Poke bowls are the real MVPs of quick and healthy meals. Easy to make, and even easier to love. We’ve all been there, staring at our vibrant, flavorful poke and thinking, “What on earth do I serve with this masterpiece?”
We’ve got you. Finding the perfect side isn’t rocket science; it’s about enhancing that poke experience. We’re talking sides that bring freshness, crunch, or maybe a zesty kick to your plate. My first encounter with a side of crispy seaweed salad totally changed my poke game. It was like discovering a cheat code for taste.
Sure, poke is a star on its own. Yet, imagine an ensemble where it shines even brighter. That’s what we’re after.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Poke?
A Homemade Poke Bowl can quickly be served when the person you want to impress is your dinner acquaintance or yourself because the vibrant, fresh, stunning poke bowl that’s homemade is rather darn impressive.
While serving Poke Bowl alone seems fulfilling, it’s not complete without a side dish.
It’s protein-packed, ahi tuna and salmon is loaded with all the flavors, consistency, and an assortment of colors that will make your mouth water just by looking at it.
While this salad fusion is healthy, adding a couple more side dishes would sure complete your protein and nutrient intake.
What to Serve with Poke? 10 BEST Side Dishes
When we think about food trends that benefit our bodies, poke bowls are certainly atop our list and are here to stay.
We know that finding a side dish for this deconstructed Sushi is not easy, but that’s why you have us, and we’ve found a suitable side dish to accompany your poke bowl.
Here’s listing out the best Side Dishes there are for Poke Bowls.
1. Jacket Sweet Potatoes
In people’s opinions, sweet potatoes are superfoods on numerous considerable levels.
Sweet Potatoes don’t require the prep headache of peeling, chopping, and boiling to result from soft potatoes.
While baking other food takes a minimum of an hour to bake in the oven, Jacket Sweet Potatoes are a side dish that can be accomplished entirely hands-off.
Sweet Potatoes are patient and can roast deliciously creamy at a heat lower or higher than 375°F.
You can quickly cook these side dishes in the oven while you prepare something else.
2. Cheesy Eggplant Casserole
If you’re a fan of eggplant Parmesan, this eggplant casserole will make its way to your heart.
The thick layers of herbed ricotta, marinara, and super creamy eggplant with all the cheesy goodness would serve as a unique, tasty side for your Poke.
Roasting the eggplant rather than stir-frying them lightens up the dish pairing beautifully with the eggplant.
This hearty, gooey side dish is a must-make to satisfy your palate and accompany your Poke for dinner.
3. Korokke
Since we are covering a Japanese-based main, it’s only fair to include a terrific Japanese-based side.
For the people of Tokyo, Korokke is a fantastic addition for serving as a side to a salad.
These are mashed potato patties that are deep fried, with a filling of carrot, corn, peas, and ground pork, lending a fusion of sweet and savory taste.
Korokke comes in egg-sized treats that you can serve with a tonkatsu sauce to ensure the dish is not too drying.
4. Mexican Rice
Say goodbye to Taco Tuesdays’ sides because this easy Mexican Rice dethrones the former.
It is a vegan dish bursting with flavor and zest and so simple that it requires less than 30 minutes and a few ingredients to get it on.
All you need to do is sautée carrots, onions, and bell peppers until the aroma is infused, turning them golden and soft.
You can add rice and tomato puree and stir along with the veggies until the grains get toasty and caramelized for a savory and sweet flavor.
5. Crispy Garlic Chicken Bites
Everyone has got a thing for nuggets or crispy chicken.
While it doesn’t necessarily have to be chicken nuggets, we all love a chicken that’s been diced into chunks, crispy browned, and explodes in a flavor of taste in our mouth.
With just 20 minutes, you can make these delicious sides and glaze them in Butter, Garlic, and Sesame seeds to serve alongside your Poke Bowl.
What can we say? Everyone is looking for pleasure in the form of a meaty, salty, crunchy disclosure and this side dish just brings that.
6. Honey Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp is every household’s weeknight dinner hero.
It cooks quickly and is highly adaptable, yet it feels like a delight every time you set it up on the dinner table.
The classic Honey Garlic Shrimp requires ingredients you already have on your kitchen counter, like garlic, honey, butter, and lemon, which create a saucy fusion of sweet and zesty shrimp that will have you begging to replace the Poke Bowl during dinner.
The most promising part about this dish; you only need five minutes to make this.
7. Miso Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Another Japanese side dish that makes an entrance; the Miso Spiced Pumpkin Soup.
While autumn reminds you of a warm color palette and chilly evenings, the pumpkins come to the rescue to save you from the forthcoming gloom, serving as a reminder of how delicious fall is.
Miso Spiced Pumpkin Soup is made from roasted kabocha (even regular pumpkin works great), sweet potatoes, and miso, creamed into a flavorful soup.
With a boiling pot of this goodness in your kitchen stove, you can readily serve this as a side with your Poke Bowl, irrespective of the weather.
8. Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken tortilla soup, with its crunchy tortilla chips, flavorful tomato broth, and beautiful cheese, is one of people’s favorite side dishes in various households.
This fancy-looking soup looks like a handful, but once you get the basics right, it’s straightforward to make the chicken tortilla soup in the comfort of your home — even on a busy weekday night.
If you’ve got kids on your dinner table, you can mildly spice down the soup, and with a bit of help from the store, this soup will be ready to devour in under an hour.
9. Chicken Enchiladas
If we could encourage you to make a side dish this month, these chicken enchiladas are it.
While enchiladas are time-consuming and too much work for a weeknight, there’s a way of reducing the time by slow cooking it in a cooker.
These Enchiladas are layered and not rolled, with each layer stacked full of scrumptious flavor.
All you have to do is make a fragrant Enchilada sauce, then cook your chicken in it.
Layering this lovely mess between the cheese and tortillas is the next step to be followed in your slow cooker.
Imagine coming home to a Poke Bowl, and this fragrant side dish of tangy, spicy chicken cheesy goodness awaits you.
We don’t need to say much more.
10. 7 layer Dip
The 7 layer dip is one of the most delicious party side dishes ever.
As its name suggests, it has several layers of salsa, guacamole, beans, cheddar cheese, and toppings of your choice to create a vibrant complement to any spread.
As far as the classic game of dips goes, this dip ranks at the top, making it a key player for your Poke Bowl.
This dip has everything you love about a taco, indicating that it’s appropriate to pair alongside your main dish.
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