As summer sets in and the hot days tempt you to not cook, you can enjoy these delicious salmon poke bowls. These delicious dishes are inspired by Japanese flavors and the result is a healthy and delicious meal.
If you’ve never tasted a salmon poke bowl, you’re missing out on some serious deliciousness. The good news is that we’re here to fix that, as we’re going to show you how to make the perfect salmon poke bowl step by step. When you make a poke bowl at home, you can customize your ingredients to get it just the way you want it.
To make salmon poke bowls, you’ll need high-quality salmon, and we’ll give you some tips on how to find it. This recipe uses wild fresh Alaskan salmon. This recipe is slightly spicy and has an addictive sweet and sour taste.
What is a poke bowl?
Our poke (pronounced po-ke) bowl recipe is a Hawaiian and Japanese-inspired dish made with fresh fish, rice, and additional fillings that include radishes, avocados, and cucumbers. Poke bowls are sometimes made with tuna, but sashimi-quality fish and salmon can also be used.
For poke bowls, the fish is tossed with a simple dressing that complements the fish. Make sure you buy high-quality salmon for your poke bowl.
Choosing your sushi-grade salmon
The type of fish you choose to make your salmon poke bowl makes all the difference. For the perfect homemade poke bowl experience, you need to have the right kind of fish. Salmon is rich in protein and contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are nutrient-dense and offer brain and heart health benefits. This recipe is quick and easy to put together, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
You can see the deep red color that makes the salmon so beautiful and delicious. When you see a piece of wild salmon, you know you’re in for a big treat. Wild-caught salmon has a slightly subtle sweetness, and when you eat it in a salmon poke bowl or as sashimi, the buttery flavor comes alive with every bite.
Ordering salmon online
Look for sushi-grade salmon at your local high-end grocery store. You’ll find it in the freezer section near seafood and fish. Whole Foods has sushi-grade fish, cut into square pieces, skinned, and conveniently packaged in boxes. Some places in the central market also have good fish.
If you can’t find sushi-grade salmon at your local supermarket or high-end grocery store, you can order it from the following places: Lux Gourmet When you buy salmon online, the company uses a freezing process called DreamFreeze Technology, this freezing technique helps preserve the flavor and texture of the fish by minimizing damage. Best of all, the fish is shipped overnight, so it’s perfectly fresh from the ocean.
can you buy sockeye salmon online The organization is headquartered in rural Copper River, Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Can you use regular salmon to make salmon poke bowls?
Regular salmon cannot be used to make poke bowls. You should have sushi-grade fish to avoid contamination and toxins. For a fish to be considered sushi-grade, it means that the fish has been frozen at a low enough temperature to kill any parasites in the fish. This makes raw fish safe to eat.
The FDA Food Code specifies that fish eaten raw must be stored in the freezer at -4 degrees Fahrenheit for at least seven days. Another FDA-approved option is fish frozen at -31°F for at least 15 hours. This temperature and time will kill parasites and germs.
Thawing frozen salmon
To safely thaw frozen sushi-grade salmon, you must follow a specific protocol to ensure safety. Most frozen fish fillets arrive in your kitchen in vacuum-sealed packets. To thaw them, place raw fish on a sheet pan lined with paper towels in the refrigerator. You are going to leave the fish in the packet, but open one side to allow airflow to the fish. Air will also help the salmon thaw more quickly.
When your fish thaws in the refrigerator, it prevents the fish from entering the temperature that is considered the danger zone. Thawed fish should be pliable and cool, but not frozen. Thawed fish should never be frozen as the quality and texture will not be the best.
Salmon Poke Bowl Ingredients
To make your own salmon poke bowl, you only need four ingredients besides frozen salmon. The marinade is made with rice vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce. You can serve your salmon over rice or salad.
If you want a sauce, use some Sriracha sauce with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt. You can drizzle this delicious spicy sauce over your poke bowls for extra flavor and creaminess.
Want Gluten Free Salmon Poke Bowls? If so, skip the soy sauce and use tamarind instead. Tamarind has a stronger flavor than soy sauce, so use it sparingly. Keep in mind that tamarind is darker in color than soy sauce, so the salmon will be less bright.
You can use any type of rice to make poke bowls, including brown rice, sushi rice, or other small-grain rice. However, you can make a poke bowl with zoodles (zucchini noodles) or other noodles. You can make a poke bowl salad and use seaweed or spinach.
Our recipe is for salmon poke bowls, but you can substitute another firm fish like tuna. You can also use this recipe to make shrimp poke bowls or chicken poke bowls.
Want your poke bowl spicy? Add some kick with a little Korean red chili paste (gochujang). For some crunch, you can add crispy onions, toasted sesame seeds, chopped macadamia nuts, lotus root chips, or crispy dried sea bream (kombu).
How to Make Salmon Poke Bowls
Cut your raw fish into bite-sized cubes and prepare the marinade. Ingredients to learn are rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and sesame oil. Cover salmon with marinade and refrigerate.
Cook the rice
We recommend using small-grain white rice to make salmon poke rice bowls. You can make rice on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in an Instant Pot. You can make sushi rice if you want.
The key to making perfect rice for poke bowls is to not overcook the rice or let the rice get too dry. The rice for the poke bowl should be hot, but not steaming straight from the pod. Cold rice is very hard. To make the rice for your poke bowls, cook the rice and let it cool slightly on the counter for 5-10 minutes. You can serve this baked salmon with cauliflower rice.
Preparation of the sauce
If you want to serve your salmon poke bowls with a creamy sauce, mix the sriracha sauce with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt. They are both delicious. You can prepare the sauce two days in advance. This spicy mayo sauce is delicious with other dishes (like ahi tuna).
Customize your salmon poke bowl
One of the best things about making a raw salmon poke bowl is the incredible customization you can create with it. Using your favorite ingredients and toppings, you can create unique recipes and put your own spin on this staple dish or healthy lunch.
We love a ton of veggies in our poke bowls, including carrots and cabbage, and yes, our delicious pickles. They are very sweet and spicy and they balance the spiciness of the sauce.
Here are some additions you can make to your custom poke bowl.
- Coleslaw mix or cabbage
- avocado
- Chopped Cabbage
- Edamame beans
- Onion leaves
- Steamed spinach
- Grated or chopped cucumber
- Blanched edamame
- Radish thin slices
- green onion
- Toasted sesame seeds (we love sesame seeds!)
- Japanese pickled ginger
We also love serving the poached salmon bowl meal with brown rice or a salad. Don’t forget the creamy avocado slices. Um!
Make Ahead Salmon Poke Bowls
If you want to make the salmon poke bowls ahead of time, you can cook the rice ahead of time and make the sauce.
Storing your leftovers
Salmon poke bowls are delicious when eaten fresh, but if there are leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftover poke bowls are only good for about a day, so plan to eat them right away. When you store salmon poke bowls, the salmon will slowly cook in vinegar or lemon juice, so the texture will change slightly. They are still delicious though.