Easy Salmon Poke Recipe You Can Make at Home

This easy Salmon Poke recipe is one you can make at home with just a few ingredients. To start, you will need bite-size cubes of fresh salmon, pineapple rings, watermelon radishes, soybeans, served over zuchinni noodles and dusted with Furikake and Togarashi. The latter two is something you can order on Amazon, so don’t sweat sourcing it. Although it’s not necessary for a poke bowl, it definitely adds a lot of flavor. Beyond everything mentioned,  your poke can pretty much be made according to how you like it.

If you are wondering what the classic poke bowl looks like, I can tell you this—it looks nothing like this. In fact if you go to Hawaii, the best poke—as told by locals—is in the back of a supermarket store. It’s pre-tossed and and scooped into plastic containers. Very un-Instragram-able, but the locals are right. The best poke is found in an unassuming glass case, next to other pre-fixed dishes. My riff here looks nothing like that Kauai version my boys and I love, but it more than does the trick. We love it. 

For this easy salmon poke recipe, I use pineapples because the sweetness against the umami of the dish is a nice bright balance. The watermelon radishes gives crunch and a peppery bite. Soybeans are a must. Zoodles (zucchini noodles)  are optional, but a nice switch up from rice. Of course the dusting of Furikake and Togarashi are flavor enhancers on roids and it keeps me from drowning the bowl in sauce. As for the fresh salmon, I don’t have anywhere close to me that sells fresh, sushi-grade salmon. If you have the same issue, do as I do—buy it from a poke restaurant. Sure, you can then buy the whole bowl there, which I’ve done plenty. But making my own is a lot less money, in fact by 70% less, and it’s a great way to get the kids in the kitchen to make and customize their own bowl.

Recipe notes before getting started with this easy Salmon Poke recipe you nan make at home:

Ingredients 

I try to stay away from anything that can’t be found in most grocery stores, but every once in awhile, it’s unavoidable. When that’s the case, I’ll make sure there’s an online source, so you aren’t driving miles out of your way. In this case, the Furikake and Togarashi are somewhat specialized. Furikake is becoming more popular, so many of you can find it in your local big chain grocery store. The Togarashi not as much, so Amazon is your easiest bet. 

Sauces

There are a lot of different sauces that can be used on a variety of poke bowls, for this one, I prefer a spicy mayo and a ponzu sauce. The spicy mayo can be ratcheted up in heat according to your preference. The recipe that accompanies this bowl is a loose guideline for ratios. For the ponzu sauce, you can buy it in the Asian section of most grocery stores or order it on Amazon. I also added a homemade recipe if you want to keep it simple and make your own. 

Bonus points for homemade sauce

To really bring out the bigger flavors, source a jar of bonita flakes, from Amazon or at an Asian store. Bonita flakes are dried and fermented tuna flakes. I know, it doesn’t sound like the most appetizing when eaten alone—it’s not—but add just a bit to any liquid base of sauce or broth and it brings on a new level of umami. 

More Asian inspired meals

I don’t cook Asian food often, but with my kids being part Asian, I’m learning to grow my nightly dinner routines. For Asian inspired meals check out these: Korean Beef Bowl,  Chicken Satay Bowl and Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

Yield: Serves 4

Salmon Poke Bowl

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Salmon Poke Bowl Cuisine: Asian Author: Matt Robinson Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

• Bowl
• 1 lb. sushi-grade salmon, cut to bite-sized pieces*
• 16 oz. zoodles
• 1 20 oz. Dole Pineapple Rings (fresh pineapple works well too)
• 1 cup edamame
• 1 cup thinly sliced watermelon radishes
• 1 cup crispy onions (store bought or homemade)
• 1 teaspoon furikake
• 1 teaspoon togarashi
• Sauce
• Spicy Mayo
• Ponzu Sauce

Instructions

1. Evenly divide all the bowl ingredients among four bowls. Serve with spicy mayo sauce and ponzu sauce.
2. *If you are preparing your own salmon: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 lb. sushi-grade salmon (cut into bite-size pieces), 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Mirin, 2 teaspoon sesame oil and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
3. To make spicy mayo sauce: In a bowl, stir together 1 cup mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons Sriracha, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and kosher salt to taste.
4. To make ponzu sauce: In a bowl, stir together 1 garlic clove (grated), 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons mirin. Optional (see note below): If you are using bonita flakes add in about 3 tablespoons into the assembled sauce and let steep overnight in the refrigerator. The new day, remove bonita flakes through a sieve and discard.
5. RECIPE NOTES:
6. The spicy mayo can be ratcheted up in heat according to your preference. For the ponzu sauce, you can buy it in the Asian section of most grocery stores or order it on Amazon. I added a homemade recipe, that is very simple. To really bring out the bigger flavors in your ponzu, source a jar bonita flakes from Amazon or at an Asian store.