Salmon Poke Bowl
The Hawaiian classic: cubes of raw, sushi-grade salmon marinated in soy, sesame oil, and scallion, served cold over rice with avocado, edamame, cucumber, and sesame. Everything comes down to the fish — sashimi-grade salmon, cut clean and marinated briefly so it stays silky rather than curing into something firm.
Ingredients
- 300 gsalmon, sushi-grade
- 300 gshort-grain rice
- 30 mlsoy sauce
- 10 mlsesame oil
- 10 mlrice vinegar
- 1 pcsavocado
- 80 gedamame, shelled
- 1 pcscucumber
- 2 pcsspring onion
- 5 gsesame seeds
- 1 pcsnori, sheets
- 5 ghoney
Method
- Cook 300 g of short-grain rice, then spread it out to cool to room temperature or just above. Poke is served over cool rice, not hot — hot rice partly cooks the raw fish and softens it.
- Check your salmon. Use only sushi-grade or sashimi-grade salmon from a trusted fishmonger, kept cold. If it was previously frozen for raw use, all the better; if in doubt, don't eat it raw.
- Pat the salmon dry and cut it into even 1.5 cm cubes with a sharp knife. Even cubes marinate evenly and look clean in the bowl.
- Make the marinade: whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and half the sliced spring onion together in a bowl.
- Add the salmon cubes and fold gently to coat. Marinate for just 15 to 20 minutes in the fridge — long enough to season, short enough that the fish stays silky and doesn't cure firm.
- While it marinates, cook and cool the edamame, dice or slice the cucumber and avocado, and divide the cooled rice between two bowls.
- Spoon the marinated salmon over the rice and arrange the edamame, cucumber, and avocado around it. Scatter the remaining spring onion, the sesame seeds, and torn nori over the top and serve cold.
FAQ
Only salmon sold as sushi-grade or sashimi-grade from a fishmonger you trust, kept properly cold. Much of it has been frozen to a standard that makes it safe for raw use. If a piece isn't clearly labelled or sold for raw eating, cook it instead.
This poke uses raw marinated salmon and is served cold; the viral salmon rice bowl uses cooked, flaked salmon with a warm mayo-sriracha sauce. Same fish, but raw-and-cold versus cooked-and-warm.
Soy sauce and vinegar slowly cure raw fish, turning it firm and opaque like ceviche. A short marinade seasons the salmon while keeping it soft and translucent; too long and you lose the silky texture.
Yes, if it's sushi-grade and labelled safe for raw consumption — freezing is actually part of what makes raw fish safe. Thaw it in the fridge, pat it dry, and use it cold. Don't use ordinary supermarket salmon that isn't sold for raw eating.
Traditionally sweet onion, seaweed salad, and macadamia nuts; commonly also mango, radish, carrot, or a spoonful of spicy mayo. Keep the marinated salmon and rice as the base and vary the toppings freely.
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