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Emily Mariko's Salmon Rice Recipe on TikTok With Photos

I Made the Viral Salmon Rice Bowl From TikTok, and Here's How It Tasted IRL

@emilymariko

Best lunch of the week!

♬ original sound - Emily Mariko

If you've spent any time on TikTok in 2021, you've likely come across a few (or, in my case, hundreds and thousands of) videos re-creating Emily Mariko's salmon rice recipe. A leftover meal commonly eaten in Japanese and Korean households, the content creator's version of the easy lunch has gone viral. Mariko's TikTok sharing the salmon recipe has garnered over 34 million views in less than two weeks, and unlike the famous baked feta pasta or Gigi Hadid's spicy vodka pasta, this trend is beyond simple and can be whipped up in 10 minutes flat using leftovers. After "hearting" so many TikToks of the meal, I finally gave into the hype and ordered some Kewpie mayo (a delicious Japanese mayonnaise made of egg yolks) to try it for myself.

The dish really only requires six ingredients, although you can easily customize your own salmon rice however you'd like. Emily famously microwaves her leftover salmon and rice with an ice cube — which I've since learned steams the rice — but since I was impatient, I quickly made rice and cooked a piece of salmon right before putting together the bowl. The process was even easier than expected, and the result was a filling, tasty lunch that I'll definitely be adding to my meal rotation. My final takeaway? The viral salmon rice bowl deserves all the attention it's getting. Ahead, see exactly how I made the viral meal and a breakdown of the full recipe.




Emily Mariko's Salmon Rice

TikTok user @emilymariko

Emily Mariko's Salmon Rice Recipe on TikTok With Photos

Ingredients

  • White rice
  • Salmon fillet
  • Soy sauce
  • Sriracha
  • Kewpie mayo
  • Roasted seaweed
  • Half an avocado (optional)
  • Kimchi (optional)

Directions

  1. Gently flake your salmon and spread it across a plate.
  2. Add a serving of rice on top of the salmon.
  3. Add a dash of soy sauce, sriracha, and Kewpie mayo on top.
  4. Mix all the ingredients together.
  5. Optional, but top your bowl with half a sliced avocado, kimchi, and any other sides to your liking.
  6. Wrap a chopstick-full of the rice with a piece of roasted seaweed for the perfect bite, and enjoy!
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Yerin Kim
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