Salmon Taco Bowls with Homemade Spanish Rice
Alexa creates vibrant whole food recipes rooted in balance, simplicity, and seasonal ingredients. With a focus on pescatarian and plant-forward meals, she hopes to inspire others to enjoy healthy eating in a way that feels realistic and sustainable.
- Dinner
Taco-seasoned salmon over Spanish rice you actually make from scratch.
Tags: High-Protein
With 45+ grams of protein per serving, these Salmon Taco Bowls are a high-protein meal that is filled with flavor and super satisfying. Taco seasoned salmon is paired with homemade Spanish rice, steamed broccolini, avocado, and a scoop of Greek yogurt for extra protein and healthy fats. You get all the comforting, flavorful goodness of a loaded salmon rice bowl while keeping it packed with whole food ingredients and plenty of protein. It’s an easy weeknight meal and the homemade Spanish rice is reason enough to make it.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 700 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 45g |
| Carbs | 43g |
| Fat | 38g |
Ingredients
For the salmon
| Salmon filets (6 oz each) | 3 |
|---|---|
| Olive oil | ½ tbsp |
| Lime | 1 |
| Taco seasoning | 6 tsp |
For the Spanish rice
| Olive oil | 2 tsp |
|---|---|
| Green bell pepper | ½ |
| Yellow onion | ¼ |
| Cilantro | ¼ cup |
| Garlic cloves | 2 |
| Tomato sauce | ½ cup |
| Cumin | ½ tsp |
| Coriander | ½ tsp |
| Turmeric | ¼ tsp |
| Garlic powder | ¼ tsp |
| Salt and pepper | To taste |
| Water | 1¼ cups |
| Dry white rice | ¾ cup |
For serving
| Broccolini | 3 cups |
|---|---|
| Avocado | ¾ |
| Low-fat plain Greek yogurt | ¾ cup |
| Red onion | ¼ cup |
| Cilantro | 2 tbsp |
| Lime | 1 |
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Season the salmon
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon filets skin-side down on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze a lime wedge over each filet, and season with about 1–2 tsp taco seasoning per filet. Set aside while you start the rice.
2 Start the rice base
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
3 Simmer the rice
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the tomato sauce, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
4 Bake the salmon
While the rice cooks, place the salmon in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets.
5 Steam the broccolini
Steam the broccolini until tender, about 4–6 minutes.
6 Rest the rice
Once the rice is finished, remove it from the heat, fluff with a fork, and cover for another 5 minutes.
7 Build the bowls
Divide the Spanish rice, salmon, and broccolini evenly between 3 bowls. Top each bowl with ¼ avocado, ¼ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, and sliced red onion. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and enjoy!
Notes & Tips
- Storage: Store leftover salmon, rice and broccolini in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Make ahead: The Spanish rice can be made 1–2 days ahead and reheated with a splash of water. Cook the salmon fresh for the best texture.
- Swaps: Use brown rice, jasmine rice, or quinoa in place of white rice. You can also swap the salmon for shrimp or another firm fish.
Alexa creates vibrant whole food recipes rooted in balance, simplicity, and seasonal ingredients. With a focus on pescatarian and plant-forward meals, she hopes to inspire others to enjoy healthy eating in a way that feels realistic and sustainable.
