How to Cook Salmon for a Delicious Poke Bowl

Poke bowls have become an increasingly popular meal option for many reasons These tasty bowls typically feature fresh raw fish, rice, vegetables, and flavorful sauces While tuna and other fish work well, salmon is one of the most common and delicious choices for poke bowls. When using raw salmon, it’s crucial to use high-quality sashimi or sushi grade for food safety. However, cooking the salmon is an easy alternative that allows you to use standard salmon fillets from your local grocery store or fish market.

Cooking salmon for a poke bowl requires just a few easy steps and little active prep time With a flavorful marinade and quick cooking, you’ll have delicious cooked salmon ready to combine with your favorite poke bowl ingredients. Read on for everything you need to know about how to cook salmon for the perfect poke bowl

Choose Your Salmon

The first step is selecting high-quality salmon fillets. Opt for wild-caught salmon whenever possible, as it offers more omega-3 fatty acids compared to farmed salmon. Sockeye, coho, and king salmon are excellent choices. Aim for fillets that are 1-1.5 inches thick so they can hold up during cooking. Fattier salmon like sockeye and king work especially well. Remove any bones and skin before cutting the salmon into cubes.

Make a Simple Marinade

A flavorful marinade helps ensure your cooked salmon cubes have plenty of taste. You can marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight. Easy marinades include:

• Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, green onion, sesame seeds, sriracha
• Soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar
• Soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, dried oregano, black pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients together then pour over the cubed salmon pieces. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, turning halfway through. The acids in the marinade start to “cook” the salmon, resulting in a texture more like sashimi.

Cook the Salmon

After marinating, you’ll finish cooking the salmon on the stove or grill. Use a skillet greased with olive oil or avocado oil over medium heat. Cook the salmon for 4-5 minutes per side until opaque throughout. You can also thread the salmon onto skewers and grill for 5-7 minutes, turning frequently. Cook just until opaque in the center. Take care not to overcook the salmon, as it will dry out quickly.

Tip: Reserve a bit of the marinade to drizzle over the salmon after cooking.

Assemble Your Poke Bowl

With flavorful cooked salmon ready, assemble your poke bowl. Here are some ingredient ideas:

• Grains: White, brown or sushi rice, quinoa, soba noodles, rice noodles
• Vegetables: Cucumber, cabbage, bell pepper, edamame, mango, avocado, carrot
• Toppings: Furikake, sesame seeds, scallions, nori, fried onions
• Sauce: Spicy mayo, eel sauce, ponzu, wasabi mayo, ginger dressing

Layer your ingredients in a bowl starting with the base grain, then vegetables, salmon, toppings, and sauce. Mix together before eating to combine the flavors. Customize your poke bowl with your favorite tastes.

Extra Tips

• If you don’t have time to marinate, simply brush the salmon with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper before cooking.

• Leftover cooked salmon works great in poke bowls too.

• For a vegetarian poke bowl, use cubed firm tofu instead of salmon. Marinate and cook the tofu the same way.

With a few easy steps, you can have restaurant-quality poke bowls at home featuring tasty cooked salmon. Experiment with different marinades, poke bowl additions, and sauces to discover new favorite combinations. Enjoy this fresh and nutritious meal any night of the week.