Tuna Poke Bowls
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Tuna poke is a traditional Hawaiian salad of raw tuna marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and onions. Here it’s served over sushi rice with your favorite toppings.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
Many years ago, after visiting our son at sleepaway camp during the summer, Michael and I spent a weekend at a a spa resort in the Poconos called The Lodge at Woodloch. I love all that Zen spa stuff, but Michael joked that the place was named “Woodloch” because they lock you in the woods with nothing to do and starve you with teeny-tiny portions. Spa cuisine: sooo not his thing. However, we both loved the resort’s take on tuna poke (pronounced po-kay), a traditional Hawaiian salad of marinated raw tuna with sushi rice and lots of toppings, so I came up with this similar version when we got home. The resort dish was served with fresh crispy-fried wontons; to keep things weeknight streamlined, I put potato chips on mine instead! They make a delicious (and easy) addition.
What you need To Make Tuna Poke Bowls
When selecting your tuna, be sure to get fresh sushi-grade yellowfin or bigeye tuna (both referred to as “ahi”), with a pink or reddish color. Locally (in the Washington, DC area), I’ve found fresh ahi tuna at Harris Teeter. Also, Whole Foods carries frozen yellowfin tuna that works nicely. Just be sure not to buy Albacore tuna, which is the white tuna used to make canned tuna fish.
How To Make Tuna Poke Bowls
To begin: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, sambal oelek, ginger, and scallions.
Add the tuna and toss. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
To serve, scoop rice into bowls, top with tuna poke and desired toppings.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
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Tuna Poke Bowls
Tuna poke is a traditional Hawaiian salad of raw tuna marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and onions. Here it’s served over sushi rice with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (see note)
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (see note)
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna (such as yellowfin or big-eye tuna), diced into ¼ or ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups sushi rice, cooked according to package instructions (any other type of rice or grain can be substituted)
Optional Toppings
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced cucumber
- Edamame
- Pickled ginger
- Diced mango
- Potato chips or wonton crisps
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, sambal oelek, ginger, and scallions. Add the tuna and toss. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- To serve, scoop rice into bowls, top with tuna poke and desired toppings. You will have extra sauce for drizzling over the toppings; serve on the side.
- Note: Sambal Oelek can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. It is sometimes labeled Chile Garlic Sauce.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (Nutritional data does not include optional toppings -- 6 servings)
- Calories: 411
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Sodium: 943 mg
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This was so delicious. Balance of flavors was perfect. I followed recipe to a T – will be making it again!
Another winner! I picked up ahi tuna at Costco and made this for a lunch with my husband and me. The poke is the best I’ve had. We did substitute thinly sliced red onion for the green onion which we did not have on hand. I served with rice, avocado, sugar snap peas (raw from the farmers market) and salted cucumber. It was terrific. My husband proclaimed it better than the one we get at the Japanese restaurant down the road.
Outstanding! Love your recipes… thank you for sharing!
This is the easiest to make and most delicious recipe. To say a “crowd pleaser” is an understatement. I have made this recipe twice now with rave reviews from family and friends. Its healthful and yummy. I set up the toppings buffet style like at Cava or Chipotle–(I added broccoli florets, lettuce and baby corn as choices)–and guests make their own yummy combination. I double the recipe (except I only use one teaspoon of the garlic sauce)–and hold back the some of the marinade sauce on the side so guests can use that to place on top of the bowl. Another great hit Jenn!
I made this with salmon – it was absolutely delicious! Faster and easier than making sushi, and I think the marinade and all the toppings made it even better tasting. Love that it is so customisable as well, will be making this again and again. Didn’t use the potato chips, but added some seaweed salad. Yum!
The marinade for the tuna is absolutely delicious! Really getting into poke bowls, and this was just perfect for my first time making them at home. So good that I shared the recipe with others to spread the joy. Thank you!
I got confused and bought ingredients for your book tuna poke not this one . Can I beefthe book version up with rice, edamame beans and can I add the Korean spice ?
Definitely!
While this was delicious, I had to give it 4.5 stars instead of five only because the tuna poke in the cookbook is the best thing my husband and I have eaten. My husband was actually mad while I was making this because it was not the other one and why mess with success. Having said that, this recipe is very good. But if you are looking at this recipe because you like tuna sashimi, my advice is to go buy the cookbook if only for that recipe it’s worth it!
Can you use salmon instead of tuna??
Sure, Mary – salmon would be excellent too.
Five Star Recipe! At Jenn’s suggestion, I made these for company. At the same time, I served the Coconut Fried Shrimp. I was nervous about frying, as it is not a cooking preference for me. It all worked with the prep ahead and the shrimp were not one bit greasy. The Poke bowls were a huge hit! I topped the meal off with the Blueberry Boy Bait Cake and creme fraiche. All just perfect~pure Jenn genius!!
Hi Jenn, all the recipes for poke bowls I’ve seen use vinegar in the marinade. Have you found you prefer to leave it out? Thanks!
Hi Mila, I don’t think this recipe needs it but you could certainly add some rice vinegar or lime to taste — just keep in mind that acid will “cook” the fish unless you add it at the last minute. Hope that helps!