Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Rice Salad. Smoky, slightly spicy chipotle-roasted salmon mixed with crispy garlic rice and a hearty avocado salad. Drizzle on my go-to toasted sesame tahini honey dressing, and you’ve got a salad that’s absolutely irresistible. Think of it as a cross between a rice bowl and a big green salad—so good! I love serving this with salted tortilla chips for scooping. YUM!
If there’s one salad that can get my family excited, it’s definitely one with rice. We could survive on bowls of steamed rice—it’s practically its own food group for us. Seriously, there’s rarely a week where I don’t make at least one pot.
Why Rice?
Our love for rice comes from my mom—she’s the ultimate rice queen! Growing up, we ate it all the time. She started with instant rice, but then my dad took charge, switching to steamed rice with just salt and butter.
No idea how he perfected it, but I still use his method: rice and water in a pot with a pat of butter. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit (still covered) for 20 more minutes. Fluff with a fork (always a fork!) and serve.
My brother Red has said a million times he’ll eat almost anything over rice. So yeah, we’re obsessed. Anyway—
Leftover rice is a constant in my fridge, which means rice salads happen a lot. But I prefer mine warm, so lately, I’ve been crisping it up in the oven (just like when I make chicken fried rice), then mixing it with tons of fresh salad ingredients. This salmon version is my dad’s favorite—spicy, smoky, and always a hit!
Here’s the breakdown:
Rice Ingredients
- Cooked rice
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Tamari/soy sauce
- Black pepper
Salmon Salad Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Salmon
- Chipotle in adobo
- Honey
- Tamari/soy sauce
- Shredded cabbage
- Avocados
- Persian cucumber
- Jalapeño
- Cilantro
- Roasted peanuts
Tahini Dressing Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Tahini
- Honey
- Tamari/soy sauce
- Garlic
- Toasted sesame seeds
Special Tools
Nothing fancy—just a sheet pan, a blender or mixing bowl, and a salad bowl!
Steps
Step 1: Make the rice
This isn’t your usual crispy rice—it’s sheet-pan style for speed and ease.
I toss my rice (jasmine is my go-to) with butter, toasted sesame oil, and garlic, then bake it to dry it out and crisp it up. A splash of tamari bakes right in, leaving you with crispy, garlicky, salty rice. So good!
Step 2: Make the salmon
While the rice cooks, I pop the salmon in the same oven.
Super simple: toss salmon cubes with butter, chipotle, honey, and tamari, then bake until crispy.
Step 3: Assemble the salad
Shredded cabbage, avocado chunks, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and peanuts.
(Kale works instead of cabbage, but I’m all about cabbage these days.)
Step 4: The tahini dressing
A mix of creamy tahini, lemon juice, honey, and a couple teaspoons of tamari or soy sauce. The tahini makes it rich, while the honey and tamari balance sweet and savory.
Throw in chili flakes if you want extra heat!
Step 5: Put it all together
Pile the hot rice over the salad, add the salmon, then drizzle with dressing. Gently toss and dig in right away!
