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My new go-to weeknight dinner – Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls. Smoky, slightly spicy, chipotle roasted salmon, with cilantro vinaigrette, served over bowls of steamed rice with a salted feta and avocado salad…plus some creamy chipotle mayo too. These colorful and fresh salmon bowls might seem involved, but they’re simple to make and full of so much flavor.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I can often go through phases of loving certain styles of food. Right now, I’m loving any dish served bowl style. Ideally with rice, but greens are great too!
Either way, I have so many fresh spring “bowls” lined up for you that I can’t wait to share! But this spicy salmon is my favorite. It really does have everything good piled into one bowl. Steamed rice, chipotle roasted salmon, a salty and creamy avocado feta salad, plus some chipotle mayo to really round out the bowl.
The details are simple
Which you might not guess by looking at the ingredient list. I promise the recipe just looks long, but it’s really not hard at all.
Start out with the salmon. I love to roast the salmon in the oven with a mix of chipotle in adobo, oil, honey, and a touch of tamari (or soy sauce). The honey really helps balance out the heat and the tamari adds a salty umami flavor. This may seem odd, but trust me, it’s so delish.
Throw everything into the oven to roast. The entire cooking process is honestly less than 10 minutes, it’s so fast! And just like with my salmon tacos, I love to give everything a little crispiness right before I pull the pan out of the oven. So for the last minute of cooking, I switch the oven to broil. I then let everything get a nice crispiness around the edges. Be sure to watch carefully though!
If you’re not a fan of salmon, or just want to switch things up, I think a buttery fillet of cod would be delicious too. Or even just some shrimp!
While the salmon cooks, I make the simplest cilantro vinegaratte and then an avocado salad/salsa situation.
For the vinegaratte, there are just a few simple ingredients. But I do think it’s important to make. It really adds a nice sauciness to the bowl. Just a little oil, vinegar, honey, and cilantro are all you need!
And the salad. This might just be my favorite layer in this bowl. Avocado, cucumber, so much cilantro, so much feta cheese, a serrano pepper (you can use a jalapeño too), cumin, a little oil, and a lemon-lime mix.
I love mixing the lemon and lime for a mix of citrus, it’s subtle but unexpected.
Assemble
Steam the rice. Of course, quinoa, brown rice, or really any other grain would work too. Then layer everything in… salmon, salad, drizzle over the vinegarette, and dollop with lots of chipotle mayo.
So much happening, but really it comes together quickly since we’re just repeating ingredients throughout.
Totally delicious and this will be great for the warmer spring and summer days ahead.
Looking for other salmon recipes? Here are a few…
Sheet Pan Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa
Parchment Baked Roasted Red Pepper Salmon
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 1040 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 (4-6 ounce) salmon filets, cut into bite-size chunks
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo
- 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3-4 cups cooked rice
Avocado Feta Salad
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 small cucumbers, chopped
- 1 serrano or jalapeño, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Chipotle Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. 2. On a baking sheet, toss the salmon pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil, chipotle in adobo, 2 tablespoons honey, tamari (or soy sauce), and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Roast 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. During the last minute, switch the oven to broil and broil until lightly charred. Set the salmon aside.3. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons honey, and the apple cider vinegar. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside for serving.4. To make the salad. Combine the avocado, cucumbers, serrano pepper, cilantro, cumin, and feta in a bowl. Toss with the olive oil, lime, lemon juice, and season with salt. 5. For the mayo, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 6. Spoon the salmon over the bowls of rice. Top with the avocado salad and drizzle the cilantro lime sauce over everyting. Add a dollop of spicy mayo. Enjoy!
Although this recipe has many steps it was worth it.
Husband does not like avocados or feta so I added them to mine separately. I added several radishes and a crushed garlic to the salad part.
Also I like my salmon less done so I cooked it 8 minutes then broiled keeping an eye on doneness.
Happy tummy!
Hey Ann,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) 🐣🍭
I’ve made this twice and my family LOVES it. Such a wonderful balance with the cucumber and avocado added to it, and that chipotle mayo is now my go to spread for sandwiches and wraps.
Thanks for such a great recipe.
Hey Alicia,
Happy Wednesday!!🌈 🐇 I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing your feedback and trying it out! xT
Just when I think I’ve fixed salmon in all the ways I can think of, this recipe comes along. This Alaskan, with a freezer full of salmon, thanks you kindly! I made it just as is. It’s wonderful.
Hi Sharon,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Do you need to cut the salmon skin off before chopping it up? Or do you leave it on?
Hey Anya,
Totally, personal preference, but I like to remove it:) Let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
So my small European country has only one online shop that maybe sells the adobo chipotle and it was sold out!
So I used the blogs “Leite’s Culinaria”Adobo Sauce(made it with dried smoked chipotle flakes). And just used that paste. Let me tell you… BEST thing I ever tasted. No additives, no artificial ingredients, completely homemade. Now I will be using it in all sauces that need some spiciness. Also, your recipe is just fantastic. Made this a few days ago and redoing it tonight because everyone is requesting it. Thank you for another fantastic recipe
Hey Katia,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Really yummy. But why is it referred to as “cilantro lime sauce” if there is no lime, only olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey and cilantro? I’m assuming there should be some lime juice listed there as well.
Hi Robin,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! You can go ahead and add a squeeze of lime:) xT
Hey! I am planning on making this tomorrow. I live in a small-ish European country and we don’t have anything chipotle related. Should I use sriracha, or what other sauces would work?
Hi Katia,
Sure, sriracha would work, it’s going to give this dish a different flavor. What about smoked paprika? That would work too! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you! xx
This looks yumm! Thank you!
When do you use this sauce: 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons honey, apple cider vinegar, cilantro and season with salt and pepper? You set it and aside and then…?
You mentioned to do this this at the end: drizzle the cilantro lime sauce over everything. Add a dollop of spicy mayo but that sauce above is not mentioned again so I am a little confused.
Hey Suri,
That is the sauce that is mentioned in step 6. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This is absolutely delicious! The salmon was so flavorful, and the avocado cucumber salad was a wonderfully bright contrast. We didn’t use the feta, and subbed sour cream for the mayo, which was yummy! Added bell pepper, red onion, and scallion to bulk up the veg. Quick and easy. This will definitely become a staple in our house!
Hey Nicole,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
Is there another herb that can replace cilantro? Cilantro tastes soapy to me, but still love the idea of the fresh vinaigrette!
Hey Kate,
Parsley or basil would also be great options to use here! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can’t wait to try the recipe. I just have one question, how to you prepare the Chipotle In Adobo Sauce for the salmon? Do you smash the peppers before mixing or just leave it whole?
Hey there,
You are just going to chop them:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
We adore this recipe! It’s in our regular rotation, and our four kiddos (ages 7-13) ask for it! We usually make and serve it exactly as written, with the exception of occasionally smoking instead of roasting the salmon. It works great either way! It’s quick enough for a weeknight and the cleanup is minimal.
Wow!! Thanks so much Marcy! Love to hear that your family has been enjoying this dish and thanks for making it so often! xT
I’d like to make a recommendation. Is there a way in the ingredients list you can note that things like the honey are divided (because part of it is used for cooking the salmon and the other part is for the cilantro drizzle sauce)? I enjoy this recipe but I often forget and combine everything from the ingredient list before realizing I’ve made this mistake yet again. At the very least, I’ll print this recipe and hand write that in so I don’t keep repeating this faux pas. lol Thanks for the yummy recipe! If salmon was more affordable where I am I’d be making this more often!
Hi Laura,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:) Thanks for sharing your feedback, I can try adding that to the ingredients! xx
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Though we are looking cut the calories of the serving. Is this based off of having a large serving of rice? We may try cauli rice mixed in!
Hey Lauren,
Yes, the rice is part of that…I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
Delicious! We eat salmon frequently and I usually prepare it very simply. I decided to give this recipe a try and it’s now on repeat. Thank you Tieghan, our entire family enjoys your recipes so much!
Hey Bri,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx