Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 16 oz sushi-grade salmon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens separated)
- Steamed rice, for serving
For the Poke Sauce:
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha, or more to taste
- 2 tbsp masago or tobiko, optional
Optional Garnish:
- Scallion greens
- Sesame seeds
- Furikake
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
- Thinly slice the scallions, separating the whites and greens.
- Cut the sushi-grade salmon into 1/2-inch cubes and place it in a bowl. Add the scallion whites, soy sauce, sesame oil, mayonnaise, sriracha, and optional masago or tobiko. Mix gently until everything is evenly coated, folding rather than stirring so the cubes stay intact.
- Spoon the creamy salmon poke over a fresh bowl of warm rice.
- Optionally garnish with the scallion greens and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Because this recipe uses raw fish, it is best eaten the same day. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the coldest part of your fridge and eat within 24 hours.
- Keep the rice in a separate container and reheat only the rice before serving so it does not warm the chilled salmon.
- To prep ahead, cube the salmon and mix the sauce separately, then toss them together right before eating.
- Look for “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” salmon, and use Kewpie mayo for an even richer sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
- Why The Poke Sauce Is So Important For This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
- Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Creamy Salmon Poke
- What to Serve with Creamy Salmon Poke
- How to Store Creamy Salmon Poke
- Creamy Salmon Poke Substitutions
- What to Make Next
Introduction
This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe is proof that a tasty meal doesn’t always require cooking. In this case, all you need to do is toss fresh cubes of sushi-grade salmon with a slightly spicy mayo sauce and serve over a fresh bowl of rice. The best part is that it only takes 10 minutes and uses one bowl! With inflation these days, I started making poke at home after I saw those $20 charges on my account balance, and once you see how simple it can be, you’ll want to do the same. Because there’s no stove, it’s become my go to meal for those hot summer days or lazy nights.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
You’ll love this Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe because the effort is as little as it can get. There’s no cooking, no marination, and you only need a bowl and a spoon. You could even make this in a dorm! In my opinion, what sets this apart from other poke spots is that you get both a classic shoyu poke flavor and a creamy mayo-based one. The mayo sauce clings to every cube of salmon instead of pooling at the bottom like a normal shoyu dressing would, but you still get all that flavor.
Additionally, since you can control the sriracha, you can make it as mild or as spicy as you want (I sometimes can’t handle the spicy poke at some places!). Once you make this a couple of times, you won’t even need to measure anymore.
Why The Poke Sauce Is So Important For This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe
The sauce is what really makes this Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe, and each ingredient has a specific job. The soy sauce provides the salt and umami, the sesame oil adds that nutty aroma poke is known for, and the sriracha brings a nice heat. Sometimes the soy sauce and sesame oil don’t really emulsify well, and the mayo is the binding agent that combines everything together. If you choose to add the masago, you also get a great textural contrast from the fish, which is my personal favorite part! One important note is to mix gently, because salmon is a delicate fish and stirring too aggressively can break the cubes apart.
Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe Ingredients
Sushi-grade salmon – The star of the dish. Look for “sashimi-grade” on your packaging when purchasing.
Scallions – The whites add a nice bite that contrasts with the sashimi.
Poke sauce (light soy sauce, sesame oil, mayonnaise, sriracha, masago or tobiko) – A creamy, salty, and slightly spicy sauce that coats every cube of salmon. The masago or tobiko is optional but adds a fun texture.
Steamed rice – Warm rice is the base of the bowl.
Optional garnishes (scallion greens) – These add color, crunch, and freshness.
How to Make Creamy Salmon Poke
Thinly slice the scallions, separating the whites and greens.
Cut the sushi-grade salmon into 1/2-inch cubes and place it in a bowl. A sharp knife and cold salmon will give you the cleanest cuts, so cut it straight from the fridge.
Add the scallion whites, soy sauce, sesame oil, mayonnaise, sriracha, and optional masago or tobiko to the bowl. Mix gently until everything is evenly coated, folding rather than stirring so the cubes stay intact.
Spoon the creamy salmon poke over a fresh bowl of warm rice. Garnish with the scallion greens and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Creamy Salmon Poke
This Creamy Salmon Poke is a complete meal on its own, but a few simple sides can turn it into a full spread. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Miso soup. A warm, savory soup that balances the cold poke perfectly. It’s the classic pairing for a reason.
- Cucumber salad. I like to toss sliced cucumbers with rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, and sugar. The acidity cuts through the creamy sauce really well.
- Seaweed salad. You can find this pre-made at most Asian grocers, and its sesame flavor fits right in with the poke sauce.
How to Store Creamy Salmon Poke
Because this Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe uses raw fish, it’s best eaten the day it’s made. If you do have leftovers, store the poke in an airtight container in the coldest part of your fridge and eat it within 24 hours. Keep the rice in a separate container so it doesn’t get cold and hard against the chilled salmon, then reheat only the rice before serving. I don’t recommend prepping this too far ahead. Instead, you can cube the salmon and mix the sauce separately, then toss them together right before eating.
Creamy Salmon Poke Substitutions
This Creamy Salmon Poke Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:
- Sushi-grade tuna. Ahi tuna works just as well as salmon and gives the bowl a slightly firmer, meatier bite.
- Kewpie mayo. If you have it, Japanese mayo makes the sauce even richer and slightly tangier than regular mayonnaise.
- Chili crisp. Swap the sriracha for a spoonful of chili crisp if you want a smokier heat with some crunchy bits mixed in.
- Tamari. An easy one-to-one swap for the soy sauce if you need this gluten free.
- Avocado. If you skip the masago, diced avocado adds back some of that richness and texture.
What to Make Next
Craving more salmon? You’ll love my Crispy Salmon Rice!
Want something warm and shareable? Try my Sushi Bake!
Feeling like noodles instead? Cook my Spicy Cold Noodles!
