This cooked salmon poke bowl has teriyaki glazed salmon, rice, carrots, avocado, mango, tangy pickled onions and a drizzle of spicy mayo dressing. A gorgeous, fresh and healthy meal that is loaded with flavor.
Poké is the Hawaiian word meaning to cut crosswise into pieces. It is a native Hawaiian dish of diced raw fish. Today, a common poké bowl contains rice, raw seasoned fish, fresh vegetables and a dressing.
I LOVE all the flavors of poke bowls, except raw fish freaks me out. So my friend Meg made me a cooked salmon poke bowl. I became obsessed.
I make it every few weeks for dinner and I pack the leftovers for lunch in a bento box and eat it cold.
I also love these cold tahini noodles if you are looking for a different make ahead lunch or complimentary dish!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Packed with protein & the all healthy fats
- Loaded with fresh ingredients
- Hits all your tastebuds - sweet, tangy, creamy, savory!
- Ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredient notes & substitutes:
Salmon: Salmon is amazing source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids which are an essential fat that are needed to maintain healthy cells, heart, lungs, immune system and blood vessels. This recipe calls for boneless salmon fillets. Other cuts of salmon (or different types of seafood) can be substituted but will likely need to be cooked differently.
Rice: Use your favorite type of white rice, brown rice, wild rice, grain, cauliflower rice or simply omit the rice all together. I use Nishiki white sushi rice for a sticky sushi roll rice texture and cook it in a non-stick Instant Pot.
Teriyaki Sauce: Whole Foods has an awesome 365 brand no sugar added teriyaki sauce that I love. It's such a simple and flavorful way to season the salmon. You could also use a simple sesame oil, coconut aminos or soy sauce.
Pickled onions: Pickled onions are the star of the bowl, their tangy amazingness bring TONS of flavor to this dish. Sour & Sweets has a easy recipe you can make if you can't find them store bought.
Fruit / Vegetables: I've tried lots of variations and really love the combo of carrots, creamy avocado slices, mango and tangy pickled onions. Get creative by adding or substituting your favorite fruits and veggies. Some ideas - pineapple, green onions, edamame, roasted broccoli, fresh cucumber, jalapeños, thinly sliced peppers, seaweed salad, roasted brussels sprouts...
Dressing: Create a super simple sriracha mayo by combining your favorite mayonnaise or aioli and slowly add sriracha to your desired spice level. If spice isn't your thing add some teriyaki to the mayo for an equally savory and delish teriyaki dressing! This adds a necessary umami flavor to the dish.
Oil: I prefer to cook with avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor, it is a monounsaturated fat (good fat) and I don't have to worry about burning the oil since it has a high smoke point of 400°F.
However, you can use your preferred oil or butter for this dish. A few substitutions I recommend are grapeseed oil, olive oil, butter or plant based butter. I also love using a spray bottle because it helps me use less oil (I think most people including myself use more oil than we need).
Toppings: sprinkle on some sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime juice!
Tips for Buying Salmon
Here are some tips to turn you into a salmon expert at your local grocery store:
- Salmon Filets: This recipe is for salmon filets because they are thick enough to cut into cubes. Other cuts of salmon can be used but may have different cooking time or may be too thin to cut into salmon bites so you might want to cook differently.
- Recommended Serving Size: The recommended serving of salmon is 3-4 ounces. I usually buy 1 pound (16 ounces) of salmon filets which is four 4 ounce servings.
- Buy Boneless / Pins Removed: Most store bought salmon fillets are boneless (bones/pins are removed when they are being cut) but if your salmon still has bones you should remove them or be very careful to eat around them.
- Fresh or Frozen? Unless you are buying salmon locally and in season, it has most likely been flash frozen and thawed if you are buying it unfrozen at the store. Therefore, don't be afraid to buy frozen salmon and thaw it overnight in the fridge since this will be fresher than buying it thawed at the store.
- Wild or Farmed? I don't have a firm stance here on which results in the highest quality fish. Wild salmon typically has fewer calories, less saturated fat, less environmental PCB pollutants and is higher in minerals (calcium, iron, potassium & zinc). However, wild salmon can also have small amounts of microplastics from ocean pollution (but so can consuming honey, bottled water, fruit and vegetables).
- Sustainably Produced: Sustainably caught seafood can help prevent overfishing and ensure there is no serious harm to the oceanic ecosystem. If you don't have time to research where you are getting your fish from, your next best option is to look for the blue MSC label (Marine Stewardship Council Certified). The certification is not perfect, but it's a good start.
- Sushi grade fish? Sushi-grade fish is solely a marketing term that means the seller has decided the fish is safe to consume the raw salmon. There is no regulation around this term and since we are cooking our fish, we don't need to buy something labeled as sushi-grade salmon.
How to make it
Step 1: Prep the pickled onions and make the rice (according to package directions).
Step 2: carefully slice off the salmon skin (unless skinless) and cut into 1 inch chunks. Cook the salmon in an air fryer or oven after letting it sit covered in teriyaki sauce. Air fry for 4-7 minutes at 400℉ or broil in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Prep remaining toppings - Shred the carrots. Thinly slice the avocados. Peel and cube mango into small chunks. Mix your favorite mayonnaise or aioli with sriracha for a spicy mayo sauce. If you prefer no spice, substitute the sriracha with teriyaki.
Step 4: Assemble your poke bowls. Each bowl starts with one cup of warm rice. Top the rice with half an avocado (sliced), quarter cup of shredded carrots, quarter cup of pickled onions (no liquid), quarter cup of cubed mango, 4 ounces of cooked salmon pieces and a quarter cup of dressing. Enjoy!
FAQs
There are two ways to check. You can take a cooking thermometer and stick it into the thickest part of the salmon filet and if it reads between 125-130°F it's done. You can also take a sharp knife and cut into the thickest part of the salmon and if any of the salmon is still translucent it's not done. If all of the salmon is opaque and a lighter pink color then it's done cooking.
Raw salmon will last in the fridge for no more than 2 days and should be kept under 40°F in an airtight container. Once the salmon is cooked, it will last in the fridge for an additional 3-4 days.
You can freeze both cooked and raw salmon with some caveats.
Cooked salmon - store in freezer bag or airtight container with as little air as possible and freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or by submerging the fish in the airtight container in ice cold water. Note that the taste and texture of the salmon will not be the same.
Raw salmon - store in freezer bag or airtight container with as little air as possible and freeze for up to 8 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or by submerging the fish in the airtight container in ice cold water. If the salmon was not left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours or left in a hot climate for 1 hour, do not re-freeze the salmon and discard it.
If you must, here is an article with some tips on how to reheat your salmon. Do NOT use a microwave to reheat your spicy salmon bowl. Personally, I would not recommend reheating salmon and prefer to eat it cold to preserve the taste and sanity (from the smell).
More healthy meals you'll love!
I hope you love this cooked salmon poke bowl recipe! If you make it I’d love if you could leave a rating & connect with me on Instagram @passthesprouts!
Recipe
Cooked Salmon Poke Bowl
Equipment
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup pickled red onions 1 medium onion
- 4 cups cooked white rice or use your favorite grain. 1 cup of uncooked rice will equal about 3 cups of cooked rice.
- 1 pound salmon fillet 16 ounces, skin removed, diced in 1 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 8 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 2 medium avocados peeled and sliced thin
- 2 large carrots shredded or grated
- 1 cup mayonnaise or aioli / veganaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce sub teriyaki if sensitive to spice
- 1 cup mango diced
Instructions
- Prep pickled onions: if you are pickling your own red onion do this first and set aside.
- Cook rice: Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.
- Prepare salmon: Use a sharp knife to carefully slice off the salmon skin (unless skinless) and cut into 1 inch chunks. Coat the salmon in teriyaki sauce. Pro Tip: let it sit marinating for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the salmon to come to room temperature which will cook more evenly and the fish will have more time to marinate.
- Cook salmon: Air Fryer - Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spray or lightly coat the air fryer basket with oil so the salmon does not stick. Spread out the salmon pieces evenly in one layer, no pieces should be touching. Cook the salmon for 5-7 minutes. Oven - Preheat oven to high broil (let it preheat for at least 15 minutes). Place the salmon on aluminum foil in an oven-safe pan. Broil on high for 10 mins, flip the salon pieces over, broil for 5 more minutes or until golden brown.You'll know it is done when the thickest part of the salmon reaches a temperature of 125-130°F or until you no longer see any translucent dark pink meat when you slice into the thickest part of the salmon with a sharp knife.
- Prep remaining toppings: Grate, shred or finely chop carrots. Peel avocados, cut in half the long way, remove the pit and thinly slice. Peel and cube mango. Mix your favorite mayonnaise or aioli with sriracha for a spicy dressing (slowly add sriracha to your preferred spice level). If you prefer no spice, substitute the sriracha with teriyaki sauce.
- Assemble: Each bowl starts with one cup of warm rice topped with half an avocado (sliced), quarter cup of shredded carrots, quarter cup of pickled onions (no liquid), quarter cup of cubed mango, 4 ounces of salmon pieces and a quarter cup of dressing. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Red onion alternative: If you prefer to not pickle your red onions, you can also cut them super thin and let them sit in hot water for 10 minutes which will take the sharp bite out of them.
- Reheating salmon: If you must, here is an article with some tips on how to reheat your salmon. Do NOT use a microwave. Personally, I would not recommend reheating salmon and prefer to eat it cold to preserve the taste and sanity (from the smell).
- Buy boneless / pins removed: Most store bought salmon fillets are boneless (bones/pins are removed when they are being cut) but if your salmon still has bones you should remove them or be very careful to eat around them.
- Storage: uncooked salmon will last up to 2 days in the fridge and cooked salmon will last an additional 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container.
John Huntington says
This bowl is a fan favorite in our house!
Emily Smith says
Can’t wait to make this this week!
Laurie Scully says
Added ingredients to my shopping list- cannot wait to make this 🤩🙌🏼
Christine says
I made this last night it came out bomb! The air fried salmon on teriyaki is a game changer. It's delicious!