Make the best Tuna Poke Bowl with this versatile recipe! Try it traditionally with cubed ahi tuna tossed with a simple poke sauce over steamed rice, or build a bowl piled high with your favorite toppings.
Poke (poke-eh) bowls have exploded with popularity with shops popping up all over the world. Hailing from Hawaii, the island vibes hit with each bite. Fresh ahi tuna tossed with the most simple but elegant sauce, soaked into steamed rice.
I asked my Hawaiian friends how I can create a poke bowl sticking to as much simplicity as possible with the available ingredients I have. They laughed and described the intricacy mainland North America has added to this, traditionally, basic recipe. Tuna. Shoyu. Sesame. Onion. Ogo. Serve over rice and enjoy! The colorful toppings are a mainland staple and something you typically won’t see on the islands.
Ingredients
- Ahi tuna – Make sure you’re getting ahi, and also make sure that it’s sushi-grade. This will ensure your tuna is perfectly safe to enjoy raw. Check your local Japanese, Korean, or general Asian market to find ahi tuna if you don’t see it at your local grocery store.
- Soy sauce – If you want a traditional poke flavor, make sure you’re using Japanese soy sauce over Chinese. It has a lighter and sweeter flavor. If options aren’t abundant where you live, Kikkoman is a very widely available and recognizable Japanese soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar – If you can’t find any, sherry vinegar with a pinch of sugar is the closest replacement I can reccommend.
- Sesame oil – Regular or toasted. This oil adds a lot of flavor to your poke, so I don’t recommend replacing it with a different type.
- Green onion – Since there’s already grated onion in the sauce, you can leave the green onion out if you’re sensitive to raw onion flavor.
- Sesame seeds – I used a mixture of white and black seeds for aesthetic. You can use just white or just black. Whatever you have!
- Onion – White or yellow. Even Shallot will work! I find using a microplane or the small side of a cheese grater is best to get the right texture.
How to make a tuna poke bowl
This recipe has one simple step: Add the tuna poke ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine well. Serve immediately over steamed rice and your desired toppings.
You can enjoy it the traditional Hawaiian way as pictured above, or go as wild as you want with toppings! Here are a few that I thought of, but you truly can use anything you like:
- Veggies: Cucumber, radish, carrots, avocado, edamame, hot peppers, green onion.
- Fruit: Mango, pineapple.
- Seaweed: Ogo, kelp, chopped nori, seaweed salad.
- Other: Macadamia nuts, dried wasabi peas, fish roe, tofu.
- Sauces: Ponzu, sriracha, sriracha mayo, wasabi, unagi sauce.
FAQ
Ahi tuna is ideal for a traditional Hawaiian poke. If you can’t source any, you can certainly try some sushi-grade bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, or maguro (toro/akami) tuna.
Using cooked, cubed, octopus is also common in Hawaii. Not quite as authentic but still delicious, try sushi-grade salmon!
As a land-locked mainlander, ahi tuna is all but impossible to find fresh as its shelflife is only a few days. I used frozen ahi that I allowed to thaw overnight in the fridge for this recipe. If you can find fresh, that would be best, but don’t get down if frozen is your only option! It was still a gorgeous poke bowl.
As you may imagine, sushi rice is the preferred choice for poke bowls. I love some room temperature seasoned sushi rice, but you can have yours hot instead. Short-grain, sticky, and perfect for soaking up those flavors. Truly, you can use any type of rice you prefer. Even grains such as quinoa or farro will work.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to let the fish sit and marinate in the poke sauce before serving. While you can if you want, it’s not necessary. I toss and serve immediately.
Check right above this section under “How to make a tuna poke bowl” to see a list of toppings I suggest!
Tips for making perfect tuna poke
- Make sure your knife is sharp. Ahi tuna is delecate and prone to tearing with a dull knife.
- Poke is subjective! Graving some fresh ginger? Garlic? Chilies? Grate a bit into your poke! There are so many delicious variations with beautiful ingredients you can include.
- Toss the ingredients carefully. Think of it like tossing a salad to avoid breaking the fush cubes.
- No need to marinate! It may go against everything you know, but Hawaiians toss and serve their poke as fresh as possible.
How to store leftover tuna poke bowls
Keep the poke, rice, and toppings separate and only arrange the bowls to serve. Ahi tuna typically has a short shelflife. Your leftover poke, if made the same day or the day after you’ve thawed your tuna, will last about 2 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
Since most sources of ahi tuna will be frozen rather than fresh, it’s not safe to store leftover poke in the freezer. Once thawed, you’ll be at risk re-freezing and thawing any type of meat. If you’ve used fresh ahi, you can store your leftover poke in the freezer for 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. Keep in mind the flavors may be different as poke is best served directly after it’s been dressed.
Looking for more delicious seafood recipes? Try these:
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Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Tuna Poke
- 1 lb ahi tuna sushi-grade*, cubed
- 3 tsp soy sauce**
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil regular or toasted
- 2 tbsp green onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp onion white or yellow, grated
Poke Bowl***
- steamed rice hot or cooled to room temperature
- avocado cubed
- edamame beans
- seaweed salad
Instructions
- Add the tuna poke ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine well. Serve immediately over steamed rice and your desired toppings.
Notes
- Veggies: Cucumber, radish, carrots, avocado, edamame, hot peppers, green onion.
- Fruit: Mango, pineapple.
- Seaweed: Ogo, kelp, chopped nori, seaweed salad.
- Other: Macadamia nuts, dried wasabi peas, fish roe, tofu.
- Sauces: Ponzu, sriracha, sriracha mayo, wasabi, unagi sauce.
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