What to Make With Salmon and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Salmon and rice is a quiet dinner. The rice can be warm or cold from last night. The salmon only needs salt and a hot pan, and it is done when it flakes, which is sooner than most timers. These three are a crispy-skin skillet, a soy bowl, and a sheet pan if you would rather not stand over the stove. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with salmon and rice in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 18-minute dinner
18 min
Crisp salmon with rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Skin-on salmon sears in one skillet and rests on warm rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
Steps
- Salt the salmon. Pat it dry, especially the skin.
- Lay it skin side down in a medium-hot skillet with a little oil. Press it flat for the first minute.
- Cook until the skin is crisp and the top turns opaque most of the way, then flip for a minute.
- Rest it on the warm rice. Finish with lemon. It should flake, not bounce.
Keeps: Fridge for 1 day. The skin will not stay crisp.
One-pan option
Crisp salmon with rice is already one skillet. There is no second pan to wash.
The other dinners
20 min
Soy salmon rice bowl
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Salmon cooked with garlic and a spoon of soy, broken over rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp oil
Steps
- Warm the rice. Cut the salmon into chunks and salt it lightly. Soy sauce adds salt too.
- Sear the chunks in oil until the outsides are browned and the centers just flake.
- Add the garlic and soy sauce and toss for 30 seconds.
- Spoon it over the rice with the pan juices. Don't cook it further on the plate.
Keeps: Fridge for 1 day.
20 min
Sheet-pan salmon and rice
Total time, start to plate · One sheet pan · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Salmon roasts on a sheet pan while you warm rice, or while leftover rice waits.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Set the salmon on a sheet pan, oil and salt it.
- Roast until it flakes, about 10 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.
- Warm the rice in a covered bowl or a small pot while the salmon roasts.
- Break the salmon over the rice and add lemon. Pour any pan juices on the rice, not down the sink.
Keeps: Fridge for 1 day.
Make it with leftovers
Flaked cooked salmon can top rice for the bowl. Don't recook it hard or it dries into chalk. Cold rice is fine under a just-seared fillet. Raw salmon needs the skillet or the sheet pan, not a long simmer.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Salt
- Oil
- Soy sauce
- Lemon
- Garlic
No rice: the same salmon is a salad or a pasta. No salmon: shrimp and rice is the other fast fish bowl if that is what thawed.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
Plain salted salmon and plain rice, lemon on the side. Soy sauce is a dip, not a glaze, for a kid who wants the fish to taste like fish. Pull out any pin bones you can feel.
This is already the lighter plate. You don't need a cream sauce or a sweet glaze. A little oil in the pan is enough to keep the skin from sticking.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with salmon and rice in 20 minutes?
Crisp salmon with rice takes 18 minutes, start to plate. Skin-on salmon sears in one skillet and rests on warm rice.
What's the easiest dinner with salmon and rice?
Crisp salmon with rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 18 minutes. Skin-on salmon sears in one skillet and rests on warm rice.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked salmon?
Flaked cooked salmon can top rice for the bowl. Don't recook it hard or it dries into chalk. Cold rice is fine under a just-seared fillet. Raw salmon needs the skillet or the sheet pan, not a long simmer.
What else can I add to salmon and rice for a full meal?
The cards already use salmon, cooked rice, salt. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is salmon and rice a healthy dinner?
This is already the lighter plate. You don't need a cream sauce or a sweet glaze. A little oil in the pan is enough to keep the skin from sticking.
How do I make salmon and rice kid-friendly?
Plain salted salmon and plain rice, lemon on the side. Soy sauce is a dip, not a glaze, for a kid who wants the fish to taste like fish. Pull out any pin bones you can feel.
Can I make salmon and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?
Crisp salmon with rice uses one skillet and takes 18 minutes. Skin-on salmon sears in one skillet and rests on warm rice.
What if I don't have rice?
No rice: the same salmon is a salad or a pasta. No salmon: shrimp and rice is the other fast fish bowl if that is what thawed.