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I’m very excited to share this BBQ Salmon Bowl – it’s filled with colorful veggies, flavorful components, and is just SO GOOD.
To start off, I’m making a homemade bbq seasoning marinade to toss with both the sweet potatoes and the salmon. The sweet potatoes cook a bit longer than the salmon, so get these into the oven while you prep the remaining veggies and salmon.
While both the veggies and salmon are roasting, make the honey bbq dressing. It’s a simple combination with olive oil, bbq sauce, dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and honey. A bit on the sweeter side since we’re using store-bought bbq sauce, but it’s overall still balanced and fresh. You could substitute a balsamic vinaigrette if you want to keep this recipe super clean.
To round out the bowl, we’re also making wild rice and a kale, cabbage, and carrot slaw. Toss the slaw with the dressing, plate all the ingredients, and enjoy!!
Ingredient Notes
Salmon: Opt for fresh salmon fillets, portioned into 4-ounce pieces for easy serving. I use an Atlantic or King salmon, but you could also use Coho salmon, sockeye salmon, steelhead trout, or even an arctic char.
Vegetables: Lacinato kale, carrot, and red cabbage add color, flavor, and nutrition to the dish. If you can’t find lacinato kale, you can also use curly kale, just make sure to massage the kale and remove any stems. For carrots and red cabbage, I highly recommend you slice your own and NOT get the pre-shredded kind. I’ve recently noticed a pretty big difference between the store-bought pre-shredded carrots and the carrots I get from my local produce shop.
The whole carrots are so much sweeter and have much more flavor than the pre-shredded version, and it just makes the slaw a lot more enjoyable.
Grains: Use raw wild rice, cooked according to package directions. I like to add in 1/4 cup of quinoa to make this a bit more fluffy, but feel free to use all wild rice or even white or brown rice if you prefer.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small pot, add the 3/4 cup of wild rice, 1.25 cups of water, and pinch of kosher salt. Bring up to a boil, then stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 400F.
Step 3: Make the bbq marinade by combining all the ingredients together.
Step 4: Prep the sweet potatoes – peel the potatoes, then cut them into ¼” thick quarter moons. Add this to a sheet tray along with about 3 tablespoons of the bbq marinade. Give everything a toss, then roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
Step 5: Portion the salmon and place this onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Top each piece of salmon with a spoonful of the bbq marinade (or you can mix all the salmon with the remaining marinade). Once the oven is preheated, roast for 8-10 minutes. This can roast at the same time as the sweet potatoes.
Step 6: Prep the remaining produce – chop the kale, julienne the carrots, and thinly slice the red cabbage. Add the kale to the mixing bowl along with the remaining shredded carrots and red cabbage and toss together.
Step 7: Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a food processor. The olive oil will emulsify with the rest of the ingredients once blended together. Taste, adjust with more honey, or salt as desired, then pour into an airtight container or jar.
Step 8: Spoon ¼ cup of the honey bbq dressing into the salad mixture. If you’re meal prepping this, just dress the salad portion you are eating for that day.
Step 9: Assemble the plate – add some of the salad mixture, some of the wild rice, sweet potatoes, and salmon. Top the bowl with another spoonful of the honey bbq dressing, and enjoy!
Recipe & Cooking tips
Tip 1 – Save time by starting with the rice first. This takes the longest to prep, and you should be able to finish everything else while the rice cooks. You can also use precooked rice you already have.
Tip 2 – Ensure the sweet potatoes are coated with enough bbq marinade. Coating the potatoes in a good amount of the marinade (and olive oil) will make sure they roast evenly and make for a nice and tender texture. Add another squeeze of olive oil if the potatoes look a bit dry. They should be nice and shimmery before going into the oven.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store the cooked ingredients (sweet potatoes, grains, and salmon) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing in a glass jar or airtight container for up to 2 weeks, and store the chopped kale, carrots, and red cabbage in it’s own airtight container or plastic bag for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat the cooked ingredients (sweet potatoes, salmon, and grains) in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water until warm.
Substitution
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute salmon with roasted tofu, mushrooms, or tempeh for a vegetarian-friendly version.
- Grain alternatives: Use quinoa, brown rice, or couscous instead of wild rice for variety.
- BBQ Sauce: Instead of using bbq sauce, feel free to make my hot honey mustard dressing or even a simple balsamic vinaigrette. The bowl will still have bbq flavoring with the bbq seasoned sweet potatoes and salmon.
- Low Fodmap: If you are low fodmap, remove the following items from the recipe: garlic powder, brown sugar, honey, bbq sauce. You can substitute the honey and brown sugar with white sugar, and substitute the honey bbq dressing with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
FAQ
How do I know when the salmon is cooked?
To be 100% sure your salmon is cooked, use a meat thermometer (I have and LOVE the thermoworks brand). I like my salmon medium rare, so aim for 135F at the thickest part. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, check for firmness or flake off a piece with a fork and see if it comes off easily.
What equipment do I need for this recipe?
I call for a blender or food processor in order to make the honey bbq dressing. You could also whisk this in a bowl, but it just might take a couple minutes of whisking to fully emulsify the sauce.
Other great recipes:
- BBQ Salmon Salad with Cucumber Mango Salsa
- Salmon Quinoa Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Sweetgreen Hot Honey Chicken Plate
Video
BBQ Salmon Bowl
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon, portioned into 4 ounce pieces
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned
- ½ head red cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
- ¾ cup raw wild rice, cooked according to package directions or as instructed below
- 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into ⅓” thick quarter moons
- 1 lime
For the BBQ marinade:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup neutral oil
Honey bbq sauce:
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the 3/4 cup of wild rice, 1.25 cups of water, and pinch of kosher salt. Bring up to a boil, then stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.¾ cup raw wild rice, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Make the bbq marinade by combining all the ingredients together.⅓ cup bbq sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, ½ cup olive oil, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Prep the sweet potatoes – peel the potatoes, then cut them into ¼” thick quarter moons. Add this to a sheet tray along with about 3 tablespoons of the bbq marinade. Give everything a toss, then roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes.2 large sweet potatoes
- Portion the salmon and place this onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Top each piece of salmon with a spoonful of the bbq marinade (or you can mix all the salmon with the remaining marinade). Once the oven is preheated, roast for 8-10 minutes. This can roast at the same time as the sweet potatoes.1 lb salmon
- Prep the remaining produce – chop the kale, julienne the carrots, and thinly slice the red cabbage. Add the kale to the mixing bowl along with the remaining shredded carrots and red cabbage and toss together.1 bunch lacinato kale, 1 carrot, ½ head red cabbage
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a food processor. The olive oil will emulsify with the rest of the ingredients once blended together. Taste, adjust with more salt as desired, then pour into an airtight container or jar.2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Spoon ¼ cup of the honey bbq dressing into the salad mixture. If you’re meal prepping this, just dress the salad portion you are eating for that day.
- Assemble the plate – add some of the salad mixture, some of the wild rice, sweet potatoes, and salmon. Top the bowl with another spoonful of the honey bbq dressing, and enjoy!1 lime
