With perfectly cooked, flaky salmon and a slew of vegetables, this is the ultimate salmon fried rice. It’s one of my favorite weeknight dinners, especially since the recipe can be adapted to whatever veggies you have on hand. A few secret ingredients give the fried rice an incredible flavor, and a flurry of fresh herbs and peanuts take it over top. [Don’t miss the step-by-step Video below.]
Easy salmon fried rice recipe
I grew up on take-out pork fried rice, which was delicious in its greasy, salty glory. However, these days I prefer to make fried rice at home, not only because it’s a great way to use up odds and ends in the fridge, but also because it’s far more nutritious. This easy version uses a few simple techniques to give it loads of flavor while keeping it vibrant and light.
What kind of rice is best for fried rice?
You can use white or brown rice for this salmon fried rice recipe, but I prefer brown basmati rice. It’s a long grain rice that’s high in fiber with a nutty flavor.
The biggest tip when making fried rice is to use cold rice, not freshly cooked warm rice. Warm rice has too much moisture and will turn mushy when cooked. You can cook the rice the day before (or use leftover frozen rice—see the FAQs below), or you can use this hack to cool rice quickly: spread cooked rice out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop it in the fridge for an hour. After an hour it will be completely chilled and ready to fry.
What kind of salmon is best for fried rice?
I prefer to use wild salmon, which is more sustainable than farmed salmon (however, you can use what you have or like). Since the fried rice has so much flavor, this is also a great time to use frozen salmon! Defrost the salmon overnight in the refrigerator.
Fried rice ingredients and swaps
Fried rice is a perfect time to load up on veggies. This version incorporates fresh greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, bok choy, mustard greens or spinach), as well as a bell pepper and zucchini. You can swap out the pepper and zucchini for other veggies, such as carrots, broccoli, winter squash, peas and/or asparagus. Also, you can use other proteins in place of the salmon, such as chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or tofu.
A few key ingredients give this fried rice tons of flavor. Garlic, ginger and scallions create a backbone of flavor. Tamari provides saltiness, fish sauce gives an umami boost, lime juice provides brightness and a touch of maple syrup lends a subtle sweetness (you can use coconut or brown sugar instead).
How to make salmon fried rice:
- First, cook and cool the rice! (Or you can use leftover rice.)
- Drizzle one pound of salmon with tamari, maple syrup and lime juice. Bake until medium-rare (it will finish cooking later). Flake the salmon with two forks.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add diced pepper and zucchini and cook until slightly softened. Add chopped greens and cook until wilted.
- Scrape the veggies to one side of the pan and add garlic, ginger and scallions to the other side. Cook until fragrant.
- Transfer the veggies to a plate. Place the pan back on the heat, and add more oil and the rice. Cook until the the rice is glazed in the oil and starting to crisp up.
- Transfer the veggies back into the pan, and add tamari, fish sauce and maple syrup.
- Fold in the flaked salmon, along with fresh lime juice and chile sauce to taste.
- Serve the fried rice with fresh mint and/or cilantro and chopped peanuts or cashews.
FAQs
If you use just cooked hot rice in fried rice it will turn mushy instead of crispy due to the surface moisture on the rice. Instead, use chilled rice, which has less surface moisture and will therefore fry instead of steam when hitting the hot oil.
Yes! Let the rice cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze (brown rice freezes better than white rice, which can turn a bit mushy when defrosted). I often make a double batch of brown rice and freeze half for quick fried rice dinners down the line.
Salmon fried rice is best eaten immediately when hot, but leftovers are delicious for lunch the next day!
Tips for this recipe:
- You’ll need a 12-inch skillet or large wok for this recipe.
- I prefer to use wild salmon, which is more sustainable than farmed salmon (however, you can use what you have or like). You can also use frozen wild salmon—defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- You can swap out the salmon for cooked diced chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or tofu.
- Be sure to use chilled rice in this recipe. Warm rice has too much surface moisture and will turn mushy.
- You can use any rice in this recipe, although I prefer brown basmati, which is high in fiber with a nutty flavor.
- I love making a double batch of brown rice and freezing half for quick fried rice dinners down the line. Freeze the rice in an airtight container or zip-top bag and defrost it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature.
- You won’t taste the maple syrup, but it will balance the flavors. You could use coconut or brown sugar instead.
- Fish sauces vary widely in their intensity (I prefer Red Boat Brand), so start with 1 tablespoon.
- For some more salmon inspiration, try this Slow Cooker Salmon, these Salmon & Potato Cakes and these Spicy Salmon Sushi Wraps!
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Other clean-out-the-fridge dinners you might like:
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Salmon Fried Rice
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet or wok
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 ½ cups brown or white rice (or 3 ¾ cups cooked rice)
Salmon
- 1 pound skin-on salmon fillet
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice from ½ lime
- 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Fried rice
- 4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or safflower), divided
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium zucchini or summer squash, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch greens, such as mustard greens, kale or collard greens, stemmed and finely chopped
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice from ½ lime, or more to taste
- Chile sauce, such as Sambal Oelek or sriracha (or you can use your favorite hot sauce)
For serving
- Chopped fresh mint and/or cilantro
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
Instructions
Make the rice
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Spread the rice onto a large parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight). (Or you can use leftover cooked rice.)
Bake the salmon
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the salmon on the baking sheet, and season it lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lime juice, tamari and maple syrup. Bake the salmon until it’s medium rare—it should flake around the edges but still look quite pink in the middle (it will finish cooking later)—about 8-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. Remove the salmon from the oven and let cool slightly. Using two forks, coarsely flake the salmon (discard the skin).
Make the fried rice
- In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet (or large wok) over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the greens. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the greens are wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the scallions, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir everything together, then transfer the vegetables to a plate or bowl.
- In the same skillet heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the rice and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is glazed in the oil and is starting to crisp up, about 2-5 minutes (brown rice will take longer than white).
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet, along with the tamari, fish sauce and maple syrup. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the salmon. Squeeze in the juice from ½ lime and season with salt or more fish sauce to taste. Stir in a few dashes of chile sauce (you can go as spicy or mild as you like).
- Serve the fried rice in shallow bowls. Sprinkle with chopped mint and/or cilantro and peanuts or cashews. If you’d like, drizzle with chile sauce! DEVOUR.
Notes
- You’ll need a 12-inch skillet or large wok for this recipe.
- I prefer to use wild salmon, which is more sustainable than farmed salmon (however, you can use what you have or like). You can also use frozen wild salmon—defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- You can swap out the salmon for cooked diced chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or tofu.
- Be sure to use chilled rice in this recipe, as warm rice has too much surface moisture and will turn mushy.
- You can use any cold rice in this recipe, although I prefer brown basmati, which is high in fiber with a nutty flavor.
- I love making a double batch of brown rice and freezing half for quick fried rice dinners down the line. Freeze the rice in an airtight container or zip-top bag and defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature.
- You won’t taste the maple syrup, but it will balance the flavors. You could use coconut or brown sugar instead.
- Fish sauces vary widely in their intensity (I prefer Red Boat Brand), so start with 1 tablespoon if you’re not sure (or go big if you like it punchy).
- Try this healthy Stir Fry Recipe!
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