If you’re looking for a delicious, healthy, and low-maintenance meal, my Teriyaki Salmon & Broccoli on Rice made in a rice cooker is your answer.
This one-pot wonder is perfect for busy weeknights when you want something tasty without spending hours in the kitchen. Plus, it’s a great way to get a well-balanced meal with minimal cleanup!
Rice cookers aren’t just for cooking rice. They’re incredibly versatile kitchen appliances that can handle everything from steaming vegetables to cooking proteins like fish. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. Everything cooks together in one pot, and the result is a perfectly cooked, flavorful dish.
Feel free to add other veggies like carrots, bell peppers, edamame, mushrooms, etc. to the mix for extra nutrition and color. I like to also add avocado on top of my bowl at the end, which is what I do in this recipe.
Vegetable Substitutes
Here are some great vegetable substitutes you can use instead of broccoli in my Teriyaki Salmon Bowl. All of these steam well alongside rice and salmon:
- Asparagus: Tender and slightly sweet, pairs nicely with teriyaki flavors.
- Green beans: Keep their crunch and bright color even when steamed.
- Snow peas or snap peas: Add sweetness and a crisp bite.
- Zucchini: Mild flavor that soaks up the sauce beautifully.
- Carrots (thinly sliced or julienned): Add sweetness and color contrast.
- Cauliflower florets: Similar to broccoli but with a nuttier taste.
- Baby spinach or bok choy: Wilt down quickly for a leafy, delicate option.
- Mushrooms (shiitake, button, or enoki): Earthy umami flavor that deepens the bowl.
What Type of Rice to Use
Choosing the right type of rice can be confusing, especially with so many varieties available. In Japanese cooking, however, Japanese short-grain or medium-grain rice is almost always the go-to choice.
Short-grain rice, often labeled as sushi rice, is particularly prized for its soft and chewy texture, which pairs beautifully with traditional Japanese dishes. Medium-grain rice is a great alternative if short-grain isn’t available (I actually almost always use medium-grain myself because it’s generally cheaper where I live!). Both are ideal for recipes like this one, where the rice’s stickiness helps meld the flavors into every bite.
Recommended Rice Cookers
Do I need to have a fancy rice cooker? NO! Just like anything, generally, the higher the quality, the better. But you can make great rice in a cheap rice cooker, too!
5.5 cups or 10 cups
2 cups
Click the rice cooker photos to see my favorite rice cookers. I included a budget-friendly rice cooker I love! I use the Tiger 5.5-cup model shown. About 1/2 cup of Japanese short- or medium-grain rice makes 1 serving.
Key Features to Look For in a Rice Cooker:
- Timer and Keep Warm Function: Useful for planning meals ahead of time and keeping them warm until you’re ready to eat.
- Steaming Basket or Tray: Allows you to steam vegetables or cook other ingredients while the rice cooks.
- Multiple Cooking Functions: Ensure it has settings for steaming, slow cooking, and possibly even baking.
- Non-Stick Inner Pot: Makes cleaning easier and prevents sticking.
Enjoy this? Check out another one of my popular rice cooker meals!
Teriyaki Salmon and Broccoli on Rice in a Rice Cooker
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Description
Teriyaki salmon with broccoli and rice made in a rice cooker is a quick, healthy, and flavorful one-pot meal that requires minimal effort and cleanup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (I recommend Japanese short-grain or medium grain rice for the most authentic Japanese experience!)
- 1/2 lb salmon, uncooked
- 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce (plus more for drizzling on top – you can use store-bought or make your own using the ingredients below)
- 1 cup broccoli (frozen or fresh both work great)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 avocado
- Chili crisp (for drizzling on top; optional)
Teriyaki Sauce:
*IMPORTANT: Note that this makes more teriyaki sauce than you will need for this recipe. Use only the amount in the ingredient list above directly under the salmon. Feel free to store the leftover teriyaki sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp honey (substitute for brown sugar)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (add more or less depending on thickness preference)
Instructions
- Skip this step if you are using store-bought teriyaki sauce. To a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar or honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and cornstarch. Let it cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
- Rinse the rice thoroughly and place it in the rice cooker. Add the same amount of water as you normally would for the type of rice you are using.
- To the rice cooker, add your broccoli and salmon. Sprinkle the broccoli with the salt and pepper.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce directly on top of your salmon. Cover the rice cooker and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight for the best flavor.
- Place the pot into the rice cooker. Close the rice cooker lid and cook on the regular white rice setting. Optionally, add the broccoli when halfway done for a more crisp texture.
- Serve, and drizzle with additional teriyaki sauce, half of an avocado, and some chili crisp.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
Thank you so much for the recipe – looking forward to making this in the coming week.
Great! Hope you’ve been able to make it and you enjoyed it!
Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS. The homemade Teriyaki sauce was my favorite part, would highly recommend!! We also didn’t have broccoli and substituted roasted cauliflower on the side and it worked fine!
I am looking forward to making this for dinner tonight. I have what is probably a stupid question, but by 1 cup of rice do you mean the measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker? And if the salmon is frozen can it be put in with everything else at the beginning?
Hi there! Yes and yes. 🙂 Best of luck!
I love making this with wild caught salmon. It’s perfect nutritionally
Oh that sounds amazing! Thanks for your review, Cami!
This is on weekly rotation on my house!!! It tastes so good and is healthy. We make it with a little side salad and it all goes perfectly together.
Yum! With the side salad is great – I do the same 🙂
Broccoli was cooked through but not soggy, which is always tricky in one-pot recipes.
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks Eliana! 🙂
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Thank you so much!
Why cook for only half the time?
Hi Erin, this is just if you want the broccoli to have a more crisp texture – but it’s totally optional!