How to Make a Poke Bowl

What is a Poke Bowl?

Poke bowls are a traditional Hawaiian dish that consists of marinated raw fish (usually tuna) served over rice. Sometimes called poke sushi bowls, they often contain similar ingredients to sushi, but are served in bowl form — in other words, rice on bottom, with the fish, vegetables, and other ingredients on top, and finished with a dressing or sauce and garnishes.

As poke bowl recipes have made their way to the mainland, variations have emerged. Some people prefer salad greens instead of rice. Some want to make a raw salmon poke bowl instead of tuna, or they prefer cooked shrimp or even tofu poke. Toppings and dressings have also evolved, which makes for endless variety.

How to Make a Poke Bowl

1. Choose your base

Choose between 1 cup of cooked grains or noodles, 1 cup of prepped greens, or 1 cup cauliflower rice. You can also always do 50/50.

2. Choose your protein

Top your base with marinated salmon, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, tofu, or crab salad.

3. Marinate

Marinate your protein using our simple poke marinade or Sriracha miso marinade (recipes included in our free guide below).

4. Choose your toppings

This is where things get really fun! Pick your favorites from our master list of toppings…

Poke Bowl Toppings

Raw toppings:

• Avocado
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Edamame
• Jicama
• Mango
• Orange segments
• Radishes
• Seaweed salad

Cooked toppings:

• Beets
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Butternut squash
• Sweet potatoes

dressing ideas:

• Sesame dressing
• Spicy Garlic Manyo
• Ponzu Sauce

fun garnishes:

• Fresh chili slices
• Green onion
• Chives
• Fresh herbs
• Kimchi
• Sprouts
• Lime wedges
• Pickled ginger
• Pickled Onion
• Minced garlic
• Crispy shallots
• Masago or tobiko
• Sesame seeds
• Seaweed strips / flakes
• Furikake
• Red chili flakes
• Pine nuts
• Cashews
• Almonds

Free Guide: How to Make a Poke Bowl

In this infographic, we’ll share a variety of options for poke bowl bases — from the traditional rice, to greens, to options such as quinoa and zucchini noodles. We’ll also share some options for poke bowl proteins you can use, and a couple of easy marinades.

We also suggest a variety of other poke bowl ingredients, from raw or ready-to-use toppings such as edamame, avocado, and mango, to toppings that must be roasted, such as butternut squash and broccoli.

No bowl would be complete without a drizzle of poke bowl sauce on top, so we’ll share our recipes for Sesame Dressing, Spicy Garlic Mayo, and Ponzu Sauce. Finally, garnishes add crunch, spice, and/or color to your finished bowl, and our suggestions include everything from fresh chili slices to masago to nuts.

This infographic also provides basic instructions for how to prep poke and amounts of each type of ingredient to use, so if you’re ready to get started, get your free How to Make a Poke Bowl Guide by clicking below!

More Fun Poke Bowl Tips!

Want more info on what’s involved? Check out the video below and our “How to Make a Poke Bowl” post, which goes into more detail about prep and equipment needed, and also includes a tuna poke bowl recipe in case you want a specific recipe instead of making all the decisions yourself about what to include. (This version is always a Cook Smarts member favorite when it appears as part of our meal plan service!)

If you’re feeling skeptical or not super confident about preparing fish at home  — we understand, there are so many different kinds of fish in the ocean!  — be sure to check out our Infographic Guide to Fish. Here, you’ll learn all about fish so you can make the best choice for your home cooking!

If these poke bowl recipes are useful to you, stay tuned for more infographics and how-to articles by signing up for our weekly email below. Or sign up for a free 14-day trial of our meal plan service for a variety of other delicious, fresh, and healthy dinner bowls!