10 Tasty Sauces for Salmon Bowls

If you’re looking for a delicious and healthy meal, salmon bowls are the way to go.

The combination of cooked salmon, fresh vegetables, and flavorful sauces can make your taste buds sing!

But what kind of sauce should you use?

Luckily, there are many options that can take your salmon bowl to the next level.

From creamy tahini to spicy harissa and everything in between, here are 10 tasty sauces for salmon bowls that will take your dish from ordinary to extraordinary.

What Are Salmon Bowls?

Salmon bowls are a popular and healthy meal option that combines cooked salmon with various vegetables, grains, and sauces.

The base of the bowl is usually some type of grain such as quinoa or brown rice.

On top of this goes cooked salmon (which can be grilled, baked, or pan-fried) along with fresh vegetables like cucumber, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, and onion.

To finish off the bowl you can add a sauce such as tahini or yogurt-based dressing for flavor.

Salmon bowls are an easy way to get in your daily dose of protein and essential vitamins and minerals while also enjoying a delicious meal!

10 Tasty Sauces for Salmon Bowls

Salmon bowls are a delicious and healthy meal option, but they can be made even better with the right sauce.

Here are ten tasty sauces that will take your salmon bowl to the next level:

1. Spicy Mayo

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/16958936091584182/

• Ingredients You’ll Need: 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning or taco seasoning or chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. If desired, lemon juice can be used in place of the lime juice.
• To Make It: To make the spicy mayo sauce, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serving Tips: Spicy mayo is great for topping salmon bowls! Spread it over cooked salmon before adding to the bowl with other ingredients such as quinoa, roasted vegetables, avocado slices, and fresh herbs. The spicy mayo can also be served as a dip for chips or vegetables like carrots and celery sticks.

2. Mango Salsa

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/83387030594722491/

• Ingredients You’ll Need: 3 ripe mangos, diced; 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped; ½ cup chopped red onion; ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced; 1 large lime, juiced (about ¼ cup lime juice); ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste.
• To Make It: Start by preparing the ingredients for the salsa. Peel and dice the mangos into small cubes. Chop the bell pepper and red onion into small pieces. Mince the jalapeño and chop up the cilantro leaves. Once all of your ingredients are prepped, combine them in a bowl and mix together until everything is evenly distributed. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and add salt to taste. Give it a final stir until everything is well combined.
• Serving Tips: Serve this mango salsa over salmon bowls or with grilled fish for an extra flavorful meal! It can also be used as a topping for tacos or nachos or enjoyed as a dip with chips or veggies! The mango salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days so you can enjoy it several times throughout the week!

3. Soy Ginger Dressing

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4011087161125319/

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon spicy chile and garlic sauce (see notes)
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (or sub a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger)

How To Make It

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more soy sauce for saltiness, chile garlic sauce for heat, or vinegar for acidity.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Serving Tips

This Soy Ginger Dressing is perfect on top of salmon bowls with cooked brown rice, shredded cabbage or kale, edamame beans, avocado slices, cucumber slices and sesame seeds.

You can also use it as a dip for grilled chicken skewers or spring rolls.

4. Chimichurri

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/140806229381887/

• Ingredients You’ll Need: olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, garlic, chilies (optional), oregano, salt and pepper.
• To Make It: To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Serving Tips: Chimichurri is best served with grilled or roasted salmon bowls. Drizzle over the top of the bowl before serving for an extra burst of flavor! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

5. Peanut Sauce

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/259801472261328376/

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup of natural, unsweetened peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves pressed or grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger root grated
• 2-4 tablespoons warm water

How To Make It

1. Start by adding the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and lime juice to a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together until fully combined.
3. Next add the garlic and ginger and whisk again until everything is well blended.
4. Finally add in the warm water one tablespoon at a time while whisking until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serving Tips

This delicious peanut sauce can be served with salmon bowls as an alternative to tartar sauce or mayonnaise.

It can also be used as a dipping sauce for vegetables such as carrots or cucumbers, added to salads for extra flavor and creaminess, drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes or used in place of traditional sauces like teriyaki on stir fry dishes!

6. Cilantro Lime Crema

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207728601555377229/

• Ingredients You’ll Need: 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 lime (zested and juiced), 1 clove garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus more to taste.
• To Make It: Begin by combining the sour cream and mayonnaise in a bowl. Next add the chopped cilantro leaves, zest of one lime, juice of one lime, minced garlic clove and coarse kosher salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
• Serving Tips: This delicious sauce is perfect for topping salmon bowls or any other dish that could use a bit of extra flavor! It can also be used as a dip for chips or vegetables such as carrots or celery sticks. Enjoy!

7. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/462744930474787129/

Ingredients You’ll Need

• rice vinegar
• water
• cane sugar (or a granular sweetener of choice for a diabetic alternative)
• rice wine (or dry sherry if needed)
• sambal oelek or dried red chili flakes
• garlic
• ginger
• tamari or soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
• cornstarch dissolved in water
• natural red food coloring (optional)

How To Make It

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the vinegar and water. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Add the rice wine or dry sherry. If using sambal oelek instead of dried chili flakes add it now; if using dried chili flakes wait to add them later.
3. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger.B
4. ring to a gentle boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the tamari or soy sauce and dissolve any remaining lumps of sugar.
6. Taste test – adjust sweetness by adding more sugar if desired; adjust spiciness by adding more sambal oelek or chili flakes as desired.
7. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of cold water; slowly pour into simmering sauce while stirring with a whisk until thickened – about 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how much cornstarch was used initially.
8. Remove from heat and add 1-2 drops of natural red food coloring if desired; let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in fridge up to one month before use date has expired.

Serving Tips

This Thai sweet chili sauce is great served with salmon bowls!

Drizzle over cooked salmon fillets along with steamed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, peppers etc., cooked quinoa or brown rice for extra protein & fiber content plus some crunchy nuts for texture.

Delicious!

8. Tahini Sauce

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/100979216637282372/

• Ingredients You’ll Need: 4 medium-to-large cloves garlic, pressed or minced; ¼ cup lemon juice; ½ cup tahini; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; a pinch of ground cumin; and 6 tablespoons ice water (more as needed).
• To Make It: Start by pressing or mincing the garlic. In a bowl, combine the garlic with the lemon juice and mix until combined. Add in the tahini, salt, and cumin and mix until combined. Slowly add in the ice water while whisking to combine. Continue adding more ice water if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• Serving Tips: Tahini sauce is best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The sauce can be used as a topping for salmon bowls or used as a dip for vegetables or crackers. It also makes an excellent dressing when mixed with olive oil and additional seasonings such as dill or parsley flakes for salads or grain bowls.

9. Harissa Paste

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/318066792445992471/

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 10 dried New Mexico chiles
• 7 dried chiles de arbol
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds (or slightly less ground cumin)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds (or slightly less ground coriander)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste (or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes)
• ¼ cup olive oil

To Make It

1. Begin by toasting the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
2. Then remove from heat and let cool.
3. Next add the cooled spices to a food processor along with the garlic and blend until everything is combined into a paste.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Serving Tips

Harissa can be used as a condiment on salmon bowls or other meals like roasted vegetables or grains dishes such as quinoa or couscous.

It can also be used as a marinade for proteins like chicken or beef before grilling or roasting.

For extra spiciness you can add more of the dried chili peppers to taste!

10. Teriyaki Sauce

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/129548926774928388/

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 5 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water

How To Make It

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey and ground ginger.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring occasionally.
3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and stir in the garlic powder.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until combined.
5. Slowly add this mixture into your teriyaki sauce while stirring continuously.
6. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes until thickened then remove from heat and set aside to cool before serving with salmon bowls.

Serving Tips

This homemade teriyaki sauce is best served warm as it will thicken up when cooled down.

If you find that it’s too thick after cooling you can thin out with some additional water or broth if needed.

The leftover teriyaki sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week so make sure you have plenty of salmon bowls on hand!

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many delicious and flavorful sauces that can be used to add a unique twist to your salmon bowls.

The best sauces for salmon bowls include spicy mayo, mango salsa, soy-ginger sauce, chimichurri, peanut sauce, cilantro-lime cream, Thai sweet chili sauce, tahini, harissa, and teriyaki sauce.

Each of these sauces has its own unique flavor and can be used to enhance the taste and texture of your salmon bowl.

No matter what type of sauce you choose, it is sure to be a delicious and satisfying meal.

So, try out a few of these sauces and find the one that best fits your taste.