Tandoori Salmon Bowls
These easy Tandoori Salmon Bowls are the perfect 30-minute weeknight meal and feature salmon flavored with warm spices that’s roasted until tender.
Tandoori salmon is a time-friendly riff on a classic Indian dish and will be your go-to method for marinating and cooking salmon! A quick marinade in spiced yogurt and 15-minutes in a hot oven are all you need. Serve over fragrant basmati rice with homemade raita and top with thinly sliced onion and cilantro.
Table of Contents
Tandoori Salmon Bowls
I am obsessed with all the rich flavors of Indian food, especially tandoori chicken and salmon. It’s somehow both comforting and light and recreating a version at home has been so fun!
This is such a fun and delicious way to enjoy salmon at home and tandoori salmon bowls are my new weeknight go-to! The salmon has tons of bold flavor but it is truly one of the easiest weeknight dinner recipes ever.
Tandoori salmon bowls start with chunks of fresh salmon that we marinate briefly in a mix of whole milk yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon, and warm Indian-inspired spices. Then, we roast/broil the salmon until it’s perfectly cooked and browned.
I love serving the salmon over fluffy basmati rice with my homemade cucumber yogurt sauce (raita), and fresh naan on side. If you love simple and flavorful salmon recipes, try my grilled salmon skewers, salmon rice bowls, or my greek-inspired grilled salmon.
What is Tandoori Salmon?
In Indian cooking, a tandoor is a clay oven used for cooking and roasting food at very high temperatures. Most tandoori recipes are marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices before being cooked in the tandoor.
Since most people don’t have access to this particular oven, we’re taking the spirit of tandoori recipes and simplifying it for home cooking. Instead of a tandoor, we do a combination of roasting and broiling to get perfectly cooked salmon with a bit of char to mimic the flavors.
How to Make Tandoori Salmon Bowls
You don’t need any fancy equipment to whip up these super simple tandoori salmon bowls, but I always recommend using a rice cooker for the fluffiest rice!
Tools Needed
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salmon. You can really use any type of salmon here, but I typically go with fresh Atlantic salmon since it’s so readily available. You could use frozen, just be sure it’s completely defrosted and patted dry before using.
- Yogurt. I love using whole milk greek yogurt here, but you could swap a 2% in as well.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic is a must here! I always grate my garlic or use a garlic press. This ensures garlic flavor throughout without pieces burning.
- Ginger. You can use fresh grated ginger or ginger paste here.
- Spices. For the tandoori spices, you’ll need chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric. This is a great opportunity to check out the bulk spice section of your grocery store for an affordable way to try new spices.
- Cucumber. I like using baby or Persian cucumbers here, but you can also use english cucumber.
- Fresh herbs. For the raita and garnish you’ll need fresh mint and cilantro.
The Process
- Make the raita. Using a box or cheese grater, grate the cucumber into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the yogurt, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, mint, and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prep the salmon. Make sure the skin is removed from the salmon and cut it into 2 inch cubes. You could also keep the salmon in filets.
- Marinate the salmon. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon zest, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss with the cubed salmon and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Bake the salmon. Lay the salmon cubes on the prepared baking sheet with a bit of room between each piece. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 8 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the salmon is browned.
- Serve. Serve the salmon over basmati rice with the raita. Top with thinly sliced red onion, fresh mint, and cilantro. Serve with naan on the side and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
For extra flavor, you can marinate the salmon for up to 12 hours. This is a great recipe to prep in the morning for dinner at night.
Any leftover salmon should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat the salmon in the microwave until warmed through. Salmon is easy to overcook, so take care when reheating.
Store leftover raita in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tandoori Salmon Bowls are the perfect, simple weeknight meal. They’re healthy, full of flavor, and come together in 30 minutes! If you do try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Bowl Dinner Recipes to Try
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Soy Glazed Salmon Rice Bowls
Harissa Chicken Bowls
Shrimp Burrito Bowls
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Tandoori Salmon Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Tandoori Salmon
- 2 lbs center-cut salmon filet, skin removed
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ancho or new mexico chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Raita
- 1 cup full-fat greek yogurt
- 2 baby or persian cucumbers, peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
For serving
- 3 cups steamed basmati rice
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- cilantro and mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the raita. Using a box or cheese grater, grate the cucumber into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the yogurt, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, mint, and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prep the salmon. Make sure the skin is removed from the salmon and cut it into 2 inch cubes. You could also keep the salmon in filets.
- Marinate the salmon. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon zest, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss with the cubed salmon and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Bake the salmon. Lay the salmon cubes on the prepared baking sheet with a bit of room between each piece. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 8 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the salmon is browned.
- Serve. Serve the salmon over basmati rice with the raita. Top with thinly sliced red onion, fresh mint, and cilantro. Serve with naan on the side and lemon wedges for squeezing.
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