You’ll love the the vibrant fusion of flavors in our California Sushi Bowl! Featuring your favorite sushi-inspired ingredients, these fresh and customizable bowls make for a healthy and satisfying meal.
$28.84 per recipe / $4.81 per serving
If you would have told me a few months ago that I would be eating fish, let alone sushi, on a regular basis I would have called you crazy!
In the last half of 2023 I decided to completely overhaul my diet to be less inflammatory and more hormone healthy and this is one of the meals that I created as a result.
It has anti-inflammatory oils, great vegetables, and is packed full of nutrients!
This California sushi bowl works because it’s:
- Super fresh. This bowl features fresh ingredients like wild-caught fish, ripe avocado, crisp and vegetables, creating a light and wholesome meal that won’t weigh you down.
- Easy to prepare. Contrary to traditional sushi rolls, this bowl couldn’t be easier to prepare and come together in no time!
- Full of health benefits! Packed with nutritious ingredients like omega-3-rich fish, fiber-filled vegetables, and heart-healthy avocado, California sushi bowls offer a nutritious and balanced meal option.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook 1½ cups of rice in your rice cooker according to the manufacturer directions.
While the rice is cooking, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix ¼ cup orange juice, ¼ cup coconut aminos, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes together in a medium bowl.
Remove the skin from 1½ pounds wild-caught raw salmon and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Add the salmon cubes to the marinade and toss until coated.
Add ½ of the salmon to the air fryer basket and cook for 6-8 minutes until the salmon is semi-translucent or registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer.
While the salmon batches are cooking, mix 3 teaspoons sesame oil, 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and a dash of lime juice in a small bowl.
Add ½ cucumber diced and 1 cup of cooked edamame to the bowl. Stir to combine.
To assemble the bowls, layer rice, salmon, cucumber edamame salad, sliced avocado, french fried onions, spicy mayonnaise, sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Feel free to swap the white rice with brown rice or riced cauliflower depending on your preference.
You can also try this bowl with other fish like tuna or crab.
If you don’t have coconut aminos on hand, you can use any soy sauce, but you’ll be adding more sodium into the dish.
To save money, you can get a big bag of wild caught salmon from Costco at a great price.
My favorite sea salt is Redmond’s!
You can also try these red pepper flake substitutes if you don’t have any on hand.
You can use freshly-squeezed orange juice or Simply Orange is a great store-bought option that’s not from concentrate.
I buy frozen edamame from the store and cook the required amount for this recipe in a small bowl with a little water in the microwave. Cool before adding it to the salad.
Recipe Costs
This is one of my more expensive recipes, the wild caught salmon really brought up the cost, but if you were to order a salmon dish at a restaurant, you’d be paying at least $30 a plate.
This entire recipe is cheaper than that, with one plate costing less than $5!
- White rice: $0.39 (buy this in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco to really save money)
- Orange juice: $0.16
- Coconut aminos: $1.06 (coconut aminos are more expensive than traditional soy sauce, but they are also so much better for your health!)
- Raw honey: $0.33 (raw honey can be expensive, so buy this in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco to really save money)
- Rice vinegar: $0.28
- Sesame oil: $1.67
- Salt: $0.08
- Wild caught salmon: $18 (buy this in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco to really save money)
- Cucumber: $0.45
- Edamame: $1.39
- Avocado: $1.00
- French fried onions: $1.07
- Spicy mayo: $1.28
- Lime $0.59
- Cilantro: $0.89
- Sesame seeds: $0.20
To save a little money with this recipe, you could swap tofu for the salmon. Tofu only costs about $2 per pound, while the wild caught salmon costs $12!
Serve This With
These bowls are pretty satisfying on their own, but if you’d like to add some sides to your meal, try these:
- Asian Bowtie Pasta Salad
- Spam Fried Rice
- Wontons
- Spring rolls
FAQs
California sushi bowls can easily be adapted to suit vegetarian or vegan diets. You can omit the fish and add extra vegetables, tofu, or plant-based protein like tempeh. Just be sure to use vegan-friendly sauces and dressings.
While these bowls are best enjoyed fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, keep in mind that the quality of the ingredients may deteriorate over time, so it’s best to consume them as soon as possible for optimal flavor and texture.
When you reheat the salmon, you’ll want to do it in an air fryer for best taste and texture. Microwaved salmon just isn’t great.
California Sushi Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white rice
Salmon
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons honey, preferably raw
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- dash crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds wild caught salmon, 24 ounces
Cucumber Edamame Salad
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- dash lime juice
- ½ cucumber, diced
- 1 cup edamame, cooked and cooled
For Assembly
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup french fried onions
- spicy mayonnaise, to taste
- sesame seeds
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook rice in rice cooker according to the manufacturer directions.
- While the rice is cooking, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix orange juice, coconut aminos, honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes together in a medium bowl.
- Remove the skin from salmon and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the salmon cubes to the marinade and toss until coated.
- Add ½ of the salmon to the air fryer basket and cook for 6-8 minutes until the salmon is semi-translucent or registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer.
- While the salmon batches are cooking, mix 3 teaspoons sesame oil, 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar, sea salt, and a dash of lime juice in a small bowl.
- Add diced cucumber and cooked edamame to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- To assemble the bowls, layer rice, salmon, cucumber edamame salad, sliced avocado, french fried onions, spicy mayonnaise, sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro.