Shoyu Poke with Salmon

Name: Shoyu Poke with Salmon
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 pound sushi-grade salmon, cut into cubes; 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek; 1/4 cup scallions, sliced; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

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This is our absolute favorite shoyu poke recipe, which we make with sushi-grade salmon, but you can easily swap with ahi if you like!

If we could eat this Hawaiian pupu everyday, we'd do it. But, sashimi-grade salmon or ahi can be expensive here on the mainland. Luckily, we live near Seattle, where it's rather easy to get fresh, sashimi-grade salmon.

Shoyu poke is the most popular poke sold in Hawaii. Although there are many variations of shoyu poke, it's typically made with sushi-grade ahi, soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onions and scallions.

This shoyu poke recipe comes from Sheldon Simeon's new cookbook, Cook Real Hawaii, one of our favorite new cookbooks. His shoyu recipe calls for ahi (which we replace with salmon), soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, sambal oelek, sweet onion, scallions, and sesame seeds. It packs a ton of flavor and is absolutely delicious!

Cook Real Hawaii is an enlightening book on Hawaiian cuisine and how its history and various cultures have influenced many of the popular Hawaiian dishes included in his book. If you love all things Hawaiian and Hawaiian cuisine, then you'll definitely want to check out this book.

When making this recipe, it's important to get the best sushi-grade salmon you can buy — it makes all the difference. We get our sushi-grade salmon from one of the best fish shops in Seattle: Seattle Fish Guys. The salmon sashimi there is amazing — it just melts in your mouth.

This shoyu poke is so quick and easy to make, too — just 5 to 10 minutes to combine all the ingredients and you're done! Plus, this healthy fish salad is high in protein and low in carbs. Absolutely no regrets when eating it!

What is Poke?

Poke means "chunk" in Hawaiian and is a Hawaiian raw fish salad in which chunks or cubes of sushi-grade ahi are combined with a sauce. It's usually served as a pupu (appetizer) or alongside a main course. There are different variations of poke, such as shoyu poke, Hawaiian-style poke, wasabi poke, or kim chee poke.

What is Shoyu?

Hawaiians refer to soy sauce as "shoyu," which is the Japanese word for soy sauce.

Ingredients

A few notes on key ingredients:

Sushi-grade salmon or ahi: For best results, it's important to purchase high-quality, sashimi-grade salmon, which you can purchase at fish markets or specialty grocery stores.
Soy sauce: Soy sauce is the second most important ingredient. We use tamari, which is gluten-free, but you could also use coconut aminos.
Oyster sauce: this adds more umami flavor to the dish.
Sesame oil: another must in shoyu poke.
Minced ginger: We love the flavor the ginger adds. We mince with a microplane grater.
Sweet onion: Sweet onions are best since they're mild and can be served raw. Sweet onions are similar to yellow onions in carbs, so don't let the word sweet fool you!
Sambal oelek: Sambal adds just a hint of heat. You may add more to taste if you prefer a spicier poke.

How To Make

Step 1: Slice and chop the ingredients as indicated. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 2: Gently combine until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to a day.

How To Serve

Poke is generally eaten by itself, but you can also turn it into a poke bowl by adding riced cauliflower and other sliced veggies. Another option is to serve the poke in lettuce cups.

Recipe FAQ

What is the difference between shoyu and Hawaiian-style poke?

Shoyu poke is different from Hawaiian-style poke, which is usually made with ahi, sweet onion, sea salt, chili peppers, seaweed, scallions, and macadamia nuts

Are sweet onions low in carbs?

Sweet onions are similar in net carbs to other onions like yellow or red. A quarter cup is slightly more than 3 net carbs, similar to a yellow onion. Most onions can be included in a low-carb and keto diet in moderation. Shallots are the highest in carbs and should be minimized on a keto diet.

What is sambal oelek?

Sambal is a spicy chili sauce that originates from Indonesia. It's somewhat similar to Sriracha or other Asian chili sauces/pastes, but it has no added sugar. Because of this, we prefer to use this chili sauce in low-carb and keto recipes.

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!