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Broiled Salmon and Salmon Onigiri (Rice Ball)
4.9 from 22 votes

Broiled Salmon and Salmon Onigiri (Rice Ball)

My Japanese Broiled Salmon recipe is quick and easy to make. Enjoy it with yuzu soy sauce for a healthy yet sophisticated flavor, or use the broiled fish to make delicious Salmon Onigiri. Try these simple dishes for dinner at home or in your bento lunchbox.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 606 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

For the Broiled Salmon
  • 2 salmon fillets roughly ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick per fillet, skin-on
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce (for the dipping sauce)
  • 1 tsp yuzu juice for the dipping sauce, extract
For the Salmon Onigiri (optional)
  • 4 cups Japanese short-grain rice cooked
  • 2 tsp neutral oil
  • 2 fillets salmon skin and bones removed, broiled
  • ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice)
  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds toasted
  • 5 shiso leaves cut into chiffonade, aka perilla, ooba

Instructions

★ Broiled Salmon ★
To Broil (recommended)
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the broiler* with a rack placed about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the top heating element (in the center of the oven) for 5 minutes. When broiling, you don‘t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It‘s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill. *Broiler settings: Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and High (550ºF/288ºC). I usually use Medium (6 inches away) or High (8 inches away).
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleaning. Place 2 skin-on salmon fillets on the foil, skin side up (for crispy skin). Broil the salmon on Medium or High for 8–10 minutes. Please remember the cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance between the broiler and the food. Japanese salted salmon is cooked well done (more dry and flaky). You do not need to flip it.
To Bake (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218ºC) with a rack placed in the center. Bake the salmon on parchment paper for 10–12 minutes. Japanese salted salmon is cooked well done (more dry and flaky).
To Serve and Store
  1. Mix 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp yuzu juice (extract) and divide among individual small plates or dipping bowls. Dip the salmon in the sauce to enjoy. It goes very well with white rice. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Or, use the broiled salmon to make Salmon Onigiri (recipe below).
★ Salmon Onigiri (optional) ★
  1. First, make your steamed rice. Once it‘s done, transfer 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice to a large bowl. Please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked white rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
  2. In a nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tsp neutral oil. Remove the bones and skin of 2 fillets broiled salmon and add the fish to the pan. With a wooden spatula, break up the salmon into smaller pieces.
  3. To the pan, add ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice), 1 Tbsp sake, 2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, and 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba). Mix all together.
  4. Pour the mixture into the bowl of cooked rice. Mix all together.
  5. While the rice is still warm, make the onigiri rice balls with wet hands. For step-by-step photos and instructions, see my Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) post.
To Store
  1. Onigiri (or any rice dish) gets hard when you refrigerate it. The cold air makes the rice dry and hard (which is perfect for fried rice). I don‘t recommend making onigiri ahead of time. But if you really need to, my trick is to wrap the onigiri with thick kitchen towels and store them in the refrigerator. The onigiri will be cool and safe, but should not be cold.

Nutrition Information

Calories 606kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 61g (20%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g (53%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 94mg (31%) Sodium 796mg (33%) Potassium 925mg (20%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 69IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 101mg (10%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 606

% Daily Value*

Calories 606kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 61g 20%
Protein 41g 82%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 796mg 33%
Potassium 925mg 20%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 69IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 101mg 10%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.