Sometimes you just need a healthy, satisfying meal that’s loaded with fresh veggies and tons of flavor. These Cooked Salmon Poke Bowls are all of those things, plus they’re super easy to make!
I feel like sushi is one of those love it or hate it things. I know some people (ahem…me) that are crazy about the stuff. In fact, I made it clear to my husband during my first pregnancy that our first date night out after our baby was born would be for sushi and cocktails. Bless the man, he made it happen. I also know others that wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole, mostly because the idea of “raw fish” grosses them out. Then, there are those that would be willing to try it, but are scared to because they have no idea where to start.
Poke bowls are just basically deconstructed sushi rolls. They have many of the same ingredients and flavor profiles, just in a bowl form rather than rolled up into little bite-sized flavor bombs. They’re great because they’re delicious, and are easy to customize.
Generally poke bowls are made with raw sushi-grade fish. But if you live in the middle of God’s country like I do, getting your hands on high quality raw fish is pretty much just not going to happen. I mean, unless you want to give it a go with catfish or blue gill…but I don’t recommend it. This is why I decided to marinate and bake my salmon before adding it to the bowl. The bonus is this: because the salmon is baked through, you’re going to like (i.e. love!) these Cooked Salmon Poke Bowls even if you’re one of those folks that like seafood but aren’t so much into sushi because of the raw fish component!
They are also super healthy, loaded with fresh veggies, and really easy to make! And if I can find all of the ingredients at my local grocery store, you shouldn’t have a problem doing so either. If you can’t find something, check out Amazon. Another bonus? You can make these way ahead (just hold off on putting on the dressing and some of the toppings) and serve them cold.
How to Make Cooked Salmon Poke Bowls:
Start off by making your marinade/dressing mix. I like to make it in a large measuring cup…fewer dishes that way. Combine chicken stock (or veggie stock if you want to keep this strictly pescatarian), soy sauce, honey, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and a little ground ginger. Give that a good whisk until the honey has dissolved into the marinade.
Pro tip: I always measure the olive oil into the measuring cup I’m going to measure the honey in and give it a swirl before dumping it into the larger bowl or measuring cup. Then, when you measure the honey, it’ll slide right out!
Pat your salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Put these in a large zip-lock bag along with half of the marinade mixture. Seal the bag and give the fish a very gentle massage to make sure the marinade is penetrating. You’ll want to leave these to marinate for at least 30 minutes. I usually try to leave them for an hour.
When the fish is done marinating, line a baking sheet with foil and place the salmon fillets on it skin side down. Put them into a cold oven, and then set your oven to 400 degrees and your timer for 25 minutes. I use this method every time I cook salmon, no matter how I’ve prepared it. The result will be perfectly cooked salmon every time. You might smell a little “burning,” but don’t worry. The salmon isn’t burning, it’s just the sugars in the honey and the soy sauce caramelizing. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.
In the meantime, cook the rice according to the package directions, substituting chicken or vegetable stock for the water. You’ll want to give the rice a good rinse before cooking it, or it will turn out starchy and clumpy.
If you are serving these warm, prep all of your veggies while the rice and salmon are cooking. If you are making them ahead and serving them cold, this step can wait until you’re ready to serve them. Once the rice is done and the salmon is out of the oven, pile some rice in a bowl. Flake the salmon—about half of a filet per bowl (discard the skin) and put it on top of the rice, along with your veggies. Top all of this with the diced scallions, cilantro, squeeze of lime, ¼ cup of the dressing, and sesame seeds. You can also add some Sriracha Mayo if you want a little kick.
Dig in and enjoy!
Cooked Salmon Poke Bowls
Ingredients
Marinade/Dressing
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger.
Bowl Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 English cucumber chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 avocado diced
- 3 green onions diced
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- sriracha mayonnaise
Instructions
- 1. Whisk together ingredients for marinade in a mixing bowl or a large measuring cup. 2. Rinse the salmon fillets in cold water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place salmon in a large zip-lock bag, and pour half of the marinade in the fridge. Put the rest of the marinade in the fridge for later use. Marinade the salmon in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the marinated salmon fillets on the baking sheet,and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.4.Meanwhile, rise the rice under cold water. Cook according to package directions, substituting chicken (or vegetable) broth for the water.5. Chop/dice the cucumbers, avocado, green onions, and cilantro. Set aside.6. When the rice and salmon are done, layer a serving of rice into a bowl. Flake ½ a fillet of salmon and place it on top of the rice in one corner. Arrange 1/4 of the cucumbers, carrots, and avocado around the rest of the rice. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds, along with a squeeze of lime. Drizzle¼ cup of the dressing on, along with sriracha mayo.
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