Blackened Salmon Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa are packed with perfectly spiced salmon, flaky and smoky, piled over fluffy rice and topped with a sweet-tangy mango salsa that’s bursting with garden-fresh flavor! It’s light, it’s easy, and it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
- Easy Rice Bowls, Big Flavor! - These Oven Blackened Salmon Rice Bowls couldn't be easier! While the salmon roasts in the oven, the rice simmers on the stove, and the salsa and toppings can be made in just a few minutes! The blackening seasoning blend is rich and flavorful, all ingredients already in your spice cabinet, pairing beautifully with the vibrant fresh salsa and creamy feta and avocado!
- Healthy and Delicious! - A balanced meal with your protein, carbs, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies, all in one bowl! This meal works well any time of year and has become a go-to for busy weeknights or even a casual dinner with friends!
- If you Love this Dinner, try my Blackened Chicken Tacos and my Salmon Zucchini Orzo Pasta!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Fresh, light, and healthy, this simple dinner is full of sweet and savory bold flavors!
- Salmon - I like to use wild-caught salmon for its health benefits over farm-raised salmon. Buy from a store you trust for the best quality and ask for the pin bones to be removed.
- Rice - Use any kind of quick cooking white rice labeled long grain or jasmine rice. You can really use any type of rice, even brown rice or quinoa, just follow the directions on the package as cooking times will vary.
- Seasoning Blend - The salmon is seasoned with a basic blend of salt and pepper, spices, and a hint of brown sugar. The sugar could be left out, but it gives a delicious hint of sweetness that goes well with the mango! Try making your own Homemade Brown Sugar, it's easy and so good!
- Mango - Any fresh mangos are fine, but I love the smaller yellow-skinned mangos, as opposed to the larger red and green ones. They seem to always ripen perfectly after a few days on the counter and get so juicy and sweet.
- Cilantro - Whether it's fresh from the garden or the store, cilantro adds vibrant flavor that's like no other! Store extra cilantro with the stems in a cup of water, like a vase of flowers, set in the fridge.
- Lime - I buy fresh limes by the bag and use them often! Fresh lime juice brings the mango salsa together and balances the smokey salmon. Extra lime wedges are a nice garnish, squeezed over the top!
- Avocado - A creamy element to balance the rich depth of the salmon, let your avocados ripen on the counter so the skins are black and soft when pressed.
- Feta Cheese - Buy a block of feta cheese in a tub of brine and crumble it yourself for the best quality. Mexican Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco would work too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
These oven blackened salmon bowls are easy to put together for a bright summer dinner or a quick meal year round!
Step 1 - Simmer the rice, check your package instructions!
Step 2 - Drizzle the salmon with olive oil, mix up the blackening seasoning and coat the salmon flesh.
Bake at 400°F for about 11 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Step 3 - Mix up the mango salsa.
Step 4 - Assemble the bowls with a bed of rice, a piece of blackened salmon, a big spoonful of mango salsa, avocado slices and crumbled feta cheese.
Top Tip
The Salmon Paper Bag Trick - I use this trick anytime I'm roasting a filet of skin-on salmon. Cut a brown paper bag to fit under the salmon while you roast it. After it bakes, the flesh easy can be pulled off and served while the skin sticks to the bag and is left behind. Easy clean up too!
Recipe Notes
- No Mango? Peaches or Pineapple can be a great substitute! You could just use them in this simple mango recipe, or try my Peach Corn Salsa or my Pineapple Pico de Gallo.
- What to Serve it With - Blackened Salmon Bowls are really a complete meal on their own, but you could pair them with a crisp green salad or grilled veggies from the garden (think zucchini or corn on the cob!).
- Make Ahead - Prep the salsa and spice mix earlier in the day, then dinner’s just 15 minutes away!
- Storage - Leftover rice bowls can be refrigerated and reheated within the next day or two. Store mango salsa in a separate container.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, sometimes frozen salmon is just as good as fresh! Just thaw it overnight in the fridge and cook it the same way.
Yes, you could really substitute any flakey white fish you like, or even shrimp or chicken. Leftover pulled pork or steak also works great on these rice bowls!
This dish is fairly mild but the heat level is easily customizable. Use more or less jalapeño pepper in the mango salsa to your liking. The blackened salmon is not spicy, but you could add a bit of cayenne pepper for a little more kick!
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Salmon Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1½ cups uncooked white rice
For the Salmon
- 1¼ pounds salmon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
For the Mango Salsa
- 2 small mangos ripe, (about 1½ cups peeled and chopped)
- 1 Tablespoon jalapeño pepper minced, more or less, depending on desired heat level
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- 1 Tablespoon juice of a lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings
- 1 ½ avocados sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Cook rice following package instructions (Add rice to a saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid, tilted so steam can escape. Simmer about 15 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.)
- Preheat oven to 400℉ convection bake. Cut a brown paper bag to roughly fit under the salmon (optional, but makes it easy to serve the salmon while leaving the skin behind stuck to the paper bag, easy to clean up too!)
- Place the salmon, skin side down, on the paper bag on a sheet pan. Check for pin bones and remove with a small kitchen pliers.
- Mix all the dry seasonings in a bowl. Drizzle and rub the salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the seasoning. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, this can vary depending on thickness and desired doneness.
- Mix all ingredients for the mango salsa in a bowl.
- Allow the salmon to rest 5 minutes before serving. To assemble, serve bowls with rice, topped with a piece of salmon, mango salsa, sliced avocado and crumbled feta cheese.
Notes
- The Salmon Paper Bag Trick - Cut a brown paper bag to fit under the salmon while you roast it. After it bakes, the flesh easily can be pulled off and served while the skin sticks to the bag and is left behind. Easy clean up too!
- Rice - Substitute any type of rice or grain, just follow package instructions for cooking times.
- Ripen - Make sure mango and avocado are ripe by leaving them on the counter a day or two until the skin is soft when pressed. Mango could be swapped with peaches or pineapple.
John says
Tasty! And SO easy. I have never thought of myself as a fan of mango, but this salsa was a terrific match. I need to learn a little more about the art of peeling and slicing mangos, though. I used frozen salmon filet, which were fine. Next time I'll buy a nice, fresh filet. This recipe deserves better than I gave it. But I'll be making it again!
Meryl Downing says
Thanks John, so happy you liked it! Mangos can be a little tricky! I like the smaller yellow variety, peeled with a vegetable peeler. Then you just have to figure out with way the pit is to slice off the two big sides of the flesh. I agree, I've never been a huge mango fan, but mango salsa is the best!
Trish Shecterle says
This is SO, SO good!!!!! Fresh, vibrant flavors and oh so easy to pull together!! Definitely something we will make again and again….!!!
Meryl Downing says
Thanks Trish, happy to hear that! I love this dinner too! One of my favorites!