This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Soy roasted salmon caramelized with Japanese BBQ sauce, served over rice with fresh pineapple slaw, creamy avocado, and homemade bang bang sauce. Sweet, spicy and all around delicious! Just 30 minutes is all you need! Perfect for any night of the week.
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
I love having out-of-town guests because it gives me an excuse to cook for people I don’t get to see nearly enough. Before anyone arrives, I always ask about the meals they’re craving, favorite flavors, and anything new they’d love to try while they’re here.
Cooking is one of my favorite ways to make people feel at home, especially family. A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Abby and her boyfriend came to visit from California, and I knew she was hoping for a few homemade dinners. Abby loves anything with bold flavors, so I knew bang bang salmon had to be on the menu.
Instead of serving the salmon on its own, I turned it into colorful rice bowls layered with pineapple slaw, creamy avocado, and plenty of homemade bang bang sauce. I also grilled some steak so everyone could build their bowl exactly the way they wanted. That’s one of the reasons I love recipes like this—they’re easy to customize, and everyone leaves happy.
The whole dinner comes together in about 30 minutes. Whisk together the sauces, toss the slaw, roast (or grill) the salmon, and cook some rice. I always grab a bag of shredded coleslaw mix to save a little time. And in the summer, I often grill the salmon instead of using the broiler. The sauce caramelizes beautifully, the salmon gets lightly charred, and dinner comes together so easily.
Hope you all love these bowls! They’re colorful, packed with flavor, and perfect for easy summer dinners.
Here are the details
Ingredients
The Bang Bang Sauce
- mayo
- sweet Thai chili sauce
- lime zest
The Pineapple Slaw
- shredded cabbage or a bag of coleslaw mix
- chopped fresh pineapple
- cilantro and basil, I love using both!
The Bowls
- salmon
- chipotle chili powder
- soy sauce
- Japanese pineapple BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce
Spicy Soy Sauce
- soy sauce
- sweet Thai chili sauce
- toasted sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
For Serving
- cooked rice
- nori sheets
- sliced avocado
- sliced green onions
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Bang Bang Sauce
Whisk together all of the bang bang sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Tip
Make a double batch if you can. It’s delicious drizzled over grilled chicken, shrimp, roasted vegetables, or even tossed with a simple salad later in the week.
Step 2: Toss the Pineapple Slaw
In a large bowl, combine all of the slaw ingredients. Add about 1/4 cup of the Bang Bang Sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Tip
No pineapple? Fresh mango chunks or sliced peaches are just as delicious.
Step 3: Cook the Salmon
Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the salmon on a baking sheet and season with the chipotle chili powder, tamari, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer and broil until lightly crisp around the edges. Spoon the Japanese BBQ sauce (or teriyaki sauce) over the salmon and broil for another minute, just until the sauce is glossy and caramelized.
Tip
Try not to overcook the salmon. It cooks quickly under the broiler and stays much more tender when it’s just cooked through. You can also grill the salmon if you prefer.
Make It Your Own
Swap the salmon for shrimp, grilled chicken, or steak.
Step 4: Mix the Spicy Soy
While the salmon cooks, whisk together all of the spicy soy ingredients.
Tip
Spoon the spicy soy over the rice while it’s still warm so every bite soaks up all that flavor.
Step 5: Build the Bowls
Divide the rice among serving bowls. Spoon the spicy soy over the rice, then top with the salmon, pineapple slaw, avocado, green onions, and sesame seeds. Finish with a generous drizzle of the Bang Bang Sauce and serve with nori sheets for wrapping or crumbling over the top.
Tip
Serve extra Bang Bang Sauce at the table. Everyone always wants another drizzle!
Table Tip
Turn this into a build-your-own bowl night. Arrange the rice, salmon, slaw, avocado, sauces, herbs, sesame seeds, and nori on a large board or across the kitchen island, then let everyone build their own bowl. It’s an easy, interactive dinner that’s always a hit.
Meal Prep
Prep the rice, salmon, spicy soy, and slaw ahead of time. Store everything separately in the refrigerator, and wait to toss the slaw with the Bang Bang Sauce until just before serving to keep it crisp.
The Bang Bang Sauce keeps well for several days, making leftovers just as delicious. I love using my Caraway glass storage containers for meal prep and storing leftovers.
Bang Bang Salmon Bowls with Pineapple Slaw
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
Pineapple Slaw
The Bowls
- 4 (4 to 6 ounce) salmon fillets, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Japanese pineapple BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 cups cooked rice
- nori sheets, avocado, and green onions, for serving
Spicy Soy
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1. Whisk together all of the bang bang sauce ingredients until smooth.2. In a large bowl, combine the slaw ingredients. Add 1/4 cup of the bang bang sauce and toss to coat.3. Preheat the broiler to high.4. Arrange the salmon on a baking sheet. Toss with the chipotle chili powder, tamari, salt, and pepper, then spread into an even layer. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly crisp. Spoon over the Japanese Pineapple BBQ Sauce (or teriyaki sauce) and broil for 1 minute more, until caramelized.5. Whisk together the spicy soy ingredients.6. Divide the rice among bowls and spoon over the spicy soy. Top with the salmon, pineapple slaw, avocado, green onions, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the bang bang sauce and serve with the nori sheets.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was really good! I wasn’t so sure with such an unusual mix of ingredients, but I was pleasantly surprised. Four adjustments – I used spiralized zucchini instead of cabbage for the slaw, and I couldn’t find Japanese pineapple bbq sauce so I used a Hawaiian bbq sauce from sweet baby rays. I subbed chicken because of my family’s preference. I think shrimp would be great! And finally, for the last few bites I added peanuts and liked that addition.
Hey Kendra,
Thanks for trying this recipe and for the feedback, I can’t wait to hear what you make next!
Okay to be honest I just made the pineapple slaw because I had a pineapple that I needed to use up!!! And the pineapple slaw was delicious with barbeque chicken, fresh tomatoes from my garden and cornbread for a summer supper. ALL of your recipes are great!!! Thanks so much!!!
Hey Holly,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making the pineapple slaw and taking the time to comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great weekend!
So easy to make and great flavor!! Always love a good salmon bowl
Hey Sammie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl—so glad it turned out nicely. Have a great day!
I noticed you said that shrimp can be substituted for the salmon. Would you also recommend cooking that under the broiler or toss that in a pan to cook it instead? Thank you! 🙂
Hey Nichole,
A skillet on the stove top would work nicely for the shrimp! I hope you love this recipe!
The recipe calls for basil and cilantro. Is it a 1/2 cup of each or a 1/2 cup in total (1/4 cup each)
Hey Diane,
It’s 1/2 cup total:) I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try!
This sounds amazing! I plan to try it and I’d like to try grilling it, but I’m a bit of a novice on the grill. Would you turn the burners to high and use the same timing guidance as the broiler? Thank you!
Hi Beth,
I probably wouldn’t go too high on the grill, medium is probably a good temp! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
This was a real hit and we will definately be making this a frequent meal. Thank you,Teigan
Hey Pam,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best Sunday!
So so so good. My kids asked for seconds of the slaw. Will make again and again. Thank you!
Hey Leslie,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
Delicious! Will be on repeat at our house. I didn’t have cilantro and instead used mix of basil, mint and parsley and it gave an amazing taste profile. The slaw was the best and loved it !
Hey Kristen,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
Flavors are really good, the slaw was fresh and I added some pickled red onions and shredded carrots and radishes to it as well. It came together super easy, great for a weeknight meal. Two cups of rice was not enough for my family of 4, I let the kids and husband have the rice and I just had my salmon with the slaw… next time I will double the rice amount!
Hey Macy,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for choosing to make it!
Would you be able to provide a recipe for the Japanese pineapple BBQ sauce?
Hi Toni,
I used a store bought Japanese BBQ Sauce, I like the Bachan brand. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Im wondering if adding pineapple or pineapple juice to the Japanese BBQ sauce would work
Is that what you did to make it a
“Pineapple Japanese BBQ sauce ”
Thanks
Sorry, I am not sure where you are getting “Pineapple Japanese BBQ sauce” from. It’s just a Japanese BBQ sauce with pineapple slaw:) You are more than welcome to add pineapple juice to your liking.
Ingredients for bowls says 1/4 Japanese Pineapple BBQ Sauce
I thought it was a ingredient
I have the Japanese BBQ sauce I’ll be using
Thanks for replying
I haven’t made this yet but it sounds delicious. I will get back to you when I make it, I’m always looking for a different way to make salmon.
Thanks so much, Charlotte! I hope you love this recipe! Have a great Friday!
Perfect meal for a hot summer evening. All the sauces were delicious. It made enough we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. This is definitely going into our regular meal rotation. Thank you Tieghan for another great recipe!
Hey Deborah,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for choosing to make it!
I was looking for a recipe that I could make during a recent Colorado heat wave. I made this for a dinner party and it was delicious! I used the fresh basil and onions from my garden and made a cold crunchy corn salad along side. Thanks for this recipe, it’s going to be one of my go-tos!
Hey Carol,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you!
what can I use instead of mayo?
Hi Nicole,
Greek yogurt would be a nice option in place of the mayo.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish!