One-Pot Canned Salmon and Rice with Peas: An Easy Pantry Dinner

Canned salmon and rice make a filling stovetop dinner from ingredients that can sit in the pantry for months. Dry rice cooks in seasoned bouillon, while canned salmon and peas go into the pot only after the rice is nearly tender. That timing keeps the salmon in distinct pieces and prevents the peas from turning dull and mushy.

Fresh onion, herbs, or lemon can add flavor, but none is required. The basic recipe relies on oil and dried seasonings, making it suitable for nights when the refrigerator is nearly empty.

Essential Concepts

• Cook the rice before adding the canned salmon and peas.
• Add both canned ingredients during the final 3 to 5 minutes.
• Count any retained pea liquid toward the rice’s total cooking liquid.
• Taste before adding salt because bouillon, salmon, and peas may already contain plenty.

One-Pot Salmon Rice Recipe

This one-pot salmon rice uses long-grain white rice because it cooks quickly and remains separate when measured accurately. A deep skillet, sauté pan, or medium saucepan will work as long as it has a tight-fitting lid.

Yield: 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Equipment

• Fine-mesh strainer
• Can opener
• Fork
• Deep 10- to 12-inch skillet or medium saucepan with a lid
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil (15 milliliters)
• 1 cup long-grain white rice (about 190 grams)
• 2 cups water (475 milliliters), including any reserved pea liquid if used
• Bouillon cube, paste, or granules sufficient for 2 cups liquid, according to the package directions
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill, dried parsley, or Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 can pink or red salmon, about 14.75 ounces (418 grams), drained
• 1 can peas, about 15 ounces (425 grams), drained
• Salt, only if needed

Optional Fresh Ingredients

• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or dill
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 sliced scallions

Fresh onion or garlic should cook in the oil before the rice is added. Fresh herbs, scallions, and lemon are best added after cooking.

How to Make Canned Salmon and Rice

1. Prepare the Canned Ingredients

Drain the salmon and place it on a plate. Break it into large flakes with a fork rather than mashing it. Canned salmon is fully cooked, so it only needs to be warmed.

Some canned salmon contains soft skin and bones. Both are edible. The bones crumble easily and provide calcium, but they may be removed if their texture is unwelcome.

Drain the peas. For a stronger savory flavor, reserve some of the pea liquid and use it as part of the 2 cups of cooking liquid. Pea liquid can be salty, so check the bouillon label and consider using less bouillon.

2. Toast the Rice and Seasonings

Heat the oil over medium heat. If using fresh onion, cook it for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add fresh garlic, if using, and cook for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the dry rice. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until some grains look slightly translucent around the edges. The rice does not need to brown.

Add the onion powder, garlic powder, dried herbs, paprika, and black pepper. Stir for about 15 seconds. Brief contact with the warm oil releases fat-soluble flavor compounds in the seasonings, but prolonged cooking can scorch the garlic powder and paprika.

3. Simmer the Rice

Add the water and bouillon. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any rice or seasoning.

Bring the liquid to a full simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes without frequent stirring. Stirring releases starch and can make long-grain rice gummy.

Check the rice after 15 minutes. The grains should be nearly tender, with little free liquid left in the pan. If the rice is still firm and the pan looks dry, add 2 to 4 tablespoons water (30 to 60 milliliters), cover, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Rice brands and stovetops differ, so the package cooking time remains a useful reference.

4. Add the Salmon and Peas Near the End

Spread the drained peas over the nearly cooked rice. Place the salmon flakes on top, leaving them fairly large. Do not stir vigorously.

Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. The trapped steam will warm the canned salmon and peas without subjecting them to the rice’s full cooking time.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Gently fold the salmon and peas through the rice with a fork. Taste before adding salt.

Finish the salmon and rice with peas with fresh herbs, sliced scallions, or lemon juice, if available.

Why the Salmon and Peas Go in Last

Canned salmon has already been cooked during commercial canning. Simmering it for 15 or 20 minutes does not improve safety or tenderness. Extended heating breaks the fish into fine particles and can produce a dry, chalky texture.

Canned peas are also fully cooked. Long simmering softens their cell walls further, causing them to collapse and lose their shape. Their color may also become