Spicy Asian Salmon Salad (with Creamy Sesame Dressing)

This Spicy Asian Salmon Salad is my new lunchtime obsession! The components are easy to keep prepped, and the salmon is seared in the air fryer, meaning lunch is thrown together in 10 minutes. I love this with a cabbage slaw, but use whatever salad mix you love!

*This post is sponsored by SunButter, a sunflower seed spread perfect for allergy-safe baking and cooking! Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Sunkissed Kitchen running.

Spice up your Salad Game!

Meet your new favorite meal prep: The Spicy Asian Salmon Salad.

It’s simple to make — throw together a big batch of cabbage salad (or buy coleslaw packages!), shake up a delicious peanut-sauce style dressing (nut free!), and add salmon into a 2-ingredient marinade.

At lunchtime, toss the salmon in the air fryer for 7 minutes, and a healthy meal is ready. I deem this the best Asian salmon salad you’ll ever eat (and you’ll love how simple it is to make!).

This is a healthy, low carb, nutrient-dense meal that will leave your body nourished and your mind satisfied. It has so much flavor and great textures!

The dressing I use for these salads is what really pulls it all together. So good, I could eat it with a spoon.

I love shaking up Asian style dressings and sauces with SunButter. It adds a nutty flavor and is a great thickener, as well as adding healthy, satiating fats.

SunButter creates a line of sunflower butter spreads. I use SunButter No Sugar Added in lots of my baking in addition to sauces like this one!

Hop on over to SunButter’s website to see where it’s sold near you!

What You’ll Need

Spicy Asian Salmon

• Wild Sockeye Salmon Filets (or favorite salmon!)
• Coconut Aminos (a soy-free soy sauce substitute – it’s a little sweet so no sugar needs to be added to create a sweet tasting marinade! See notes for subbing soy sauce or tamari.)
• Paleo Sriracha Hot Sauce (great red pepper flavor to contrast the sweet flavors of coconut aminos. Use less if you don’t love spicy foods.)

Asian Cabbage Salad

• Green Cabbage
• Red Cabbage (purple cabbage)
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Avocado
• Green Onions (optional, to garnish)
• Sesame Seeds (optional, to garnish)

Creamy Asian Sesame Dressing

• SunButter No Sugar Added
• Coconut Milk (full fat, not coconut milk beverage)
• Rice Wine Vinegar (look for an unseasoned rice vinegar with no salt or sugar added – then you control the flavors!)
• Lime Juice
• Coconut Aminos
• Sesame Oil
• Paleo Sriracha
• Optional: fresh ginger or ground ginger

How to Make an Asian Salmon Salad

Step 1: Add the cubed salmon into a large container, and cover with coconut aminos and sriracha. Shake well to evenly coat, and allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 2: Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar or a blender. Either shake the jar to combine, or blend until it’s a creamy dressing.

Step 3: Add the cabbage and carrots to a large bowl, and coat with the dressing. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables.

Step 4: Preheat an air fryer to 390º F for 5 minutes. Add the salmon skin-side down and air fry for 7 minutes.

Pan Fry Method: Alternatively, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the salmon, and cook 1-2 minutes per side, turning each cube so that each side gets crispy.

Step 5: Plate the salads by layering the cabbage salad with the crispy salmon bites. Add avocado and cucumber to the plates. Garnish the top of the salmon with green onions, and sesame seeds.

Variations & Tips

No Coconut Aminos? Coconut aminos is a soy-free and gluten-free substitute for soy sauce. It is made from coconut tree sap and is naturally sweet. Because it’s already sweet, it makes a simple salmon glaze!

If you’d like to make this with soy sauce or tamari, use the following recommendations:

• Marinade: Instead of 1/4 cup coconut aminos, use 2 tablespoons soy sauce + 1 tablepoon water + 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (or even brown sugar).
• Cabbage Salad Dressing: Instead of 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, use 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1/2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup.

Salmon Substitutes:

• Have leftover salmon? Use it! Take leftover baked or grilled salmon, and season it with coconut aminos and sriracha (use less than the marinade calls for).
• Canned Salmon: Use 1 can of salmon per salad, mixed with 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos + 1 teaspoon of sriracha.

Variations for Salad Mix:

• Instead of shredding cabbage, buy a premade cole slaw kit.
• The kale and brussels sprouts salad mix from Costco is great here!
• And arugula and baby spinach blend is delicious! Really any greens you have will work here if you’re making this Asian salad on the fly!

Sides for Spicy Salmon Salads:

This salad is low carb and focuses on high protein and healthy fats. If you need more carbs in your meal, try serving it with:

• A serving or rice or brown rice.
• Steamed quinoa
• Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Air Fryer Acorn Squash

How to Store Leftover Spicy Salmon Salads

If you’re planning this for meal prep to have around for the week, prepare the cabbage salad and dressing and store them separately. I recommend you don’t marinade the salmon more than 1 hour, so marinate and cook the salmon when ready to enjoy this meal.

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The salmon is delicious cold the next day! The cabbage holds up well with this dressing also.

Other Healthy Salmon Recipes

• Baked Pesto Salmon
• Slow Roasted Salmon
• Mediterranean Salmon and Artichoke Skewers

I’d love to connect with you on social media! Find me on Facebook or Instagram where I post daily healthy eating and lifestyle inspiration!