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This hot honey salmon bowl combines spicy-sweet baked salmon with a fresh quinoa salad loaded with mango, avocado, and crunchy veggies. It’s a complete, protein-packed meal that comes together in 20 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights or easy meal prep! The sweet heat from the hot honey plus the bright citrus dressing make every bite feel extra special.
Table of Contents
- Hot Honey Salmon Quinoa Bowl Recipe – High Protein!
- Why you’ll love this hot honey salmon bowl
- Simple ingredients you’ll need
- How to make hot honey salmon quinoa bowls
- Recipe tip
- Serving suggestions
- Meal prep & storage
- Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
- Frequently asked questions
- More recipes you’ll love
- Hot Honey Salmon Bowls with Quinoa, Mango & Avocado Recipe
- Save this salmon recipe to Pinterest and make it later!
Hot Honey Salmon Quinoa Bowl Recipe – High Protein!
This is one of those dinners that looks way more impressive than the effort it actually takes.
The salmon gets a quick spice rub and a drizzle of hot honey before it goes in the oven, and while that’s baking, I throw together the quinoa salad with whatever veggies I have on hand.
My whole family loves when I lay out individual bowls because everyone can customize their own with extra avocado, more hot honey, or a squeeze of lime juice.
It’s one of my go-to meals for weeks when we have practices and games most nights, since it reheats well and still tastes fresh the next day.
If you’re looking for a dinner that feels a little fancy, but is still packed with protein and real food, this one’s for you!
Why you’ll love this hot honey salmon bowl
High in protein – Between the salmon and quinoa, this bowl keeps everyone full and fueled with 30 grams of protein!
Ready in under 25 minutes – A quick spice rub and a hot oven do most of the work for you.
Great for meal prep – Make a big batch of the quinoa salad and salmon ahead of time for easy lunches all week.
Totally customizable – Swap in whatever veggies or grains you have on hand.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions
- Salmon – Look for wild-caught pieces of salmon when you can for the best flavor and texture.
- Chili powder, paprika, cumin, granulated garlic and sea salt – This simple spice blend gives the salmon so much flavor without any fuss.
- Hot honey – The sweet heat here is what ties the whole bowl together, use store-bought or make your own.
- Quinoa – A protein-packed base that holds up well whether you’re eating this right away or prepping it for the week.
- Crunchy cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and green onion – These add crunch, color, and freshness to the quinoa salad.
- Clementine juice and extra virgin olive oil – A simple, bright dressing that doesn’t need anything fancy to taste great.
- Mango and avocado – These add natural sweetness and creaminess that balance out the spicy salmon.
- Cilantro – Fresh herbs finish the bowl off and add another layer of flavor.
How to make hot honey salmon quinoa bowls
- Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Place the salmon pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil, then sprinkle the spice blend evenly over each piece. Drizzle the spicy honey on top and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and is cooked through.
- While the salmon bakes, stir together the cooked quinoa with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and green onions in a large bowl. Squeeze in the clementine juice, add the olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper, then toss everything together until well combined.
- To build your bowls, divide the quinoa salad between four bowls, then add the cubed mango and avocado. Top each bowl with a piece of salmon, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and an extra drizzle of hot honey if you want more of that sweet heat.
Note: Want to use the air fryer? Here’s how: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F, place the seasoned, hot honey-drizzled salmon fillets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and cook for 7 to 9 minutes depending on thickness, until it flakes easily with a fork. No need to flip, and feel free to add an extra drizzle of hot honey sauce once it’s out. The air fryer makes the salmon skin extra crispy too!
Recipe tip
- Don’t skip the parchment paper – It makes cleanup easy and keeps the hot honey from burning onto the pan.
- Check for doneness early – Fillet thickness varies, so start checking at the 8-minute mark – the salmon is done once it flakes easily with a fork.
- Let the salmon rest briefly – A minute or two off the heat lets the hot honey glaze set slightly instead of running everywhere.
- Taste before you toss – Clementines vary in sweetness, so taste the quinoa salad and adjust the citrus and salt to your liking.
- Add extra heat if you want it – A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred into the hot honey before drizzling kicks things up a notch.
Serving suggestions
These bowls are a complete meal on their own, but a few extras make them even better!
A squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice over the top brightens everything up, and extra avocado or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt adds a little more creaminess if you want it.
If you’re feeding a crowd, serve the salmon and quinoa salad family-style so everyone can build their own bowl exactly how they like it.
A side of crusty homemade bread or warm tortillas is great for scooping up any extra quinoa salad left in the bowl.
Meal prep & storage
Store leftover salmon and quinoa salad separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, waiting to add the avocado, mango, and cilantro until right before serving so they stay fresh.
To meal prep ahead for the week, cook the quinoa and chop the vegetables a day or two in advance, placing them in an airtight container, then bake the salmon fresh or reheat it gently in the oven or a large skillet so it doesn’t dry out.
The quinoa salad also freezes well on its own for up to two months; just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using.
This recipe isn’t recommended for freezing once the salmon and fresh fruit are added.
Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in these crispy salmon bowls.
Quinoa – Swap the quinoa for brown rice, jasmine rice, short-grain sushi rice, or cauliflower rice if you’d rather use something else.
Salmon – This works just as well with shrimp or chicken if salmon isn’t your thing.
Veggies – Use whatever produce you have on hand. Red onion, kalamata olives, or baby spinach would all be great additions.
Hot honey – If you want less heat, use regular honey with a pinch of red pepper flakes instead, or skip the heat altogether.
Dressing – No clementine on hand? Fresh lemon or lime juice works just as well.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, just thaw it completely and pat it dry before seasoning so the spice rub sticks and the salmon bakes evenly.
Most store-bought hot honeys have a mild, background heat rather than an overwhelming spice, but you can always start with less and add more to taste.
Absolutely, this is one of our favorite meal prep dinners! Just store the components separately as noted above and build your bowls fresh.
Brown rice, jasmine rice, or even cauliflower rice all work well in place of quinoa if you’d like to switch it up.
More recipes you’ll love
Hot Honey Salmon Bowls with Quinoa, Mango & Avocado
Ingredients
Salmon Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon, 4 pieces
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp EACH: chili powder, paprika, cumin, granulated garlic and sea salt
- 1 to 2 tbsp hot honey
Quinoa Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup green onion, diced
- 1 clementine, juiced
- 1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 mango, cubed
- 1 avocado, cubed
- minced cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Bake the salmon. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil. Combine the seasonings and sprinkle evenly over the salmon, then drizzle with hot honey. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through.
- Make the quinoa salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper and green onion. Add the clementine juice and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
- Build the bowls. Divide the quinoa salad between 4 bowls, then top with mango, avocado and a piece of salmon.
- Finish and serve. Top each bowl with cilantro and an extra drizzle of hot honey, then enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Save this salmon recipe to Pinterest and make it later!
If you try this hot honey salmon recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
