Hawaiian BBQ Salmon Poke Bowl: A High-Protein Dinner We've Been Loving

If you're a poke purist, this one isn't strictly traditional. Classic Hawaiian poke uses raw, marinated fish, and Sheridan's recipe in the Sweat app cooks the salmon in a hot pan until it's sticky and caramelised, which makes it more beginner-friendly, and means you don't need to hunt down sushi-grade fish.

We LOVE this recipe. It's such a good one to whip up on a weeknight. Sweet pineapple, smoky BBQ sauce, a little heat and 40g of protein per bowl. It tastes like takeout, but you can have it on the table super fast and know exactly what's in it.

Hawaiian BBQ salmon poke bowl recipe

Serves 1 - just modify the ingredients to feed a group

Nutrition per serve: 538 calories, 40g protein, 64g carbs, 12g fat, 4g fibre

Ingredients

For the salmon marinade

• 140g (5oz) salmon fillet, skin off

• 20ml (4 tsp) pineapple juice

• 5ml (1 tsp) lime juice

• 15ml (1 tbsp) BBQ sauce

• 15ml (1 tbsp) salt-reduced soy sauce

• 10g (1½ tsp) honey

• 5ml (1 tsp) hot sauce

• 5g (1 tsp) ginger, grated

• 1 garlic clove, grated

For the poke bowl

• 50g (¼ cup) Jasmine rice, uncooked

• 20g (¼ cup) cucumber, sliced

• 20g (2 tbsp) shelled edamame beans

• 30g (1 cup) Korean salad kit

• Optional drizzle of dressing of choice (kewpie mayo, sesame dressing, etc.)

Method

1. Slice the salmon and place in a bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the salmon and cook until caramelised and cooked through, turning gently as needed.

3. While the salmon cooks, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

4. Serve your rice in a bowl, top with the salad, salmon, cucumber and edamame beans, then add your optional drizzle of sauce.

Why we love this salmon poke bowl

• It keeps you full and satisfied: with 40g of protein and 64g of carbs, this is a proper meal that should keep you going and support muscle growth, not some sad salad.

• The marinade: pineapple juice, lime, BBQ sauce, soy, honey, ginger and garlic cover sweet, salty, tangy and spicy in one go. Yummm.

• It's easy to build: cook the salmon and rice, then pile on the fresh toppings. There's no fancy technique or heaps of utensils involved.

• It works after training: carbs plus protein is a great combination after a workout, to help refuel and support muscle recovery.

What makes this bowl so nourishing?

Every ingredient in this bowl is doing something useful!

Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats linked to heart health. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, twice a week. A 140g (5oz) fillet also provides most of this bowl's protein, which helps your muscles recover and grow. If you're looking for more ways to hit your protein goals, here are some of our favourite high-protein foods.

Those little green edamame beans are super underrated. Soy is one of the few plant foods that's a complete protein (meaning it contains all the essential amino acids), and edamame adds fibre too. Harvard's Nutrition Source has a great breakdown of soy, and we've rounded up more plant-based protein sources (like tofu and tempeh) if you want to add more to your week.

Carbs like jasmine rice aren't the enemy, and we've been saying this for YEARS. Carbs give you the energy to train, work, and get through your day. If you'd like more fibre or something different, swap in brown or black rice or quinoa.

The cucumber and Korean salad add crunch, freshness and some extra veggies and fibre. Fibre helps with digestion and keeps you feeling full, and most of us don't get enough.

Ginger and garlic are mostly there for flavour, but they're also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties too.

Easy swaps if you don't have everything

If there's an ingredient you don't like or have in your fridge, here are some simple swaps:

• No Korean salad kit? Use a handful of shredded cabbage and grated carrot with a drizzle of sesame dressing. Any bagged Asian-style slaw works too.

• Not a salmon fan? Try chicken thigh, firm tofu or shrimp, and adjust the cooking time.

• Want more fibre? Use brown or black rice or quinoa instead of jasmine rice.

• Like it spicier? Add more hot sauce, some chilli flakes, or top with sliced fresh chilli.

• No pineapple juice? Orange juice gives a similar sweetness.

Just keep in mind that swaps will change the nutrition info (as will any dressing you drizzle on top), so the numbers above are for the original recipe.

Can you meal prep this poke bowl?

Yup! This recipe works well for meal prep. Store the cooked salmon, rice and toppings in separate containers in the fridge, and keep the dressing separate until you're ready to eat so the salad stays crunchy.

Most cooked leftovers keep safely in the fridge for three to four days. Some people love cold salmon on a poke bowl. If you'd rather reheat it, warm the salmon and rice in the microwave and add the cold toppings after.

Looking for more ideas? Here are more high-protein meal prep ideas for the week!

Find more recipes like this in the Sweat app

If this bowl is your new fave, there's plenty more where that came from. Sheridan Skye has a whole collection of recipes in the Sweat app, and as a women's health educator, personal trainer and nutritionist, her recipes are easy, nutritious, and packed full of flavour.

The food tab in the Sweat app has over 500 recipes to fuel your body, from quick breakfasts and nourishing snacks to high-protein dinners, smoothies and sweet treats.