Make a delicious ahi tuna poke recipe at home. This low-carb Hawaiian dish is loaded with healthy brown rice, salad, and vegetables, and topped with marinated tuna.
For more delicious varieties, try my salmon poke bowl and sesame yellowtail.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- Cutting the tuna against the muscle fibers shortens the strands, creating a more tender, easy-to-chew texture.
- Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes balance salty, tangy, nutty, and spicy flavors that quickly infuse the tuna.
- For a stronger flavor, marinate the tuna for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, without making the texture overly soft.
Featured Comment 99
“Great poke recipe!! The marinade is amazing. 🤩” —John S.
Why It Works
Have you ever had ahi poke before? Many years ago, I was first introduced to this fish salad concept in Hawaii. Freshly caught seafood, similar to the fish found in sushi restaurants, is marinated in a soy and vinegar-based sauce, then tossed with lots of other yummy ingredients to add some heat or spice. Layer the poke mix on top of steamed rice and fresh greens, and you’ve got a delicious meal!
This traditional Hawaiian dish has been popular in California and across the United States. Trendy build-your-own poke bowl restaurants will assemble a feast right before your eyes! I love this healthy way of eating, loading each serving with protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It may look intimidating, but guess what? This poke recipe is easy to make at home! These beautiful ahi tuna poke bowls are a satisfying light meal that requires little to no cooking. If this sounds good, let’s get marinating!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tuna: My nearby grocery store sells fresh ahi tuna steaks, which I use in this poke bowl recipe. When you buy the fish, ask the person at the fish counter if it is sushi-grade tuna and safe to eat raw. If you have Asian grocery stores nearby, they typically carry sashimi-grade fish. If fresh isn’t available, look for frozen.
- Poke Sauce: I use a very simple but tasty poke marinade. It combines soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. The savory, tangy, slightly sweet, and spicy flavors infuse the tuna with just the right amount of flavor.
- Toppings: Thinly sliced fresh green onions add a delicate allium flavor to the poke. A sprinkle of sesame seeds adds nuttiness, especially when toasted, and a little crunch.
- Greens: I use tender spring lettuce. It’s usually a combination of baby spinach, green leaf, mizuna, oak leaf, spinach, arugula, frisee, red leaf, and chard. Variety helps create a colorful bowl, but one type works, too!
- Rice: The tuna bowl base is typically rice. Depending on your taste preference, you can use white rice, brown rice, or sticky rice.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Now that you know how to make a poke bowl with the base ingredients, don’t be afraid to get creative with the flavor combinations. Give these tasty options a try:
- Seafood Options: Try different kinds of fish, such as salmon, scallops, albacore, yellowtail, or yellowfin tuna. If you aren’t into raw fish, try cooked shrimp or octopus with the poke bowl sauce, and it will be delicious.
- Soy Sauce Swaps: Use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos. For a Japanese-style shoyu ahi poke, use Japanese soy sauce, such as Kikkoman, which has a balanced salty, sweet, and savory flavor. Chinese light soy sauce is thinner and saltier, with a sharper flavor, while dark soy sauce is thicker, sweeter, and mellower. For a citrus flavor, try ponzu.
- Varying the Sauce: I’ve also seen mustard, creamy mayo, and sriracha added to the sauces. Add in some lemon, orange, or lime juice for a citrus note. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
- Switch Up the Vegetables: Add some crispy baked tofu to the poke bowl, pickled red onion, sweet onions, edamame, daikon radish, pickled cucumbers, avocado, scallions, or shredded carrots. Diced firm tofu is a great vegetarian swap for the fish; it soaks up the marinade very well!
- Add Interesting Toppings: On top of the raw marinated ahi, sprinkle on shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice with red peppers). I like the extra-spicy umami flavor it adds, along with the chopped seaweed called nori. Alternatively, use furikake if you don’t want heat. Toasted sesame seeds, wasabi peas, chopped macadamia nuts, inamona (Hawaiian condiment made from roasted candlenuts and sea salt), Hawaiian salt, or a spicy mayo drizzle also add exciting textures and flavors.
How to Make Ahi Tuna Poke
Step 1: Cook the Rice
Check out my informative how-to-cook-rice guide to learn how much uncooked rice to measure based on your desired yield and how to cook your chosen type of rice. I prefer fragrant long-grain Jasmine rice, nutty brown rice for extra fiber, or sushi rice when I want a sticky and chewier texture. Cook the rice first, then prepare the poke while you wait.
Pro Tip: I always wash the rice to remove excess starch from the surface, so each grain stays separate after cooking and doesn’t turn mushy.
Step 2: Marinate the Tuna
Using a clean chef’s knife and cutting board, cut the fish against the grain into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil with the tuna chunks, sliced green onions, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. The poke marinade quickly infuses the fish, making it a quick meal you can enjoy immediately.
Oftentimes, at restaurants, you enjoy it right away, and it’s absolutely delicious. However, if you want to add more flavor, I recommend marinating for 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge.
Step 3: Combine Ingredients
It’s time to assemble the poke bowls. I fill the bottom with white, brown, or sticky sushi rice as the base. Plus, the cooked rice soaks up any sauce! Then add fresh salad greens on top. You can customize the poke bowl ingredients in endless ways.
I like to add creamy avocado, crunchy carrots, pickled ginger, and fresh cucumber slices. If you have time, make this pickled cucumber salad. The sweetness and acidity go so well with the ahi tuna poke bowl recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food safety is critical when eating raw fish! Look for “sushi-grade” on the package or ask the market if it’s sashimi grade. Purchasing previously frozen tuna may also be a good idea because it can help kill parasites that might be present. If you are still hesitant to eat completely raw tuna, you can sear the surface before cutting to reduce the risk of microbial contamination. Check out my ahi tuna with soy ginger lime sauce recipe for cooking instructions. (Source: FDA.gov)
This poke bowl recipe is so versatile you can serve it as an appetizer with crunchy wonton crackers or chips, wrap it in a sushi burrito, fill a crispy taco shell, make ahi poke nachos, or eat the marinated tuna straight from the bowl.
Poke is best enjoyed the same day it’s prepared for the freshest flavor and texture. If needed, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator at 40°F or below and consume it within 24 hours. Keep the raw fish separate from the rice and other toppings when possible, and discard any poke left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
More Recipes to Try
If you tried this Tuna Poke Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Best Ahi Tuna Poke
Ingredients
- 1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna, cut into ¾" cubes
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
- ⅓ cup green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups brown rice, or white rice, cooked
- 2 cups salad greens
Instructions
- Cook the Rice – Wash the rice under running water and cook it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Marinate the Tuna – In a medium bowl, combine ahi tuna, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds.
- Combine Ingredients – Add the cooked rice, salad, tuna, and desired toppings to each bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered for up to 2 hours before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Additional Toppings: Avocado, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, pickled ginger, wasabi, crab meat, tobiko, togarashi, furikake, dried seaweed, and seaweed salad.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute tamari for soy sauce.
- Make it Vegetarian: Instead of seafood, cut firm tofu into cubes and marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
John Stanton says
Great recipe!! The marinade is amazing. 🤩
Jessica Gavin says
So happy that you like the poke bowl recipe and marinade, John!
Barbara Lee mcdonald says
I made this recipe for 10 pounds of tuna, put the bowls together, and served it onboard the USNS Pacific Collector for lunch. The entire crew LOVED it. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! I’m so happy to hear the the crew enjoyed the ahi tuna poke bowls!
Michelle Hinton-Davis says
I love this recipe !! So easy and so delicious !! Thanks!!
Jessica Gavin says
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the poke bowl recipe!
Michelle says
This was an easy and filling dinner! I didn’t have cucumber or avocado on hand, so skipped that. Tasted great and I’ll keep this in my rotation!
Jessica Gavin says
Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the ahi tuna poke bowls, Michelle!