Salmon Teriyaki Bowls

Simple, healthy comfort food for busy evenings

Some dinners feel like a small win before you’ve even taken the first bite.
This is one of those.

These salmon teriyaki bowls are the kind of meal I come back to again and again — quick enough for a weekday, healthy without trying too hard, and just comforting enough to make the whole evening feel a little more manageable.

It’s also one of those rare dinners that feels like proper food and something the kids will actually eat, which in busy family life is very much worth celebrating.

Why I love this recipe

Because it works in real life.

It’s simple, flexible, and forgiving. You can keep it fresh and wholesome when you’ve got the time and energy… or lean fully into the five-minute cheat version when the evening looks more like:

work → school pickup → clubs → hungry children → no time → deep breath → dinner?

Both versions count.
Both get everyone fed.
And that’s always the real goal.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 salmon fillets
• Jasmine rice
• Teriyaki sauce (we like Sun Hee, but any favourite works)
• 1 avocado (cubed)
• Edamame beans (optional)
• Fresh coriander (optional)

The full version (still very doable)

This is the version for evenings when things feel relatively calm and you have a little more than five minutes to yourself in the kitchen.

Warm jasmine rice, tender salmon, creamy avocado, and little pops of green from the edamame and coriander — it’s fresh, filling, and feels just a tiny bit special without any real extra effort.

Maximum points, minimum washing up — always a win.

Step 1 — Cook the salmon

Place the salmon fillets in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil.
Cook in the oven for 20–22 minutes at 180°C. All ovens vary, so check the salmon is cooked through before serving — it should flake easily apart.

Step 2 — Cook the rice

While the salmon is in the oven, bring a saucepan of water to the boil.
Add the rice and cook according to the packet instructions (usually around 10 minutes). Drain into a sieve, then rest it over the pan with the lid on while the salmon finishes cooking.
That extra steaming time makes the rice just right.

Step 3 — Prep the toppings

While everything cooks, cube the avocado and pick and chop a little fresh coriander, if using. Set aside.

Step 4 — Assemble

Divide the rice between two pasta bowls. Flake the salmon over the top, then add the avocado, coriander and edamame beans.
Finish with a generous zig-zag of teriyaki sauce… and dinner is done.

The 5-minute cheat version

And then there are the other evenings.

The ones where time disappears, everyone is tired, and cooking from scratch feels wildly unrealistic.

This bowl still works.

• Microwave jasmine rice
• Ready-cooked salmon flaked over the top
• Cubed avocado on top
• Scatter anything green you can find (or don’t — also fine)
• Teriyaki sauce drizzled over the top

Five minutes.
One bowl each.
Everyone fed. Boom.

Honestly, these are often the dinners that save the day.

A small solo mama truth

I’m learning that good food doesn’t have to be complicated to matter.

Sometimes it’s a beautifully cooked meal.
Sometimes it’s a five-minute assembly job.
Most of the time, it’s somewhere in the middle.

But when everyone is sitting down with something warm and nourishing in front of them, the mayhem of the day softens just a little.

And that’s enough.