Hello, hello! Welcome back to another post on my food blog, where I talk about one of the most important things in life, FOOD. This post is the start of a series of recipes that I’d like to share with you all that’s super easy, basically effortless, and oh so delicious. I’ll call it my “Airfryer April” series, hehe.
For my first Airfryer April recipe, I decided to use one of my favorite things to eat every week: salmon. Introducing.. my AIRFRYER Salmon Rice with a Honey-Gochujang Glaze. Airfryer Salmon is so damn delicious. The best part? It literally only takes 14 minutes to make! Let’s dive in, shall we?
What is Salmon Rice?
Salmon rice is basically a beautiful fillet of salmon served with perfectly cooked rice. I love using the nice and premium Norwegian Salmon for my fillets. You may use whichever rice you like, but Koreans typically use the medium-grain Kyunggi mi rice (sold at local Korean supermarkets like H-Mart). At home, I use my Cuckoo 10-cup rice cooker. But, you can simply make your own fresh rice in a saucepan on the stovetop/induction burner in as little as 20 minutes.
- Just use the ratio 1:1.5 (1 cup of rice : 1.5 cups water) I’d suggest cooking at least 2 cups of rice at a time.
Side note: you may skip the rice and just follow the recipe for the salmon. It’s delicious even on its own so you can enjoy it with whatever carbs or grains you love and tailor it based on your own personal needs and diet restrictions.
What made you decide to make it?
For this recipe, I was inspired by Emily Mariko’s viral TikTok video for salmon rice. My wife made it for me one day and, although I did enjoy it (because I love salmon so much), I thought it could definitely be elevated without breaking your back and adding too many extra steps.
Hence, I’ve developed my recipe to showcase my take on a simple salmon rice with Korean flare, utilizing one of the best creations of all time: the Amazing Air Fryer.
What is an Air Fryer? Why do I need one?
An air fryer is essentially a smaller version of an oven. It’s considered a countertop convection oven by most definitions. This small and compact version enables you to cook many different things quickly in less time and with little to no oil.
The advantages of an air fryer include being:
- highly versatile
- extremely easy to use
- much quicker and less of a hassle than using a convection oven
- and delivering such high quality deep fried flavor without the oil.
There won’t be any need to have your kitchen become extremely hot from using the oven; not to mention waiting for the oven to preheat to the set temperature & then cooking for longer periods of time. The air fryer was such an ingenious, game-changing creation that really helps home cooks like you and me to have some freedom to make more delicious and possibly even healthier foods than we could’ve before.
The only real disadvantage, I’d say, with using an air fryer is that it needs to be regularly cleaned after each use (versus a convection oven that you can clean periodically). Also, the air fryers that most home cooks end up purchasing have very limited capacity. You’d have to pay more for the bigger size units to make 4-6 servings. The one I use at home is perfect for me and my wife (Emerald 5.2L 1800 watt Air Fryer). We received it as a housewarming/wedding gift when we got married last year & we love it. I use it all the time for my weekly meals and never really had any problems. But I’d definitely love the ability to fit more inside my basket for each batch that I cook.
What if I don’t have an Air Fryer?
If you don’t have one, shame on you! Haha, I’m just kidding. It’s completely fine. Maybe you’re not looking to invest in one at the moment or maybe you’re not able to store it anywhere on your countertop right now. Whatever the case, no sweat.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still cook my recipe using the traditional convection oven! In fact, when I developed this recipe I actually did so by making a crispy skin on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven. Then, I worked on simplifying the process to make it easier for the everyday home cook, searching for the perfect settings/times to cook salmon in the air fryer. Whichever method you choose, it comes out delicious every time!
For the crispy skin/traditional oven method:
- Simply start off by heating up a large oven-safe nonstick pan that can fit your salmon filets until nice & hot
- Then add some neutral oil and add in your salmon filets (skin side down). Cook for about 3 mins on medium high heat, then flip it & cook for an additional 2-3 mins.
- Flip it back with skin side down, and finish it in the oven at 400 degrees for 11-14 mins, depending on the thickness of your salmon (cook until thermometer reads 135-140, then let it rest until reaching 145).
- Remove it from the oven & brush the Gochujang glaze on top. Then, follow the rest of the recipe and enjoy.
What equipment do I need to make it?
- Air fryer
- Box grater/microplane (for the lemon zest)
- Small mixing bowl (for the glaze)
- Fish turner or spatula
- Boning/Chef Knife & Chopping board
- Paper Towels
- Spoon/whisk (for sauce)
Some more variations to try
You can use other dry seasoning rubs for the salmon prior to cooking, or even other sauces/glazes post-cooking. Some suggestions I have for you include:
- Mexican-style: fresh tomato, onion, cilantro & lime salsa
- Ketchup, honey mustard & dill pickle sauce
- Lemon/lime & dill creamy tartar sauce
- Panko-crusted crispy version with Jalapeño cilantro dip
- Rubs/seasonings:
- Cayenne
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Dry herbs like Thyme, rosemary, or parsley
- Sesame seed garnish
- Etc..
The possibilities are endless. You can change up any one or more elements starting with the seasoning, then the sauce, and then finishing with the garnishes. Just make sure that you cook your Airfryer salmon to the proper internal temp (145 degrees F). And you’re good to go! So what are we waiting for? Let’s get cookin!
Salmon – the main star of this dish (I’m using Norwegian Salmon, which is a nice, high quality salmon that has supposedly “become a world leader” in terms of quality)
Rice – the starch/carb component that also gives it the name “salmon rice”. However, you can skip this part & just make and enjoy the delicious salmon alone!
Gochujang (for the glaze) – Provides a nice savory kick and Korean flavor
Soy Sauce (for the glaze) – Provides saltiness and umami flavor
Mirin (for the glaze) – Provides slightly sweet and acidic touch to the sauce (You can buy this at H-Mart, Fresh Direct, Target, or Amazon.. but you may omit if unavailable)
Sugar/Honey (for the glaze) – for sweetness and to thicken the sauce. (if you don’t have honey, you can skip and simply use more sugar)
Garlic – aromatic
Sesame oil (for the glaze) – I love the toasty flavor of this oil to round out the sauce. It boosts the already amazing flavor of the sauce even more
Scallions (Otherwise known as green/spring onions) – For fresh flavor and garnish
Lemon zest/juice – for acidity
Masago – (OPTIONAL) for garnish and extra element
Roasted Peanuts – (OPTIONAL) For textured garnish
Baby bok choy – (OPTIONAL) vegetable component that I thought would pair well with the salmon. The texture & shape is perfect for this dish. You may substitute with other veggies of your choice, like green beans, zucchini, spinach, mixed veggies, carrots, corn, etc.
Oyster Sauce – (OPTIONAL) To season/flavor the bok choy
Here’s a list of other Fusion recipes you may love:
AIRFRYER Salmon Rice with Honey-Gochujang Glaze
It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s an AIRFRYER recipe. An elevated Korean-style twist on the viral tiktok Salmon Rice.. Introducing my AIRFRYER Salmon Rice with Honey-Gochujang Glaze!
Ingredients
- For the Glaze:
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin (may skip this if not available)
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 scallions, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- Splash of sesame oil
- For the Salmon Rice:
- 2-0.5 lb Salmon fillets (preferably skin on)
- 1/2 cup rice, cooked/steamed (I use a medium grain rice called Kyunggi mi rice, see notes)
- 1 cup baby bok choy, chopped (may use any other greens you like)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional: may use salt or soy sauce if not available)
- Splash of sesame oil
- Lemon zest & juice, for garnish & acidity (essential)
- 1-2 tbsp Masago, for garnish (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts, chopped for garnish (optional)
Instructions
First, start by cooking the rice either on the stovetop or in a rice cooker.
Next, prepare your glaze. Chop up your garlic cloves and scallions. In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp white sugar, 2 tbsp honey, minced garlic, scallions, and some sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
Next, rinse the salmon under running cold water. Pat it dry using paper towels. Then, filet the salmon into two pieces approximately 1/2 pound each and season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spray some cooking oil into the Air Fryer basket and place the salmon fillets inside. Spray some oil on top of the salmon and close the air fryer. Set temp to 400 and cook for about 9 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 145.
Meanwhile, prepare your veggies and garnishes (if using). I love to use baby bok choy with my salmon. I chop mine into small pieces and then simply saute them on a frying pan with some oil and oyster sauce. Set aside. Chop some roasted peanuts into small pieces and set aside. Rinse a lemon and set aside. Scoop a tablespoonful of masago and set aside.
Once the salmon is done, it’s time to plate. Plate it up in this order: rice (bottom), veggies, salmon, glaze, roasted peanuts, masago, and lemon zest. Then enjoy! Yummmy.
Notes
If you want a nice crispy skin salmon, you may sear the skin side on a nonstick pan first before throwing it into the airfryer (adjust the airfryer cooking time by ~2-3 mins, keeping an eye on it each minute). Rice should be cooked first to match the timing of the rest of the recipe. If you don’t want rice, you can skip it altogether and serve the salmon with whatever you like.
