Leftover rice and cooked salmon mean you’re just a few steps away from salmon fried rice. Just chop up some veggies and you’ll have a healthy fried rice dinner in no time.
The best part about making too much rice is you have leftovers for fried rice, you know, the kind with some egg, chopped veggies, and a soy sauce-based sauce.
How to turn leftover salmon and rice into a meal
If you also happen to have some leftover cooked salmon (I know it’s a stretch, but you could, right?), this salmon fried rice is one of the best things to make with it.
We grilled fresh salmon the other day and had just enough left over to toss into this fried rice dish. With egg, peas, onions, ginger, garlic and peppers, it’s a meal in itself! All together with lightly sweetened soy sauce.
The best rice for salmon fried rice
Well, usually you want to use day-old rice for fried rice. Why? Because it’s drier, which means it cooks better and browns around the edges.
We had none. So instead I made a fresh batch of rice, spread it out on a sheet pan and popped it in a 200F oven for 12 minutes. Then I let it sit while I prepared other things.
Quick ways to cook salmon
Is your salmon still fresh and not left over? Here are a few ways to prepare it for this recipe.
- Simply grilled salmon
- Easy Baked Salmon recipe
- Poached Salmon
Use other vegetables
Fried rice is what we make when we have leftover rice, veggies, and protein. So, throw in whatever veggies you have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry.
You can add chopped onions or shallots for more flavor. Feel free to add or substitute chopped celery, carrots, bell peppers, edamame, chopped water chestnuts, or pineapple.
If you’re really pressed for time, you can add a regular stir-fry frozen vegetable mix to make it easier.
What to serve with salmon fried rice
You can top off this dish with a side of sautéed spinach or other vegetables. Or a side salad. Or a roasted vegetable like broccoli or mushrooms and peas.
How to save and reheat this recipe
Although fried rice is made with leftover rice and other ingredients, you can still have leftovers. Be sure to cool the rice completely before storing it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
You can reheat your fried rice in a wok or skillet. Make sure you preheat the pan with some oil first, then stir fry until the rice is warmed through, about 10 minutes (depending on your heat level). Be aware, however, that your salmon will break down even more.
Alternatively, you can reheat your fried rice in the microwave. If the rice is a bit too dry, add about a tablespoon or two of water first to better steam it.
Leftover fried rice will keep in the fridge (or freezer) for a while, but the salmon will last 2-3 days at most.
More ways to use leftover salmon
- salmon salad
- Salmon Patties
- Salmon Salad Wraps
- Salmon Macaroni Salad
- Salmon burger with chives and lemon mayonnaise
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Fried rice with salmon
If you don’t have day-old rice, you can take freshly made rice, spread it out in an even layer on a baking sheet, and place in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 12 minutes to dry a bit.
ingredients
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1 teaspoon Brown sugar
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3 tablespoon soy sauce
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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2/3 Cup rolled Red onion
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2/3 Cup rolled Red pepper
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2 cloves garlicchopped
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1 (1 inch piece) Gingergrated
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3 big eggswell beaten
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4 cups one day old cooked white rice (see recipe note)
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1 Cup frozen peasthawed
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2 cups cooked Salmon, in big chunks
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2 green onionsthinly sliced, including the vegetables
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coriander or parsley for garnish
method
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Mix the brown sugar with soy sauce:
Dissolve the brown sugar in the soy sauce in a small bowl. Put aside.
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Sweat the onion, pepper, garlic and ginger:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onion and bell pepper and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and grated ginger. Cook for another minute.
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Add the eggs, then the rice:
Add the beaten eggs and stir until just cooked. Add the cooked rice and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
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Add the rest of the ingredients:
Add the peas, salmon and spring onions. (Be careful with the salmon so you don’t break it too much.) Stir in the soy sauce mixture and remove from heat.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 396 | calories |
| 14g | Fat |
| 39g | carbohydrates |
| 25g | protein |
