Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe (Easy, With Spicy Mayo)

This salmon poke bowl recipe is fresh, colorful and ready in about 30 minutes, most of it waiting for the rice. Cubes of sushi-grade salmon are tossed in a quick soy, sesame and ginger marinade, then piled over seasoned sushi rice with avocado, cucumber, edamame and crunchy cabbage, and finished with a drizzle of spicy mayo. It’s a restaurant favorite that’s surprisingly simple to make at home, and every bowl can be customized.

Below you’ll find how to choose salmon that’s safe to eat raw, the ingredients with amounts, step-by-step instructions, a cooked-salmon option, and topping ideas. The printable recipe card is at the bottom.

Choosing Salmon for Poke

Poke uses raw fish, so the salmon matters. Buy salmon that the seller says is meant to be eaten raw, often labeled “sushi grade” or “sashimi grade.” There’s no legal definition of those terms in the U.S., so ask the fish counter whether it’s farmed or wild and, if wild, whether it was frozen to kill parasites. Buy it the day you plan to make poke, keep it cold on the way home, and use it within a day.

The FDA advises that pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system avoid raw or undercooked fish. If that’s you or your guests, use the seared or cooked salmon option below. Read more in the FDA’s guide to selecting and serving seafood safely.

What Is Poke?

Poke (pronounced poh-KAY) is a Hawaiian dish whose name means “to slice” or “cut into pieces.” Traditional Hawaiian poke is cubed raw fish, often ahi tuna, seasoned simply with sea salt, seaweed and roasted kukui nut, and eaten as a snack. Poke bowls, with rice and lots of toppings, are a more recent, mainland twist. Salmon has become one of the most popular fish for them because of its rich, buttery texture.

How to Cut Salmon for Poke

1. Start with a cold, skinless fillet. If the skin is on, slide a long, sharp knife between the skin and flesh at the tail end and work forward.
2. Run your fingers along the flesh and pull out any pin bones with clean tweezers.
3. Cut the fillet lengthwise into ¾-inch (2 cm) strips, then crosswise into cubes, using long, smooth strokes rather than sawing.
4. Trim away any gray-brown fat along the skin side, which tastes stronger.

Ingredients for Salmon Poke Bowls

For the salmon

• Sushi-grade salmon, 1 lb (450 g), skinless, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes.
• Soy sauce or tamari, 3 tablespoons.
• Toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon.
• Rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon.
• Honey, 1 teaspoon.
• Fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon, finely grated, and garlic, 1 small clove, grated.
• Green onions, 2, thinly sliced, and sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon.
• Sriracha or red pepper flakes, to taste (optional).

For the rice

• Sushi rice (short-grain), 1½ cups (300 g), rinsed.
• Water, 1¾ cups (420 ml).
• Rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons; sugar, 1 tablespoon; salt, ½ teaspoon.

For the bowls

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced; 1 small cucumber, sliced; 1 cup (150 g) shelled edamame, thawed; 1 cup shredded red cabbage or carrots; sliced radishes; nori strips and pickled ginger (optional).
• Spicy mayo: ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha and 1 teaspoon lime juice.

How to Make Salmon Poke Bowls (Step by Step)

1. Cook the rice

Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs almost clear. Bring it to a boil with the water, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir the vinegar, sugar and salt together until dissolved, and fold it gently into the hot rice. Let the rice cool until just warm.

2. Make the marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger and garlic.

3. Marinate the salmon

Add the cubed salmon, green onions and sesame seeds, and toss gently. Refrigerate for 10 to 30 minutes, no longer than an hour; the salt and vinegar start to change the texture of the fish if it sits too long. Keep the salmon cold until you assemble.

4. Prep the toppings

While the salmon marinates, slice the avocado, cucumber and radishes, and stir together the spicy mayo.

5. Assemble and serve right away

Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange the salmon and toppings in sections on top, drizzle with spicy mayo, and sprinkle with more sesame seeds and nori. Serve immediately.

Seared or Cooked Salmon Option

For a poke-style bowl without raw fish, toss the cubed salmon with 1 tablespoon of the marinade and sear it in a hot, oiled skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until opaque and 145°F (63°C), the FDA’s recommended temperature for fish. Then toss it with the rest of the marinade. Leftover baked or grilled salmon, flaked into chunks, also works beautifully.

Chef Emma’s Tips

• Use a very sharp knife and cut cold salmon for neat, clean cubes.
• Season the rice. Seasoned sushi rice is what makes a poke bowl taste right; plain rice tastes flat.
• Serve the rice warm, the fish cold. The contrast is part of the appeal.
• Don’t marinate too long. Ten to thirty minutes is perfect.
• Keep it clean. Use a cutting board and knife that haven’t touched raw meat or poultry.

Topping and Base Ideas

• Bases: brown rice, cauliflower rice, mixed greens, or quinoa (see our easy quinoa recipes).
• Crunch: crispy fried shallots, wonton strips, toasted macadamia nuts or furikake.
• Fresh: mango, pineapple, shredded carrots, jalapeño, cilantro or seaweed salad.
• Sauces: ponzu, eel sauce, or a wasabi mayo.

Storage

• Raw poke is best eaten right after it’s made. Don’t keep marinated raw salmon for leftovers; refrigerate any extra within 2 hours and eat it the same day.
• Rice and vegetables keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge in separate containers, so you can prep them ahead and add fresh fish later.

For a cooked salmon dinner, try our sweet and smoky candied salmon bites, or browse more salmon recipes.

Salmon Poke Bowl FAQs

Is it safe to eat raw salmon in poke?

It’s generally safe for healthy adults when the salmon is sold for raw eating, kept cold and eaten quickly. The FDA advises higher-risk groups to avoid raw fish; use the cooked option instead.

Can I use regular grocery store salmon?

Only if it’s labeled or confirmed for raw eating. Otherwise, use the seared salmon option.

What rice is best for poke bowls?

Short-grain sushi rice, seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Medium-grain rice also works.

Can I make poke bowls ahead?

Cook the rice and prep the vegetables and sauce ahead, but marinate and add the raw salmon just before serving.

Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe Card

Calories are an estimate per bowl (farmed Atlantic salmon, without spicy mayo) based on USDA FoodData Central values.

Chef Emma

Salmon Poke Bowls

Cubes of sushi-grade salmon marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic, served over seasoned sushi rice with avocado, cucumber, edamame and spicy mayo.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Rice resting 10 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Hawaiian, Japanese

Calories: 700

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Salmon

• 1 lb sushi-grade salmon 450 g, skinless, 3/4-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp grated ginger plus 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 2 green onions sliced, plus 1 tsp sesame seeds

Rice

• 1 1/2 cups sushi rice 300 g, rinsed
• 1 3/4 cups water 420 ml
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar plus 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt

Bowls

• 1 avocado sliced
• 1 small cucumber sliced
• 1 cup shelled edamame 150 g, thawed
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage or carrots
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise plus 1 to 2 tbsp sriracha and 1 tsp lime juice, for spicy mayo

Equipment

• Saucepan with lid
• Sharp knife and clean cutting board

Method

 

1. Rinse the rice, then simmer it covered with the water for 15 minutes; rest 10 minutes and fold in the vinegar, sugar and salt.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger and garlic.
3. Toss the salmon with the marinade, green onions and sesame seeds; refrigerate 10 to 30 minutes.
4. Slice the vegetables and stir together the spicy mayo.
5. Divide the rice among bowls, top with the salmon and vegetables, drizzle with spicy mayo and serve immediately.

Notes

Use salmon sold for raw eating. The FDA advises pregnant people, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems to avoid raw fish: sear the salmon to 145°F instead. Calories are an estimate per bowl, without spicy mayo, from USDA FoodData Central values.