Cooked Salmon Poke Bowl (gluten-free, Paleo)

This Cooked Salmon Poke Bowl recipe is a healthy, easy meal bursting with flavor and color. And it’s made in under 30 minutes!

Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, low carb, keto and Paleo friendly.

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Why this recipe works

The modern poke bowl started to become popular in the 1970s. While it originally featured raw fish, it’s evolved to include all kinds of cooked seafood and sometimes even chicken.

And while I love the version with raw tuna or salmon, it can be difficult to find poke-grade raw seafood for cooking at home. Enter: the cooked poke bowl. We’ll use salmon you can get from any grocery store (fresh or frozen), cut it into chunks so it cooks quickly, toss it in a simple glaze and broil until tender and slightly caramelized (much faster than baking!).

The glaze uses coconut aminos instead of the more traditional soy sauce. Coconut aminos is a condiment made from reduced coconut sap that has the dark color and umami depth of soy sauce but without the soy or wheat found in soy sauce. So this a gluten free poke bowl as well.

I add red pepper flakes to the glaze to make this more of a spicy salmon poke, but you can adjust the heat level to your taste.

I also whisk together a simple, creamy, 3-ingredient sauce to drizzle over.

From there, it’s really up to you what you serve it with. My personal favorite accompaniments are raw bell peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas and cooked and cooled cauliflower rice. But I include other ideas below in the FAQ and under the recipe as well.

What you need

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil – I prefer the neutral flavor of avocado oil for this recipe.
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos – A soy-free, wheat-free alternative to soy sauce.
• 1 tablespoon honey – This adds a very subtle sweetness and helps the salmon slightly caramelize as it cooks.
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar – This adds a bit of acid to brighten up the glaze.
• 1 teaspoon red pepper lakes – This might sound like a lot but I don’t find the finished dish to be too spicy. But of course you can adjust the amount based on your preference.
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1½ pounds salmon fillets – You can use fresh or frozen (thaw if using frozen). I prefer the kind with skin on. If yours has the skin on but you don’t like it, cook the salmon according to the recipe and, when it’s cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the salmon chunks. The skin is easier to peel off if the salmon is cooked.
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Your favorite vegetables, for serving: red bell pepper, carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumber, red cabbage, green onions, avocado, broccoli, cooked and cooled cauliflower rice, etc.
  • I keep the recipe low carb, keto and Paleo friendly by using cauliflower rice but you can also use cooked and cooled white rice instead. The recipe will still be gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free.

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise – I prefer avocado oil-based mayonnaise (like Chosen) to keep it heart-healthy and Paleo friendly.
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos – Again, this adds an umami flavor similar to soy sauce.
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil – Just a little bit adds a wonderfully toasty, nutty flavor.

Equipment:

• a large mixing bowl
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• a whisk
• a cutting board
• paper towels
• a chef’s knife
• stainless steel baking sheets
• aluminum foil
• a medium mixing bowl

How to make a Cooked Salmon Poke Bowl

Step 1: Heat the broiler.

Step 2: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the oil, 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, honey, rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt until combined.

Step 4: On a cutting board, pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Then cut each fillet into bite-sized chunks (roughly ¾”).

Step 5: Toss the salmon chunks in the glaze until evenly coated (I just use my hand for this).

Step 6: Spread the salmon out on the lined baking sheet, making sure the pieces aren’t touching. Drizzle over any glaze remaining in the bowl.

Step 7: Broil the salmon for about 4-6 minutes. Start checking after 4 minutes and then every minute or so to make sure it doesn’t burn (the sugars in the honey can make it burn quickly).

Step 8: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons coconut aminos and sesame oil until combined and smooth.

Step 9: Serve the salmon in bowls with your preferred vegetables and sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle the sauce over everything and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Other recipes you might like:

1. Salmon Taco Bowls (gluten-free, Paleo)
2. Tuna Sushi Bowls (gluten-free, Paleo)
3. Potato Chip Crusted Salmon (gluten-free, Paleo)
4. Crispy Skin Salmon 2 Ways (gluten-free, Paleo)
5. Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon with Pesto (gluten-free, Paleo)

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