Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice Bites

I saw this trend on TikTok and instantly wanted to try it, like many food bloggers have done the same in the last couple months.

My take is a little different, as I cooked the salmon. For one, I’m pregnant so consuming raw fish isn’t recommended, but also I like the taste of cooked salmon better than raw. This is honestly one of the BEST appetizers I’ve ever made, and plan to serve it at our next gathering. It’s the perfect combo of savory and spicy with an extra added bonus of salty crunch.

I made 20 of these Saturday night and they didn’t last. Even Luke and Adam devoured them, we removed the jalapeños for the kids. This recipe contains a lot of steps, but I promise you… the end result is SO WORTH IT!

Let me know if you give these a try!

SPICY SALMON CRISPY RICE BITES

PREP TIME: 1 HOUR (rice chill time)
COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
SERVES: 20

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound salmon
2 cups sushi rice
1 ripe avocado
½ juice of a lime
1 jalapeño, sliced thin
2 sheets sushi nori (seaweed)
¼ cup mayo (Japanese mayo if you can find it)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons sriracha
3 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying rice
sesame seeds for garnish
Soy sauce on side (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rinse sushi rice with water, allowing to sit for about 5 minutes, drain and set aside
Cook sushi rice according to package (I cooked mine in my Instapot)
While rice is cooking, mix together rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil in sauce pan. Boil for a couple minutes until sugar is dissolved, set aside
When rice is finished cooking, add mixture to rice so each grain is coated. Layer saran wrap in a pyrex dish and dump rice over saran wrap, press rice down tightly until compact. Cover the top of the rice with saran wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour or freezer for 15-30 minutes until cold.
While rice is chilling, cut avocado in small slices and set aside
Mix in small bowl mayo, sriracha, soy sauce, lime juice, tablespoon of sesame oil and set aside
Cut salmon into very small bites, diced, put salmon in mayo mix and stir until coated
Cook salmon on medium heat in a pan for about 5 minutes until it reaches your desired cook level, drain and chill in fridge
When rice is ready, cut into small squares and fry with vegetable oil until golden brown, set aside
Now you’re ready to layer! Start with the rice cake, layer with small bite of nori, avocado slice, salmon and top with jalapeño, garnish with sesame seeds
Serve warm with a side of soy sauce!