by Elisabeth Duckeck
I am honest, first time I tried poke bowl was early this year. I love Asian food, I often saw this dish on delivery lists, but it never came to my mind to order. Until…
Like every year, in February I visited my home country, Germany, with my daughter. We returned to our Air B&B hungry but too lazy to cook. Using a delivery app, we saw that there was an Asian street food restaurant nearby. So we ordered sushi and a poke bowl as a salad.
We were so surprised by how good it tasted! The rice, along with the various fresh vegetables, the wakame salad, the crispy, lukewarm chicken fillet, and the slightly spicy poke bowl sauce, was so refreshing yet light for the late hour we were eating.
Roots not from Asia
Surprisingly, the poke bowl doesn’t originate from Asia, but from Hawaii. It’s something of a national dish and consists of various raw fish varieties served over lukewarm rice. However, this salad is often considered Asian, which has led to a variety of toppings, such as crispy chicken or pork, as well as fish or crispy shrimp.
Make your own poke
Although there are several Asian restaurants in our hometown of Heraklion, unfortunately, to our disappointment, only a few offer poke bowls.
But I wouldn’t have this website if I hadn’t tried making this dish myself. Since then, we’ve been making our own poke bowl at home.
Cooking tip: Why Buying Wakame Might Be Better Than Making It
Most ingredients you might find in your local supermarket or Asia shop.
Wakame salad is a truly delicious seaweed salad dressed with Mirin (Asian rice wine), rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. It’s rich in iodine, minerals, and vitamins. However, if you suffer from hyperthyroidism, you should avoid this salad. Since it may not be readily available in your local stores, it’s optional in this dish. I found it in the freezer section of a local Asian grocery store. The only problem is that it may come in a rather large package, meaning you can thaw it all at once and not refreeze it.
Recipes for wakame salad can be found online. I once made it with dried seaweed, but wasn’t satisfied enough with the result to publish a recipe here.
Last but not least: Lighter Options and Allergy-Friendly Swaps
Since my daughter is allergic to sriracha, I used sweet chili sauce instead for the poke bowl sauce. If you want to cut down on calories, you can use light mayonnaise, as I do.
You can fry the chicken in a pan or in an air-fryer.
Homemade Poke Bowl
Equipment
- 1 pot or rice steamer
- 1 zip-top plastic bag
- 1 plate for breading
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 mixing bowl
- 4 deep bowls for serving
What you need
For the marinade
- 80 ml light soy sauce (⅓ cup)
- 120 ml sesame oil (½ cup)
- 10 gr honey (½ Tbsp)
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 Tbsp spring onions or ½ tsp onion powder
For the crispy chicken
- 500 gr chicken filets (1.1 lbs)
- 30 gr Panko breadcrumbs (½ cup)
- ½ tsp sesame seeds
- some sesame oil to fry
For the bowl
- 180 gr uncooked rice for Sushi or poke bowl (1 cups)
- 100-150 gr Edame beans without shell (frozen)
- 1-2 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
- 1 cucumber
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 large carrot
- 2-3 spring onions
- 1-2 tomatoes
- Wakame salad (optional)
For the mayonnaise
- 200 gr mayonnaise (optional light / 0,9 cups)
- 60 gr Sriracha or sweet chili sauce (¼ cup)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp honey if you use Sriracha sauce (not with sweet chili sauce)
How to prepare
- Cook the rice as indicated on the package. Let cool to room temperature.180 gr uncooked rice for Sushi or poke bowl
Preparing the marinade for the chicken
- Mix all marinade ingredients thoroughly. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, add the chicken breasts, seal the bag, and massage the marinade into the meat until completely coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.80 ml light soy sauce,120 ml sesame oil,10 gr honey,1 tsp ginger powder,1 Tbsp spring onions,500 gr chicken filets
Preparing the crispy chicken
- In a bowl or on a plate, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the sesame seeds. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cover with the panko-sesame mixture. Press the breadcrumbs firmly into the surface. Spread the entire coating over the chicken breast.30 gr Panko breadcrumbs,½ tsp sesame seeds
- Add some sesame oil to a pan and fry the chicken breast over medium heat until golden brown on all sides.some sesame oil to fry
- Set the chicken breast aside.
Preparing the poke mayonnaise
- Mix all ingredients for the mayonnaise well.200 gr mayonnaise,60 gr Sriracha or sweet chili sauce,4 Tbsp soy sauce,½ tsp honey
Assembling the poke bowl
- Cut the cucumber, avocado, bell pepper, carrot, spring onions and tomatoes into small cubes.1-2 bell pepper,1 cucumber,1 ripe avocado,2-3 spring onions,1-2 tomatoes,1 large carrot
- Place some rice in a bowl and garnish it with all the diced vegetables, edamame beans, and some wakame salad (optional). Slice the chicken and arrange it on top of the rice in the bowl. Season to taste with the poke bowl sauce.100-150 gr Edame beans without shell,Wakame salad
Loved this poke bowl recipe? Find more ideas for an Air-fryer Chicken Role and follow this link to Meat Dishes
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