This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
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!
What is a Poke Bowl?▼
A Poke Bowl is a Hawaiian dish that contains pieces of diced fish or tofu that is marinated with soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. This marinated fish is served with rice and topped with plenty of vegetables, optionally fruit, and spicy mayonnaise is the iconic sauce used to bring everything together and add loads of flavour! “Poke” translates to “cross-section,” which explains why our ingredients are diced in the bowl.
Poke Bowls make for an ideal meal not only because it is visually appealing, but because it is a very well-balanced meal! There is protein from the edamame and salmon, healthy fats from your avocado, salmon and edamame, fibre from the edamame, and some
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!
Is It Safe to Eat Raw Salmon?▼
Yes, it is safe if the salmon meets certain criteria:
- It is sushi grade salmon.
- Has been frozen at -4 F or -20 C for at least 7 days to kill any bacteria or parasites.
- Has been handled safely and thawed naturally
WARNING: DO NOT eat raw fish if you are pregnant!
What if I Can’t Find the Correct Sushi Grade Salmon?▼
Make sure to purchase the best quality salmon you can find which:
- Does not have a fishy or foul smell
- Has a firm and bright flesh.
- Has been frozen at -4 F or -20 C for at least 7 days to kill any bacteria or parasites.
- Has been handled safely and thawed naturally
How Do I properly Thaw the Salmon to make Poke Bowls?▼
There are only 2 ways to properly thaw the salmon. Naturally in the refrigerator or placed in a bowl under cold running water.
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 chilli 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 seasoning. 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
- Chilli 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 seasoning 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 chilli 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 seasoning, 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.
Can I Make a Vegan Poke Bowl?▼
Sure! All you need to do is use tofu or tempeh in place of salmon, and use a vegan mayo to make your spicy mayo instead of regular mayo. All other ingredients here are vegan friendly!
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!
What to Do With Leftover Salmon and Cucumbers?▼
If you’ve prepared too much fish and cucumber, then it’s no problem at all! Simply transfer these into separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The salmon will stay fresh for about 3 days, depending on the quality and freshness of the fish when you purchased it. The cucumbers will probably last for about a week.
Now to answer the question what can I do with the leftovers? Well, lots of things! Of course, the simplest answer is just to make more Poke Bowls! However, you can also be quite creative with your leftovers! For the salmon, you could try it in wraps, in salads, use it to make sushi rolls or sushi cones, in rice paper rolls, or even tacos! For the cucumbers, pretty much the same use cases apply except the sushi rolls!
WHat To do WIth Leftover Rice?▼
Again, all you need to do is transfer the leftover sushi rice into an airtight container. Feel free to use it for sushi, other poke bowls, or just any kind of bowl of your choice! Rice is a very versatile ingredient, so you can really use it as you would any other type of cooked rice!
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).