Featured Comment:
“Very good recipe! The sauce has good flavor! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I didn’t have cucumbers and it was still yummy! This is a keeper for sure!”
– Shel
What is Salmon Don?
Salmon don/donburi (サーモン丼) is a simple dish traditionally made with slices of sashimi-grade salmon served over rice. It is a variation of “Kaisendon,” a rice bowl dish topped with a mixture of raw seafood.
This is actually one of my go-to recipes when I don’t feel like cooking. It’s refreshing and filling and a great way to enjoy the natural flavors of fresh ingredients. Whether it’s summer or winter, for lunch or dinner, this is a perfect dish for any time!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Sashimi-Grade Salmon: Just look for the “sashimi-grade” label to make sure it’s safe for eating raw. Your perfect salmon should look bright orange and have a shiny surface, with hardly any cellular fluid. Avoid salmon that looks dull or has excess liquid.
- Avocado: The goal is to find avocados that are just ripe.
- Cucumber: For that refreshing crunch! While Japanese cucumbers are the best choice because of their thin skin and few seeds, any fresh cucumber variety will work just fine.
- Japanese Short-Grain White Rice: I love using a rice cooker for reliable results, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. Check out my “How to Cook Perfect Japanese Rice on a Stove” guide for stovetop tips.
- Soy Sauce: In my Soy Sauce 101 post, I break down the best brands and how to choose the perfect one for your taste.
- Mirin: If you can, go for a premium “hon mirin.”
- Sake: No sake in your pantry? A dry sherry or white wine can be used as an alternative.
- Dried Kelp (Kombu): Just a little strip infuses our marinade with incredible depth and umami.
- Topping ideas: Toasted white sesame seeds, Shredded nori (kizami nori), Chili threads, Wasabi paste, Perilla leaves (shiso/ooba)
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Marinated Salmon Donburi at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Tip: If you’re cooking fresh rice, I recommend washing it and soaking it for 30 minutes before making this recipe.
Pour soy sauce, mirin, and sake into a small pan and boil it over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. This step is to burn off the alcohol in the mirin and sake.
Allow the marinade to cool to room temperature. You can speed up the process by transferring it to a container and placing it over an ice bath or cool surface.
It is very important that the marinade is cool before pouring it over the salmon, we don’t want to accidentally cook it!
Use a sharp knife to cut the salmon and avocado into cubes. This is my personal preference, but if you prefer it sliced, you can arrange the dish any way you like. Be creative!
Place them in a container with a small sheet of kombu.
Use separate cutting boards and knives for salmon and avocado.
Pour the marinade over the avocado and salmon, you might need to turn some pieces so that they’re all evenly coated. Then place a piece of plastic wrap over the top so that its in contact with the surface of the salmon, this will ensure it is evenly marinated.
Place a lid on top and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. While you wait, I recommend cooking your rice using your preferred method.
Get a bowl of cooked rice ready for each person. If you need a tutorial on how to cook rice, I’ve got a Japanese rice cooking guide you can check out. Or, if you’re going for more of a sushi vibe, try using my vinegared sushi rice recipe.
Cut the cucumber into cubes and scatter them on top of the rice along with the marinated salmon and avocado.
For an added touch, I like to sprinkle the top with sesame seeds, shredded nori or a few chili threads for a little heat.
Mix well before eating and enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsSuccess Tips & Tricks
- Perfect your avocado timing: Choose avocados that are just ripe (slightly soft when gently pressed).
- Cool the marinade completely before adding it to the salmon to prevent accidentally cooking the fish.
- Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the salmon and avocado while marinating to ensure even flavor distribution.
With these simple tips in mind, you’re set for success every time you make this salmon sashimi bowl.
Serving Suggestions
I hope you enjoy this Salmon Donburi recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Fish Donburi Recipes
Salmon Sashimi Bowl (Marinated Raw Salmon Donburi)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp sake
- 5 g dried kelp (kombu)
- 200 g sashimi grade salmon
- 1 avocado
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice see how to cook Japanese rice on the stove here
- 1 Japanese cucumber or ½ Persian cucumber
- toasted white sesame seeds
- kizami nori (shredded nori) optional
- chili threads optional
- wasabi paste optional
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Pour 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 3 tbsp mirin and 3 tbsp sake into a small pan and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil for 1 min to burn off the alcohol in the mirin and sake.
- Remove the pan from heat and swirl around a few times to release some heat. Pour the marinade into a wide heatproof container and add 5 g dried kelp (kombu). Leave to cool completely.
- Cut 200 g sashimi grade salmon and 1 avocado into cubes. Once the marinade is cool enough to touch, place the salmon and avocado in a single layer then cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface.
- Gently shake the container to encourage the marinade to rise towards the plastic wrap. If you have a lid, place it on the container and store it in the refrigerator for 30 mins. I recommend using this time to cook 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
- After 30 mins dish up the rice and roughly cut 1 Japanese cucumber. Scatter the salmon, avocado and cucumber over the rice.
- Pour 1/2 tbsp of the leftover marinade over each bowl and sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds, kizami nori (shredded nori) and chili threads. Add a blob of wasabi paste to taste.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Look for “sashimi-grade” label – suitable for raw consumption. Any sashimi-grade fish or seafood works.
- Substitute sake with dry sherry or white wine.
- Allow marinade to cool completely before pouring over salmon to avoid cooking it.
- If you need a tutorial on how to cook rice, I’ve got a Japanese rice cooking guide you can check out. Or, if you’re going for more of a sushi vibe, try using my vinegared sushi rice recipe.
Very good recipe! The sauce has good flavor! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I didn’t have cucumbers and it was still yummy! This is a keeper for sure!
Hi Shel,
Thank you so much for the comment and sharing your experience!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Yuto