This Golden Lava Salmon recipe an easy weeknight meals that taste like takeout. Cubed salmon gets marinated, then cooked until slightly browned and crisp around the edges before getting tossed in a sticky sweet spicy garlic butter sauce.
This Salmon rice bowl comes together in about 20 minutes but feels a little extra. This is one of my favorite Salmon Recipes, served over hot rice, every piece of salmon gets coated in that rich glaze and all the extra sauce soaks right into the rice.
This Salmon recipe was inspired by my Golden Lava Chicken Thighs, and Sticky Pork Belly on this site. Another great rice bowl recipe is my Bulgogi Beef. If white rice isn't your cup of tea, Golden Fried Rice and Garlic noodles are my favorite dishes to serve with Golden Lava Salmon.
Jump to:
😍 Why You'll Love This Salmon Recipe
- It has a perfectly cooked and flakey flavorful salmon.
- The glaze is sweet, spicy, and buttery.
- The marinade is short and the cook time is fast.
- The ingredients are pantry friendly. It makes perfect rice bowls.
🥘 Golden Lava Salmon Bowl recipe ingredients
- Fish Sauce
- Hot Sauce
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.
🌶️ Substitutions & Variations
- Fish Sauce - Soy sauce can replace fish sauce
- Chin-Su - No Chin-Su? Feel free to use Sriracha.
- Lime - the lime can be replaced with lemon or orange.
- Sugar - Feel free to substitute with honey.
🔪 How to make Salmon Rice Bowls
- Step 1: Pat dry Salmon and cut into 1" cubes. Marinate salmon with fish sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly coated.
- Step 2: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add salmon and cook each side for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 3: Remove salmon from the pan after each side has seared.
- Step 4: Add butter and minced garlic to the same pan and cook until fragrant.
- Step 5: Then add sugar, put it in hot sauce and fish sauce and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
- Step 6: Add the salmon back into the pan absorbing all of the sauce until the salmon is fully cooked about 2 minutes.
- Step 7: Remove the salmon from the pan and plate over rice.
- Step 8: Pour the extra sauce over the salmon, serve in a small bowl with edamame or veggies of choice and enjoy!
Hint: The sauce thickens quickly once bubbling so keep a close eye.
💡 Recipe Pro tips
- Cut the salmon into even cubes so everything cooks at the same rate.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when frying. Work in batches so the salmon sears instead of steaming.
- Pat the salmon very dry before marinating for crispy edges.
💭 Salmon Recipe FAQ
Common ingredients include jasmine or sushi rice, salmon (pan-seared, baked, or air-fried), vegetables like cucumber, avocado, carrots, or edamame, and sauces such as spicy mayo, teriyaki, or soy-based glaze. Popular toppings include sesame seeds, green onions, and crispy onions for extra texture and flavor
Pan-seared (most restaurant style)
Crispy outside, tender inside. Cook skin-side down in a hot pan until golden, then finish quickly on the other side. This gives the best crust and flavor.
Oven-baked (easiest and juicy)
Bake at a high heat so the salmon stays soft and buttery. Great for hands-off cooking and meal prep.
Air-fried (crispy + quick)
Gets a lightly crispy exterior in less time, with less oil. Good balance between convenience and texture.
Glazed or sauced (most flavorful)
Cooking salmon with a sauce like teriyaki, honey garlic, or spicy "lava" style glaze adds bold flavor and keeps it juicy.
If you want the "best of everything," pan-searing and finishing with a sticky glaze is usually the winner for flavor, texture, and that restaurant-style result.
Cook rice and keep it warm.
Cook salmon by pan searing, baking, or air frying until done.
Prep simple toppings like cucumber, avocado, carrots, or edamame.
Add everything to a bowl with rice on the bottom, salmon on top, and vegetables around it.
Drizzle with sauce like spicy mayo, teriyaki, or soy sauce and finish with sesame seeds or green onions.
🫙 Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Best quality tip: The salmon stays tastiest in the first 1 to 2 days.
Reheating: Warm gently in a pan or air fryer to bring back some crispiness. Avoid microwaving too long since it can make the salmon rubbery.
Freezing: Not recommended once it's coated in sauce, since the texture of the salmon and glaze changes a lot after thawing.
🍚 More Recipes
Looking for other recipes with rice ? Try these:
Did you try this recipe?
I'd love to hear from you! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @thesavorychopstick on Instagram.
📖 Recipe Card
Golden Lava Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 pcs salmon cubed
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chin-Su hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Chicken Coating & Frying
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil Avocado oil is my fav
Golden Lava Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons Chin-Su hot sauce
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ Lime
Save this recipe! 💌
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to cook it later!
Instructions
- Pat dry Salmon and cut into 1" cubes. Marinate salmon with fish sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly coated.
- Marinate the salmon for 5 minutes. Mince the garlic during this time so it is ready for the sauce.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add salmon and cook each side for 2-3 minutes until well browned.
- Remove salmon and set aside.
- Add butter and the minced garlic to the same pan and cook until fragrant.
- Add the fish sauce, Chin-Su hot sauce, sugar, and lime juice to the pan and mix together.
- Let the sauce simmer 1-2 minutes and thicken until glossy.
- Return the salmon to the pan and coat well on all sides with the sauce.
- Transfer to a small bowl, drizzle with extra sauce, slice, serve over rice with edamame or veggies of choice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Salmon works best when cut into even pieces so it cooks quickly and stays tender without drying out.
- Do not skip removing skin and bones before cubing for the cleanest texture and easiest bite.
- The sauce should look syrupy before tossing.
Sharon Nguyen says
My kids keep asking me for this recipe and i'm always happy to make a quick 20 minute dinner. I hope you give this a try !