How to Make Air Fryer Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice

Combine the Spice Rub

• Combine garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Make the Spicy Creamy Sauce

• Combine kewpie mayonnaise, low sodium soy sauce, sriracha, and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Option to add it to a squeeze bottle for easy squeezing. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Sushi Rice

• Line a 9x5-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set it aside. Make the sushi rice according to the package you purchased.

  However, sometimes the directions on the package are not very clear. Which is why I’ve included the steps I followed to make my sushi rice.
• Portion out 2 cups of dry, short grain sushi rice. Add it to a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. This will take about 5-6 minutes. Let the rice rest for a few minutes while the remaining water drains out.
• Next, add 2.5 cups of water to a 3-quart pot. Bring the water to a boil and add the rice. Once the rice and water are boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the water. (1.25 cups water per cup of dry rice)
• As tempting as it might be, DO NOT lift the lid until you’ve reached at least 12 minutes. Once the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water, remove it from the heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes.

  While the rice is resting, combine the rice vinegar, cane sugar and salt. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Once the rice has rested, pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle or rubber spatula to incorporate it. This is called seasoning the rice and it will add great flavor. **Keep in mind, that if you’re making 1 cup of dry rice, you’ll use 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon cane sugar and a pinch salt.
• Now that the rice is seasoned, add the hot rice to a 9x5-inch baking dish that’s been lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula or rice paddle to press the rice firmly into the dish. You’ll want the rice to be ½ – ¾ -inch thick. Option to use another piece of parchment paper to press the rice without sticking.

  Once it’s well pressed into the dish, cover with parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to cool. **Keep in mind, that if you’re making one cup of dry rice, you’ll need to use a smaller baking dish when pressing the rice down, so it doesn’t get too thin.
• Remove the rice from the refrigerator and pull it out from the dish using the sides of the parchment. Slice it into squares. I was able to get 24 squares. **Keep in mind, that 1 cup of dry rice will yield about 12 cooked rice squares.

Air Fry the Sushi Rice

• There are 2 ways to make the rice crispy. One is to shallow fry the squares in a hot neutral oil. The second is what we are focusing on today, which is air frying. Air frying the squares will keep them light, but just as delicious.
• Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Once it is hot, spray the basket with avocado oil spray. Add a layer of rice squares making sure they do not overlap. Spray them generously with avocado oil spray. Air fry for 16 minutes turning halfway through.

  BE SURE to spray the second side with avocado oil spray once you turn them over. Also, DO NOT overcrowd the basket.
• Place the crispy sushi rice on a wire rack to cool. This will prevent it from getting soft on the bottom as it cools.

  **Keep in mind, that air frying time will slightly vary based on the size and thickness of your sushi rice squares and based on the type of air fryer you have at home.

Prepare the Salmon

• Remove any pin bones from your salmon and carefully remove the skin. Cube the salmon into bite sized pieces that will easily fit on top of the crispy rice squares. Add the cubed salmon to a mixing bowl. Toss it with the spice rub and make sure the salmon is well coated.

Air Fry the Salmon

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Add the seasoned cubed salmon to the air fryer basket in one layer. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Do not let the salmon overlap in the basket.

  Spray it with avocado oil spray and air fry for 5-7 minutes depending on preferred doneness.

Assemble the Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice

• Lay out your crispy rice squares. Add the cubed salmon to the squares, top with sliced avocado, spicy creamy sauce, sliced serrano peppers, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!