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Baked Salmon Poke Bowls (In 30 Minutes)

Name: Baked Salmon Poke Bowls (In 30 Minutes)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: japanese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon white miso paste; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 4 salmon fillets, chopped into cubes (approximately 1lb/500g); 1 cup long-grain rice; 2 carrots, peeled into strips; 1⁄2 red cabbage, finely sliced; 2 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced; 1 avocado, flesh removed and chopped; 2 tablespoons garlic aioli; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon sweet chill jam; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1-inch piece of ginger, grated (or use 2 teaspoons of ginger paste)

Mar 4, 2024 | 1 comment

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You can’t go wrong with these GORGEOUSLY colourful and flavor-packed poke rice bowls, loaded with honey miso baked salmon, lots of crunchy veggies and a zingy sweet sour dressing. A perfect family-friendly fakeaway idea for busy weeknights.

Two baked salmon poke bowls on a marble background with honey on the side.

Whenever I’m stuck for meal inspiration, poke bowls often save the day. There’s just something about piling lots of lovely things on top of each other in a bowl that works so well every time. It’s an easy way to get every flavor in one spoonful and everything can mix and mingle and get to know each other.

While traditionally poke bowls are made with raw fish, I always find it tricky to find the right raw fish in the grocery store, so this baked salmon version is much more accessible for busy weeknights. It takes about 30 minutes all up to make and is as easy as popping some rice on to cook (or use microwave rice to save even more time), toss salmon with a quick honey miso marinade and then prep your veggie toppings and zingy dressing while it cooks.

These are also a brilliant one to prep ahead of time – every element keeps for at least 4 days in the fridge – and it’s just as good cold as it is hot!

Ingredients

Salmon. For four servings, you’ll want to allow one piece of salmon per person – you can remove the skin if you like, but I haven’t here as it just adds another step.
Honey. There’s not a lot better than a sweet/salty combination, and honey provides a lovely rich sweetness which pairs beautifully with the miso. I love using Manuka honey, but any will do.
Miso paste. This lovely fermented soybean paste delivers SUCH a punch, and it’s something I really recommend having in your fridge. Use white miso paste if possible – it’s less salty than red miso paste.
Crunchy vegetable toppings. This is where you really can play around. I’ve gone for red cabbage, scallions, cucumber and carrots for a great mix of colours, but you could use edamame beans, peas, sugar snap peas, beansprouts, green beans or any crunchy veggies you might have to hand.
Rice. Regular long-grain rice (like basmati), short-grain rice or brown rice is great here, as is quinoa or even cauliflower rice. I’ve used long-grain white rice in the recipe below, so if you do use something different, make sure to reference the packet as different types of rice have very different cooking times and instructions.
The dressing. A good, zingy, flavor-packed dressing is essential in a poke bowl, and this one really is flavor-packed. You’ll need honey, soy sauce, fish sauce (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it), rice vinegar, sweet chilli jam, olive oil, garlic and ginger.

How to make it

Mix your honey miso marinade, then dice your salmon and toss the marinade through the pieces. I like to do this straight on a lined oven tray, to save on the washing up. Cook your rice and pop the salmon into the oven. I like to cook this salmon at a high temperature (445F/230C) so that the outside gets a little charred and lovely.

Hand mixing honey miso salmon marinade in a small bowl.

Cubed salmon tossed in miso honey marinade on a lined oven tray.

While the salmon and rice cook, prep all your crunchy toppings and mix your honey miso dressing. Then all you need to do is divide your cooked rice between your bowls, top with the veggies and charred salmon, then pour the dressing all over. I love to dollop garlic aioli on the side to finish things off.

Honey miso dressing mixed in a small bowl.

Charred baked salmon cubes on a lined oven tray.

Got a question?

Can I make the bowls in advance?

Yes, you can! They’re a great meal prep recipe because every element can be made ahead of time. You can also enjoy them cold, which makes them even easier for lunches. The cooked salmon will keep for 4 days in the fridge, in a sealed container. The prepped veggies and rice will keep well for at least 4 days in the fridge (if you prep the avocado ahead of time, toss it with a little lemon juice to help keep it bright green, or it will brown).

How do I tell that my salmon is cooked?

There are a couple of ways you can check. The simplest is just to cut into the salmon – if it’s cooked, it should easily ‘flake’ away and you’ll find the flesh is pale pink, rather than the brighter orange it started as. You could also use a probe thermometer – insert it into a thick cube and you want the temperature to be at least 145F/63C for cooked salmon.

What else could I top the bowls with?

This is a SUPER flexible recipe in terms of your toppings. I like to make poke bowls to use up odds and ends in my veggie drawer – truly you can use anything crunchy. Bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, green beans, broccolini or asparagus are great options. You could also add chunks of pineapple or mango (canned is fine!)