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These Sushi Poke Bowls are a nutritious, fresh, colorful, and delicious crowd favorite! They’re packed with veggies, fresh sushi-grade fish, Instant Pot sticky rice, a delicious marinade, and an easy spicy mayo drizzle.

Assemble these bowls right away or prepare everything ahead of time for an easy meal prep option!

above image of two poke bowls surrounded by toppings.


Easy Poke Bowl Recipe with Salmon or Tuna

Create the best poke bowl bar with these Sushi Poke Bowls. They are a beautiful and tasty combination of all the best fresh, crunchy veggies, homemade sticky rice, marinated onion, cucumber, and fresh fish.

I love this recipe because it’s not only delicious and easy to make, but it’s also customizable! You can make it just the way you like it, OR you can let your family assemble their own so they can build their perfect poke bowl.

The big bonus? The longer you marinate the fish and the veggies, the better the flavor! You can prep pretty much all of the ingredients up to 2 days in advance for a ready-to-go meal.

All you have left to do after that is assemble and enjoy!

What is a Poke Bowl?

Poke is diced raw fish served as an appetizer or main course. It’s a popular entree native to Hawaiian cuisine.

A poke bowl is a rice bowl featuring raw fish as a topping, usually along with plenty of fresh veggies!

above image closeup of a poke sushi bowl.

Ingredients Needed

  • Sticky Rice: You can easily make sticky rice with just water, sushi rice, rice vinegar, and sea salt.
  • Marinade: The marinade for the fish and the veggies consists of a simple blend of coconut aminos, fish sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, chili sauce, toasted sesame oil, and optional chili flakes for some spice.
  • Cucumber Salad: We marinate sliced cucumber and sliced red onion for a delicious combination of flavors and textures.
  • Sushi Grade Fish: I’ve used both salmon and tuna with delicious results either way. Use your favorite; just make sure it’s sushi-grade!
  • Spicy Mayo: A super easy combination of mayonnaise and Sriracha!

Topping Ideas

Customize your poke bowls with all the best toppings! Here are some of my favorites:

  • Diced mango
  • Sliced avocado
  • Sesame seeds
  • Toasted nori
  • Scallions
  • Cooked edamame
  • Sliced carrot
  • Fried shallots (see below for instructions!)
  • Sliced red chili
all poke bowl ingredients in bowls from above.

How to a Make Poke Sushi Bowl

  1. Marinate the fish/veggies: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour half of the marinade into a smaller bowl, then add the fish to one bowl and the sliced red onion and cucumber to another. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (or longer if you have time!).
  2. Make the sticky rice: See the instructions below!
  3. Assemble and serve: Prep the toppings of your choice, then assemble your poke bowls. I start with rice, top that with fish, then pile on all of the toppings—finished, of course, with the spicy mayo!

Sticky Rice

  1. Rinse the rice: Add the rice to a strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.
  2. Combine all ingredients: In your instant pot, combine the rice with water, salt, and vinegar. Mix well.
  3. Cook: Add the lid to the instant pot and cook on manual pressure for 9 minutes. Once cooked, quick release the pressure, give the rice a stir, and it’s ready to go!
above image of a bowl of sticky rice next to seaweed and chopsticks.

Fried Onions

Fried onions are one of my favorite ways to add a little bit of crunch and extra flavor to this poke bowl recipe!

They’re a really easy way to take this recipe to the next level. Here’s how to make them:

  1. Place 1/4 cup of avocado oil into a saucepan, then bring to frying temperature on the stove.
  2. Place thinly sliced shallots into the oil, then fry until light brown.
  3. Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fried shallots onto a paper towel-lined plate. Cool completely, then sprinkle over your poke bowls!

Where Can I Find Sushi-Grade Fish?

I like to get mine at the local fish market for the best quality, but you can find sushi-grade fish at most higher-end or specialty grocery stores.

Sushi-grade fish is often flash-frozen to kill parasites and is specifically intended for raw consumption. Do not serve this recipe using fish that isn’t sushi-grade!

Disclaimer: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

a finished poke bowl with chopsticks from above.

Serving Suggestions

Poke bowls are satisfying and filling as-is—no side dishes required! However, if you are feeling ambitious and want a little something extra, here are some sides that would pair deliciously with this recipe:

Tips and Notes

  • The longer you marinate, the better! I recommend a minimum of 4 hours to marinate your fish and veggies. This gives them plenty of time to really soak in the flavors of the marinade. For even better flavor,
  • Rinse the rice. The rice is plenty sticky without the excess starch. I recommend giving it a good rinse before cooking for the best texture.
two poke bowls from above surrounded by toppings.

How to Prep Ahead of Time

As I said, many of these ingredients can be prepped in advance to make assembly super easy later on!

  • Sticky Rice: The instant pot sticky rice can be prepared, cooled, and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Marinated Veggies/Fish: Prepare the marinade, split it into two bowls, then let the veggies and the fish marinate (covered in the fridge) for up to 2 days. The flavor will get better and better!
  • Toppings: Many of the fresh veggie toppings can be diced, sliced, cooked, etc. and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  • Fried Onions: The fried shallots can be cooked, cooked, then stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

How to Store

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

I don’t recommend keeping it past the 2-day mark since this recipe includes raw fish!

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above image of two poke bowls surrounded by toppings.

Easy Poke Bowls at Home

4.67 from 3 votes
Servings 4
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Sticky Rice:

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 2 cups sushi rice rinsed until the water comes out clear
  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Marinade for the Sushi Grade Fish, Cucumber, and Onion:

  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons grated garlic
  • 2 teaspoons chili sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • Optional: pinch chili flakes
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 lb sushi grade salmon or tuna

Spicy Mayo:

  • 2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha more to taste

Toppings:

  • Mango diced
  • 1 Avocado thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup toasted Nori thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup scallions thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup Edamame steamed or frozen and defrosted
  • Carrots sliced thin
  • 1 shallot sliced thin and pan-fried in avocado oil
  • 1 red chili sliced

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl, mix the marinade ingredients until well blended. Pour half the marinade in another small mixing bowl. Add tuna or salmon to one bowl and red onion and cucumber to the other. Mix well so that the fish and vegetables are well coated. Cover each bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The more both marinate, the more flavorful the poke bowl will be. We recommend marinating these overnight!
  • Make the sticky rice: Rinse your rice. Place in the insert of your Instant Pot. Add water, salt, and vinegar. Toss and close the lid. Set the valve to sealing. Set manual to 9 minutes. Quick release and mix.
  • Chop all garnishes and set side. Assemble and enjoy.

Notes

How to cook sticky rice on the stovetop: Rinse 2 cups of sushi rice until the water comes out clear. Place in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once at a boil, remove lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Take off heat and cover for 10 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar and salt until the salt has dissolved. Once the rice has steamed for 10 minutes, remove lid and fluff with a fork. Place in a bowl and pour in the rice vinegar mixture. Using a spatula, carefully mix. Cover with a towel until ready to eat!
How to fry shallots: Place 1/4 cup of avocado oil in a small saucepan. Bring to frying temperature and place in thinly sliced shallots. Let fry until light brown. Using a slotted spoon, gently scoop out the fried shallots and place on a plate lined with a paper towel until cooled.

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 36gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 511mgFiber: 7.5gSugar: 13g
Author: Lexi


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Comments

  1. Would these bowls be okay for meal prep? Can you refrigerate them for a certain period of time? If so, how long at max can they be in the fridge?

    1. Definitely can prep everything ahead for 3-5 days aside from the fish, I would personally make the raw fish fresh each day, or in the fridge for 1-2 days. While it probably would be fine, I always take caution with raw fish!

  2. I’m a grandma nanny to our 5 grand kids , so I back to cooking all our meals at home … I do love to cook and having the right tools helps make it more fun … and my crew loves a good steak salad >veggie salad with steak and fries on top with red wine vinegar dressing

  3. I’d be most excited to use these beautiful knives for EVERYTHING! Mine are old and need to be replaced asap!

  4. My husband and I honeymooned in Maui and the poke was to die for! I’d love to test these new knives out making these poke bowls!

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  7. Your recipes always inspire me: I know the ingredients are honest and true, they are easy to tackle, the ingredients list is usually familiar and not too out of the box, and fit the bill for an active lifestyle. Can’t wait to use these knives to tackle your recipes!

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  9. I keep telling my husband I need some new knives! I’d use them practically everyday if I won, but definitely for fresh fish, because like you said a sharp knife is essential.

  10. Oh wow! Those knives sound great! I’d enjoy trying them out to cut all kinds of things from raw fish to raw veggies!

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  13. My current knives just aren’t up to par to cut items like the raw fish called for in this poke recipe. I would love a new set to expand my kitchen knife skills and capacity.

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