Salmon Poke Bowl Recipe

Prepare salmon

Pat the sushi-grade salmon dry with paper towels. Trim away any remaining skin or connective tissue. Cut the salmon into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl.

Make the dressing

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin (if using), honey, grated ginger, Sriracha (if using), and the thinly sliced scallions until combined.

Marinate salmon

Pour about three-quarters of the dressing over the cubed salmon and gently toss to coat. Reserve the remaining dressing for drizzling. Cover and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes — do not marinate more than 30 minutes for texture and food-safety reasons when using raw fish.

Finish

Right before assembling, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the marinated salmon and gently toss to distribute.

Rinse rice

Place the 2 cups of sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, swishing with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear (about 2–3 minutes). Drain well.

Cook rice

Combine the rinsed rice and 2.25 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

Season rice

While rice cooks, warm the rice vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp of salt in a small saucepan or microwave just until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl, gently fold in the vinegar mixture with a rice paddle or wooden spoon, trying not to mash the grains. Taste and add remaining salt if needed. Let rice cool to slightly warm or room temperature before assembling bowls.

Prepare toppings

Cook and cool shelled edamame if not already cooked. Thinly slice cucumber into half-moons, shred carrots, slice the avocado just before serving and toss the slices with a small squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt to prevent browning if desired. Cut nori into thin strips or have furikake ready.

Arrange bowls

Divide the seasoned rice evenly among 4 bowls (about 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving by this recipe yields a slightly generous base). Top each bowl with an even portion of marinated salmon. Arrange edamame, cucumber, shredded carrots, avocado slices and microgreens around the salmon in attractive sections.

Garnish and finish

Drizzle reserved dressing over each bowl to taste. Add small spoonfuls of optional spicy mayo if using. Sprinkle additional toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, nori strips or furikake, and crispy shallots/fried garlic as desired.

Whisk together mayonnaise, Sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust heat to taste by adding more or less Sriracha. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl for serving alongside bowls.