This Lemon Pepper Salmon Rice Bowl is a nourishing meal made with tender, seasoned salmon, sauteed vegetables, and a creamy garlic yogurt sauce over brown rice. It's easy enough for weeknights and great for meal prep, too.
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As I've been making changes to my diet post-holiday season, one thing I've wanted to focus on is adding more fish to our meal plan. So I've stocked the freezer with shrimp, bay scallops, and salmon portions - all easy seafood options and all pretty versatile. I've made a couple shrimp dishes so far, and a quick scallop stir-fry, but I really love the salmon portions. Not only can I take what I need for dinner, but I can grab a salmon fillet for lunch as well.
I recently got the urge to make a salmon rice bowl for lunch. I had just picked up a new bottle of lemon pepper seasoning (one of my faves) from Sprouts and decided to use it to season the salmon. I also just stocked the fridge with a ton of veggies, so I sauteed them and added them, with the salmon, to a bowl of brown rice. To add an extra bit of brightness, I squeezed lemon over the salmon after adding it to the bowl.
For one last finishing touch, I whipped up a quick garlic yogurt sauce to spoon on top of the bowl. I always seem to have plain Greek yogurt in the fridge, so I mixed it with minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, a little dried dill, and salt and pepper. While I'm sure the rice bowl would be delicious without this sauce, it really helps pull the flavors together and adds a nice garlic and dill bite.
Lemon Pepper Salmon Rice Bowl
If you have leftover rice, this salmon bowl is a great way to use it up. I used brown rice, but white or jasmine rice - or even quinoa - would also work nicely for this bowl. You can play around with veggies, too. I just used what I already had on hand - zucchini, onions, mini sweet peppers, and onions.
Since we're using cooked rice, all we need to do is warm it up. Keep it warm until it's time to assemble the bowls. Then, we can start the salmon by patting the fillets dry and rubbing the fillets with a little olive oil.
Season the fillets with lemon pepper seasoning and lemon zest. Then, cook in a skillet for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the salmon is flaky and cooked through. Remove the salmon from the skillet, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, and keep warm.
Next, we're going to wipe out the skillet and add another tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Add sliced zucchini, onion, peppers, and mushrooms and cook under tender and slightly caramelized.
Before assembling the bowls, we're going to whip up a quick garlic yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil together until it's smooth. Then, add dillweed and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Divide the rice between two bowls, then spoon the vegetables onto one side of each of the bowls. Place a salmon fillet on the other side of each bowl. Then, finish with a dollop of the garlic yogurt sauce and serve.
Lemon Pepper Salmon Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the rice bowls:
- 2 - 4 oz. salmon fillets
- 1 cup cooked brown rice warmed
- 1 small zucchini thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1/4 cup onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup mini sweet peppers or bell peppers, cut into strips
- 1 cup white mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsps. olive oil divided
For the seasoning:
- 1 1/2 tsps. lemon pepper seasoning divided
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the garlic yogurt sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dillweed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the salmon:
- Pat salmon fillets dry with a paper towels. Rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with lemon pepper and lemon zest.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook salmon 4-5 minutes per side, or until flaky and cooked through.
- Remove from skillet, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, and keep warm.
Cook the vegetables:
- Wipe out skillet, add other tablespoon of olive oil, and heat over medium heat.
- Add zucchini, onion, pepper strips, and mushrooms to skillet and cook 8-10 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized.
Make the garlic yogurt sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil together until smooth.
- Add dillweed and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Assemble the bowls:
- Divide the rice between two bowls.
- Spoon cooked vegetables onto one side of the bowls.
- Top each bowl with the salmon fillets.
- Finish each bowl with a dollop of garlic yogurt sauce and serve.
This lemon pepper salmon rice bowl is both nourishing and satisfying without being heavy. It’s bright, bursting with flavor, and easy enough for a weeknight meal. It's also a fresh and flavorful lunch option. With simple ingredients and plenty of ways to customize it, this is the kind of meal that's cozy and comforting while supporting healthier eating habits.
Did you make this Lemon Pepper Salmon Rice Bowl recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
