or my tuna tomato pasta recipe!

Watch how to make this salmon rice bowl in my 15-Minute Weeknight Dinners video!