There’s something about a poke bowl that just hits when you’re craving something fresh, crunchy, and saucy, especially when takeout feels tempting but not super practical for the week ahead. This meal prep salmon poke bowl brings all those bold, colorful flavors home in a way that actually works for leftovers.
Our version isn’t traditional, and that’s on purpose. Raw fish and meal prep don’t always mix well, so we’re using safely cooked teriyaki-style salmon paired with crisp veggies, sweet mango, edamame, and cold soba noodles tossed in sauce. Everything is balanced, satisfying, and designed to stay delicious for several days. If you love vibrant textures and meals that feel exciting straight from the fridge, this one’s for you.
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First, what is a poke bowl?
Poke bowls are from Hawaii and the word poke means “to slice.” The modern version of these fresh, colorful meals (sometimes served as an appetizer) usually involves raw tuna, pickled veggies, maybe some fruit, sticky rice, and lots of yummy sauce options.
I’m just going to put this out there – raw fish and meal prep don’t mix. If you’re comfortable working with sushi-grade fish and want to try this out as a one-off dinner, do it!
Otherwise, we’re sticking with safely cooked salmon for meal prep and taking flavor inspiration from this delicious Hawaiian dish. This recipe is definitely more of a lightly pickled veggie salad marinated and cooked salmon over a bed of cold noodles with sriracha mayo. And trust me, it’s delish and perfect for anyone who prefers crunchy fresh veggies overcooked veggies for meal prep.
How to make this salmon poke bowl recipe your own
One of the best things about this salmon poke bowl recipe is how flexible it is. You can switch things up based on what you have or what sounds good that week.
Change up the veggies
- Scallions
- Avocado
- Red cabbage
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini noodles
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Tomatoes
(Some of these aren’t traditional, but they’re delicious.)
Change the base (instead of noodles)
- White or brown rice
- Mixed greens
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini noodles
Change the protein (instead of salmon)
- Grilled or breaded chicken
- Shrimp
- Tofu or seitan
- BBQ pulled pork
This is a great “use-what-you-have” meal, especially if you like variety during the week.
Let’s talk about the sauce and garnishes
Since this is more in the cold prep/salad category, garnishes and sauces are really important (and there’s a lot of room to customize here too). Sriracha mayo was an obvious choice for this prep since it’s a 2-ingredient situation, but here are some other fun ideas:
When in doubt, just squeeze a lime on top of your bowl or add a dash of soy sauce. When it comes to garnishes, here are some fresh ideas:
- Nori (seaweed)
- Radishes
- Roasted peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Black sesame seeds
- Garlic chips
- Sprouts
- Pickled ginger
- Wasabi peas
- Green onion
- Cilantro (not traditional at all, but so delicious)
See? There are so many ways to go with this salmon poke bowl recipe and it’s easy enough to do over and over again with different veggies, garnishes, and sauces.
How to store and reheat this salmon poke bowl
This meal is designed to be eaten cold or at room temperature. That said, if you prefer a warm base, you can absolutely reheat just the noodles (and salmon, if you want).
- Store noodles and salmon separately from fresh toppings when possible
- Reheat only the base, then add veggies and sauce after
- Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Not freezer-friendly
Keeping components separate helps everything stay crisp and flavorful.
More No-Reheat Meal Prep ideas
- Green Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe | No Reheat!
- No-Reheat Crunchy Thai Chicken Wraps
- Veggie Pesto Pasta With Chickpeas (No-Reheat!)
- No-Reheat Thai Chicken, Zucchini and Carrot Bowls
- No Reheat Pantry Essentials
FAQs
Yes! This recipe works great straight from the fridge. Many people prefer it cold, especially with the fresh veggies and sauce.
Absolutely. Since the salmon is fully cooked, it’s much more meal-prep friendly than traditional raw-fish poke bowls.
Yes. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and swap the soba noodles for rice noodles or rice.
Nope. Quick-pickling adds extra flavor, but fresh veggies work perfectly too.
Definitely. Skip the sriracha and use plain mayo, sesame dressing, or just soy sauce and lime.
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Happy prepping!
Meal Prep Teriyaki Salmon Poke Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 inch ginger grated
- 2 clove garlic grated
- 2/3 cup soy sauce sub tamari or liquid aminos
- 2/3 cup agave, maple syrup or honey
- 5 green onion green ends sliced
- 16 oz salmon chopped into cubes
- 6 oz soba noodles sub any kind of noodle
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped into half circles
- 2 carrot peeled into ribbons
- 1 cucumber sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced, sub red cabbage
- 1 mango sliced
- 1 cup edamame optional
- sesame seeds
for quick pickling veggies – optional
- 1 cup vinegar any kind works, a mixture of different kind also works
- 1 cup water
- 2 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP salt
Sriracha Mayo
- 1 cup mayonaisse
- 3 TBSP sriracha if you’re not into spicy, sub 1/2 the sriracha with ketchup
- 1/2 lemon for juices
- 1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Optional quick pickled veggies: combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, add the veggies you want to pickle (cucumber, red onion, jalapeno or carrots) to separate jars or containers (or you can pickle them all together) and pour the boiled liquid over them. -I just pickled the red onion and cucumber.- Press the veggies into the liquid with a wooden spoon so they’re covered. If there’s not enough liquid, add equal parts water and vinegar. Let them sit at room temp for about an hour, then move them to the fridge. Picked veggies can keep for at least a week in the fridge!
- Add the salmon cubes to a bowl. To a measuring glass, add the soy sauce, sweetener, ginger and garlic. Add about 1 TBSP sliced green onion too. Stir well, then taste and adjust flavors as desired. You can also add a little sriracha if you like spicy! Pour HALF the sauce over the salmon and let it marinate for 15-20 mins. Set the remaining half aside.
- Cook the noodles according to the package and set aside.
- In a skillet or saucepan (one big enough to fit the noodles): heat the remaining half of the sauce over a medium-high flame until it starts to bubble (about 3 minutes). Meanwhile, stir the cornstarch and water together in a cup or bowl. Once the sauce is bubbling, pour in the cornstarch slurry and turn the heat up. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens a bit (2-3 minutes). It doesn’t have to be super thick, but shouldn’t be watery. Turn of the heat. Add the noodles to the skillet and toss them in the sauce.
- Cook the salmon: heat up olive oil or vegetable oil in a nonstick pan for 2-3 minutes. Add the salmon cubes (try to keep as much marinade out of the pan as possible) and let them cook for no more than 10 minutes over medium heat, rotating the pieces frequently. Salmon cooks fast and you don’t want to overcook it! Set the salmon aside and let it cool.
- Assemble: divide the noodles between three containers so they cover the bottom. Add veggies (including ones you may have quick-pickled) on top, leaving room for the salmon. Have fun with the presentation! Add the salmon to the bowls. Add mango and garnish with sesame seeds.
- Sriracha mayo: Combine the mayonnaise, sriracha, lemon and salt in a measuring glass or bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk. Taste and adjust if needed!! Divide the sauce between small containers or just add it to one big container (the idea is to keep it on the side).
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