This recipe is one that I’ve been making for a while now and it’s such a simple and easy way of cooking an entire meal all at once. So, it’s one that I’ve been wanting to share for a while and I think that this is a great way of using a whole bunch of ingredients you have lying around in your pantry and fridge. And especially since rice cookers are pretty common nowadays, this recipe is quite accessible for most people.
I mentioned a few ingredients I like to use in my 1 pot rice cooker meals, but you of course can substitute these for any other vegetables, such as squash or pumpkin, and you can also substitute the salmon for any other meat, such as chicken or shrimp. Basically, anything that you can cook via steaming will work in this recipe. You will just want to cut anything you use up into pieces, if they are too bulky, so that they can cook fully.
The amount of rice I included in this recipe is the perfect amount for the rest of the ingredients, but you can always make more rice than you need and save the extra for later. That way, you can save even more time later when you need rice for another recipe. And this rice will have the added bonus of being flavored with whatever you use. Also, if you wish to add even more flavor, you can substitute the water with broth, but I don’t think it’s that necessary. But, if you have leftover broth from another recipe, it’s a great way to use it up!
My favorite part of this recipe is that it’s so easy to clean up since everything is cooked in one pot, so if you were planning on making rice anyways, it saves you from dirtying up multiple pots and pans to cook everything in this recipe. So, all you really need to clean is the rice cooker pot and the cutting board.
Also, depending on the size of your rice cooker, you can make a ton of food at once, making it a great way to meal prep. And since this food was cooked by steaming, it is quite easy to reheat this in the microwave without losing any quality. But if you would rather have a freshly cooked meal each time or if your rice cooker is too small to cook everything at once, you can also even just prepare the ingredients beforehand so that all you have to do is throw everything in the rice cooker, saving even more time!
But regardless of if you make a ton all at once, or if you make just enough for one night, this 1 Pot Salmon Rice Cooker Meal is a great way to save time and money by using only one pot to cook a ton of different ingredients to make a delicious meal that is filling and nutritious that is really simple and easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rice (any rice should work, but I prefer jasmine rice)
- 1½ cups water
- 1 lb salmon (you can use fresh or frozen and it should work the same) (but if you are using frozen, make sure your meat is in pieces so it fully cooks)
- Some vegetables (optional)
- Some potatoes
- Some onions
- Some broccoli
- Some tomatoes
- And of course you can customize this to your liking, but for flavoring the dish, I recommend using
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (optional)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic (optional)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (optional)
- Some Salt
- Some Pepper
- Some Green Onions (for garnish)
Special Equipment:
- A rice cooker (obviously lol)
Step 1: Prepare Meat & Vegetables
First, we’ll prepare the meat before we place it in the rice cooker, so in a bowl or bag, place your salmon in, along with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt and pepper.
Then, give this a mix to evenly distribute the marinade and then set this aside to allow it to marinate, while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
For any vegetables, roughly chop up these ingredients into pieces, if needed, and then set these aside as well. Also, mince up the garlic and ginger at this time.
Step 2: Prepare Rice & Place Ingredients in Rice Cooker & Cook
Then, for the rice, rinse it with water until it runs clear, then drain the water, keeping the rice in the rice cooker bowl, and then add in the measured water, and then add in the vegetables, garlic, ginger, and meat and marinade, and top with some more salt and pepper, and then close the rice cooker and set it to cook, which should take about 40 minutes or so.
Step 3: Let Food Rest, Plate Food, & Enjoy!
Then, once your rice cooker beeps or indicates it is done cooking, let it rest for 10-15 minutes on warm. During this time, prepare your green onions for garnish.
Everything should be fully cooked by now, but if not, leave it on the warm setting for a few more minutes which should allow the food to finish cooking, if needed.
Then, you can either mix everything together in the pot or serve everything separately, adding your garnish as desired.
And with that, your 1 Pot Salmon Rice Cooker Meal is ready to eat.