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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I made it this evening. My husband and I loved it! I will definitely make it again. Hopefully try it with salmon.
Delicious! I made this for my wife and kiddos. It was a hit with my wife and the kiddos liked elements too. Will make again!
Amazing dish so easy to make and so tasty!!!
This recipe is delicious, healthy and fast to prepare. I added a spicy Mayo sriracha sauce and nori. Will make again soon.
DYNAMITE! The sauce for marinating the tuna is ridiculously right and the final product is exceptional.
This bowl is a perfect for a weeknight or weekend meal. Its beautiful array of colors and the flavors make this an absolute show-stopper if you’re looking for a new meal to serve up to family and friends alike.
I liked all of the toppings Jenn suggests for this dish in her recipe, especially the mango. I had never made sushi rice before and appreciate that Jenn’s recipes inspire and prompt me to add to my culinary knowledge and experience. I added seaweed salad to the bowls I prepared to add one more texture dimension. This will be a recipe I keep close by; it was easy to prepare and enjoyed by all!
Thank you, Jenn, for making such amazing recipes available to the public. You are my go-to when I am looking for a new recipe to try. At the dinner table, it’s not uncommon for someone from my crew to ask, “This tastes amazing. Is it another recipe from your girl, Jenn Segal?” Although I’ve never met her, food has a way of connecting people. I talk about her as though she is close friend because of the impact she’s had on the meals I serve.
💗
Hello! This recipe was delicious and although I don’t ever see it lasting long in my house, I was wondering how long this stays good for, as long as it’s in a sealed container in the fridge?
Glad you liked it! I think it would last for up to about a day in the fridge but no longer than that due to the raw fish.
Made this for lunch . I loved it . Simple but delicious. Thank you for this recipe. I will be using it often.
This is one of our favorite recipes from Jenn and it’s hard to narrow down all the delicious recipes. We love theAhi Poke Bowl and i think that it is better than what we had in Hawaii. I would not change a thing although the last time I made it i put roasted seaweed in place of the potato chips which was delicious. I highly recommend this Poke Bowl recipe recipe.
This is such a fun dinner. We play around with the toppings with everything from sliced mango to masago (fish roe). I leave the scallions out of the marinade as we find their flavor a bit strong, but overall this is a winner.
Hi! Made the tuna poke bowl and added a squeeze of lime at the last minute (just before serving); excellent! Family loved it! Thank you!
The BEST poke recipe. The marinade is perfect. I make this whenever I’m in a bad mood and it always cheers me up. Have passed the recipe on to countless friends who all love it.
Phenomenal ! If any of you go to Cactus Club and order the Tuna Poke Bowl. Look no further.
This past month alone my family has requested this recipe 3 times. Nobody wants to be working the night these bowls are on the menu.
I could literally douse the marinade on everything I eat, it’s so delicious. I feel like that marinade is so versatile and flavors I crave all the time but could never put my finger on it what I had tried to replicate before. Nailed it ! Thank you so much.
( We use this marinade for salmon bowls too. )
Delicious – made this for dinner recently. We love a bit of spice so added some Serrano chillies to the poke.