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How to make the viral salmon rice TikTok trend

TikTok salmon rice

The TikTok salmon rice trend was popularized by Emily Mariko on the platform. | Lisa El-Amin/The Cougar

Foodies on TikTok are obsessing over the viral salmon and rice meal, so I had to give it a try. 

Food TikToker Emily Mariko, shared her recipe for the dish on the app and the video now has over 22 million views with tons of renditions. 

The recipe is intended to be simple and quick by using leftover ingredients such as day-old rice, cooked salmon, sriracha, mayo, soy sauce and seaweed. 

In Mariko’s video, precooked rice and salmon from the fridge were used, however I didn’t have them on hand so I had to make them fresh. 

My rice burned in the process which was confusing but still tasted okay. Oddly enough, cooking the salmon was easier than the rice. There weren’t any recommended seasonings in Mariko’s TikTok, but I used olive oil, lemon juice and Magic Salmon Seasoning.

I preheated the oven to 375 degrees and let the salmon cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 

After mashing the cooked salmon and topping that with rice, I wanted to try a mini science experiment with an ice cube. 

Mariko adds a single ice cube in the middle of the rice and puts that in the microwave with the goal of steaming it and when done, the ice didn’t melt. I did the same thing but only to see if the ice would stay frozen in the microwave and surprisingly it did after one minute and 30 seconds.

The final and crucial steps were adding the condiments and other toppings. No exact measurements were given so I went ahead and eyeballed them, but depending on how many servings you’re making add more or less to your liking. 

I used soy sauce, sriracha, mayo, sesame seeds, seaweed and avocado. Mariko paired the dish with kimchi which I’d say would work well. Cucumber, carrots or even an egg would also taste awesome with the salmon and rice. 

The part I was mostly anticipating was obviously tasting this creation and if I had to give it a score I’d rate my version an eight out of ten. 

Although mine wasn’t the most visually appetizing, it reminds me of a deconstructed sushi and had that similar taste when pairing it with the seaweed and avocado. I enjoyed the creamy texture as well as how light the dish is.

If you’re looking for a quick meal or simply want to recreate a TikTok recipe I think the salmon and rice is a nice one to try. You can eat it alone or combine it with other foods in your kitchen. Through this process I learned that there’s no correct way to go about making this so let your creativity run free. 

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