Description
The perfect weeknight recipes are fast, flavorful, and made with just a few ingredients, and this Furikake Salmon completely fits the bill – it’s made with just 5 simple ingredients and comes together in 25 minutes or less, basically a low-effort dinner dream!
The star of this dish is the furikake, an umami-rich Japanese rice seasoning made with nori seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt. If furikake is a new-to-you ingredient, you’re in for quite a treat – it’s SO good sprinkled on anything with rice, but its umami also makes it a natural pairing with seafood.
To make furikake salmon, you simply slather the fish in a creamy Kewpie mayo sauce seasoned with shoyu and wasabi, then cover it with a generous sprinkling of furikake. Bake it in the oven (or the air fryer!) until the salmon is tender and flaky with a totally crispy furikake crust.
This easy recipe is a popular weeknight dinner in Hawaii, where my family is from, so I’m really excited to share it with you. Check the blog post, above, for more background and prep tips. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds fresh salmon fillet, sliced into 4 portions
- ¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon shoyu (or soy sauce, or tamari if gluten-free)
- optional: 1 teaspoon prepared wasabi paste
- ¼ cup furikake (see Recipe Notes)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: rice, sautéed cabbage or bok choy, thinly sliced green onions, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Lightly spritz the surface of a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. (For easy clean up, you can also line your pan with parchment paper or foil.) Set aside. Gather and prep all ingredients according to Ingredients List, above.
- Prepare the furikake salmon: Season the entire surface of the salmon fillets well with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet, salmon skin side facing down. To a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, shoyu, and prepared wasabi paste (if using), and mix to combine very well. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over each salmon fillet, spreading it so it coats the entire surface of the fish. Sprinkle furikake over the salmon, covering the mayo mixture thoroughly.
- Bake the furikake salmon: Transfer the prepared salmon to the oven. Bake 12-14 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking and flakes easily when nudge of a fork.
- Serve the furikake salmon immediately, alongside rice and your veggie of choice. Garnish with extra furikake and thinly sliced green onions as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese variety of mayonnaise made exclusively with egg yolks and seasoned with a little MSG. As a result, Kewpie mayonnaise is notably richer than standard American mayonnaise – both in flavor and texture. Since furikake salmon is really such a simple dish, using Kewpie mayo helps build in a little extra flavor without any added effort. These days, you can find Kewpie mayo readily in Asian grocery stores, the “international” aisle of large conventional grocery stores near other Asian ingredients, or online. If you prefer to use another type of mayonnaise for this furikake salmon recipe – go for it!
- Fuikake is a Japanese rice seasoning made of sesame seeds, nori, salt, and sugar. It’s a total umami bomb and it’s the star ingredient of furikake salmon, of course! Furikake has grown increasingly popular in recent years, so you can often find it in the “international” aisle at most conventional grocery stores near other Asian ingredients. You can also order it online.
- Alternate Cooking Method: Air Fryer Furikake Salmon: Preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees F. While the air fryer preheats, prepare the furikake salmon according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Working quickly, lightly spritz the hot air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray, then carefully lay the furikake salmon into the basket skin side facing down. Air fry the furikake salmon 10-12 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking and flakes easily when nudge of a fork. Serve as described in Step 4 of Recipe Directions, above.
- Storage and Reheating: Store leftover furikake salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Leftovers are great served cold, though you can also reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.