Create A Fresh Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe at Home

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Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · raw salmon, seasoned rice, avocado, pickled ginger

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One of the recipes I’ve had on my bucket list for the longest time to share with you is the social media star - Poke Bowl!

I’ve been making poke bowls for years! I know that they are super pretty and they’re certainly as delicious as they look!

After lots of variations I’ve prepared over time and what ingredients I enjoy and the setup that will make the most eye-catching poke bowl, I’m finally here to share the best poke bowl recipe ever!

We’re well into the hot days of summer now, and cooking isn’t always appealing when you’re in a hot kitchen. That’s what can make poke bowls an excellent option!

Yes, we will be using raw salmon here, but if you’re on the edge about incorporating raw fish into your recipes, then fear not! I’ll outline exactly what kind of salmon you need to look for and proper handling to ensure you not only have a tasty poke bowl, but you’re safe too!

If you’ve browsed social media or just walked by restaurants in general and have been swamped by pictures of these beautiful bowls (especially with that perfect drizzle of spicy mayo on top!) then now is the time for you to also check off making poke bowls from your bucket list! You can do that as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge, which you can get started for free today by signing up to my email newsletter! You’ll also get all of my latest recipes sent right to your inbox!

To follow along with all the steps in the preparation and assembly of our stunning Fresh Salmon Poke Bowls, then be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get our bowls on!

Why This Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe Works

• Easy to follow: This Fresh Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe is straightforward to follow! The majority of the work here comes in marination and assembly, so this is more of a tutorial on how to assemble Instagram-worthy healthy bowls!
• Accessible to all: By using salmon, there’s no barrier to entry here! High quality tuna can be a bit harder to find at your local grocery store, but everyone can use salmon so long as they follow proper freezing procedures as I’ll outline in this post!
• Minimal cook time: All you need to do here is cook the rice! If you do this in advance, this will definitely help out with the prep work so that you can just assemble right away!
• Customizable: I’ll show you plenty of variations with these toppings and other topping choices later on in this post so you can mix and match and create your own epic bowls!

Equipment Required for This Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe

• Cutting board
• Saucepan
• Sharp chef’s knife
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Mixing bowl
• Squeeze bottle
• Garlic press

Ingredients to Make the Best Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe at Home

I know that there are a lot of ingredients going on here, but trust me that a lot of them are just for topping. You can find all ingredients and their quantities are available in the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card, which you can find by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button or by scrolling to the bottom of this post. By default, these ingredients will make enough for 4 bowls, but you can scale the recipe based on how many Poke Bowls you’re looking to make!

For the Spicy Mayo

• Japanese mayo: If you don’t have Japanese mayo, you can certainly use regular mayo. However, keep in mind that Japanese mayo is lighter and certainly gives a very smooth and creamy texture! I wouldn’t stress if you don’t have the Japanese mayo, however! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen,
• Sriracha: Sriracha is a classic to make spicy mayo, but if you want to change it up, you can use chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, Thai red curry paste, or gochujang, which is Korean hot pepper paste.

For the Rice

• Sushi rice: Technically you could use any type of short grain white rice if desired, but sushi rice will really make the difference in your overall eating experience of your Fresh Salmon Poke Bowl because it’ll be fluffy and thick, which will be a wonderful base for your other ingredients in your poke bowl!
• Rice vinegar: I used seasoned rice vinegar so that I wouldn’t have to make my own rice vinegar. If your rice vinegar is unseasoned, you would need to season it with some sugar and salt.

For the Cucumbers

• Cucumbers: Alternatively, you could cut them into ribbons using a peeler or you could cut them into circles. Today, I felt like cutting them into cubes!
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Chili flakes

For the Salmon

• Frozen wild-caught salmon
• Soy sauce: I’m using low-sodium soy sauce. Alternatively, you could use coconut aminos to make the recipe gluten-free, as there is no other gluten found in the recipe.
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Sriracha
• Green onions: The green parts of it. They really add lots of flavor to your fish and bring on a wonderful pop of color!
• Sesame seeds: I’m using a combination of black sesame seeds and white sesame seeds.
• Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic cloves.

To Assemble the Poke Bowl

• Sushi rice: As described above.
• Salmon: As described above.
• Cucumbers: As described above.
• Pickled ginger: If you’re ambitious, you could make your own pickled ginger, where I will be sharing the recipe for that soon! However, if you woke up this morning and stumbled upon this recipe and want to make Poke Bowls ASAP, then there’s no harm in buying some pickled ginger! The one I got was quite delicious actually! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, you should be realistic with your goals! A poke bowl is indeed a lot of work in terms of preparation, so if you can save some time by getting some pre-pickled ginger, then this won’t affect the final outcome of your dish at all! There’s always another time to try making a poke bowl again with homemade pickled ginger!
• Furikake: Used to season the rice when we’re assembling our poke bowl.
• Edamame: I just thawed some frozen edamame. While I admit they’re not very flavorful, they have lots of health benefits, and they add a little bit of crunch and color to your bowl!
• Avocado: If you want to switch things up, you can cut your avocado into fans or chunks as I did here.
• Nori: I actually purchased Nori Krinkles, which is pre-shredded toasted Nori. You could always use full Nori sheets and just cut them into strips yourself, if desired!
• Green onions: A little extra from what was added in the salmon marinade.
• Spicy mayo: As described above.
• Microgreens

How to Make This Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe with Spicy Mayo

For the Sushi Rice

Cook the rice in a rice cooker or over the stovetop.

Once cooked, mix in 2-4 Tbsp of rice vinegar and then mix well with a wooden spoon by lightly feathering the grains of rice as you evenly combine the rice with the seasoning.

Set aside for now.

For the Cucumbers

Add the diced cucumber to a bowl and add the chili flakes, sesame oil and dash of rice vinegar.

Mix well and refrigerate.

For the Salmon

Prepare the salmon by deskinning the fillet and slice away any dark meat. Dice the fish into equal 1/2 inch pieces.

Place in a bowl and mix in soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, green onions and sesame seed.

Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Assemble the Poke Bowl

Assemble the poke bowl by adding the rice to a bowl followed by the prepared salmon, cucumbers, edamame, avocado, nori, furikake, spicy mayo, pickled ginger and microgreens. Serve right away.

Serve right away.

Other Protein Ideas

You can replicate this exact same Poke Bowl recipe and transform it into a completely different dish by just swapping the protein! I actually first wanted to prepare my poke bowl with Ahi Tuna, as that is the star protein for poke bowls. However, I was told by the butcher at Whole Foods that tuna has been unavailable commercially for some time due to the lack of sourcing. If you really wanted to, you could also make your poke bowls with salmon and tempura shrimp - or just use tempura shrimp! As mentioned previously, if you need a vegan protein source, try tempeh or tofu.

Other Topping Ideas

• Seaweed salad
• Mangoes or pineapples: To add a pop of sweetness. This is quite popular, but just not for me!
• Pickled carrots: You can cut your carrots in ribbons using a peeler or just shred your carrots with a grater, then follow the pickling process as I describe in my Pickled Vegetables recipe!
• Wasabi powder: Just add water and you have wasabi! Make sure to tread carefully!
• Sweet and sour: Add in some maple syrup or brown sugar in your salmon and cucumber marinade.
• Umami seasoning: I thought I would use this but I didn’t end up. Give it a try in place of the Furikake seasoning over your rice and see which seasoning you prefer!

Buying Sushi-Grade Salmon Safely

Raw fish is the one part of this recipe worth being careful about. What you want is sushi-grade salmon — a label with no legal definition, which is exactly why it pays to ask rather than assume. Talk to the fishmonger at the counter instead of picking up a random fillet, and ask whether the fish has been frozen, at what temperature and for how long, because freezing is what makes raw salmon safe to eat, not freshness. That is why this recipe calls for frozen wild-caught salmon rather than "fresh" — commercially frozen fish has already been through the deep freeze that deals with parasites. Skin the fillet, slice away the darker meat down the centre line, and dice into even 1/2 inch pieces so every bite takes on the marinade at the same rate. Keep it cold throughout: prep, dress, and straight back in the fridge until you assemble. If sushi-grade fish is not available where you shop, the same bowl works beautifully with cooked shrimp or a seared salmon fillet instead.

The Poke Sauce, and What Poke Actually Is

Poke is a classic hawaiian dish, and the name simply means "to slice" — it started with fishermen seasoning the offcuts of their catch with sea salt and seaweed, long before it became a bowl with fifteen toppings on it. The poke sauce is the part that matters most here: light soy sauce, 1 tbsp sriracha, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 tsp ginger, 1/4 cup of green onions — scallions, if that is what your shop calls them — and a teaspoon each of black and white sesame seeds, mixed through the diced fish in a small bowl. The recipe says to refrigerate until you are ready to serve, and fifteen minutes is plenty; it is worth not leaving raw fish sitting in acid for hours, because the vinegar gradually firms the texture. If you like your poke on the sweet and sour side, a teaspoon of honey stirred into the marinade balances the soy without turning it into a dessert.

Swap the Base, Load the Veggies

The base is 1 cup of sushi rice to 1 1/3 cups of water, seasoned with 2 tbsp of rice seasoning, and it is also the easiest thing to change. Brown rice gives you more fibre and a chewier bite, though it needs a longer boil and does not take the seasoning quite as cleanly. Cauliflower rice turns the whole thing low-carb and wants no seasoning at all beyond a squeeze of lime. From there, build your own bowl. The version here uses english cucumbers tossed with chili flakes, sesame oil and rice vinegar, plus edamame, creamy avocado, nori, pickled ginger, furikake and radish microgreens. Shredded red cabbage adds colour and crunch, thin slices of radish add a peppery bite, and if you want sweetness against the salt, juicy mango or pineapple is the classic move. There is no wrong combination — pick your favorite toppings and put more veggies in than you think you need.