Ahi Tuna Poke
on Aug 11, 2021, Updated Feb 28, 2024
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How to: make ahi tuna poke! I love making this and spooning it over white rice to make an ahi poke bowl, just beautiful and so tasty! I love making this on a hot summer day for the most perfect no cook meal. It comes together so quickly and I’m telling you, there is nothing like these flavors.
When we visited Hawaii, poke was our absolute favorite and I still think about all the amazing poke we had. This is inspired by that trip! I truly loved all the Poke places we went to visit in Hawaii – the fish is absolutely unreal.

What is traditional poke?
Poke is a popular Hawaiian dish. Poke is traditionally sliced raw fish that’s marinated in a sauce of shoyu and sesame oil. It is usually made with cubed ahi or yellowfin tuna or octopus. Traditionally, Poke is from when native Hawaiian fisherman would cube up smaller reef fish, and serve raw with anything they had on hand.
This recipe is a soy sauce and ponzu version, I like to keep my poke pretty minimal and simple to really highlight the fresh fish. However, you can mix and match all your favorite toppings by adding any of your favorite veggies and toppings, like avocado, pickled ginger, mushrooms and more. The options for toppings are absolutely endless!
What ingredients do you need to make poke?
Sushi-grade fish: We are using sushi grade tuna! But you can totally swap for salmon (sashimi grade/sushi-grade), shrimp, halibut, yellowtail, albacore or any sushi-grade fish you personally enjoy.
Sweet white onion or maui onion: It is common to use white onion or a maui onion in traditional poke. If you can’t access either, just use any white or yellow onion you have on hand.
Green onions or scallions: Arguably my favorite part of poke. I love to add even more in the mixture and for topping, because it’s jus so good!
Ginger: I love the flavor the ginger brings in this poke. We’re slicing in matchsticks, but if you aren’t a ginger person, just remove.
For the poke sauce: a mix of soy sauce/shoyu, sesame oil and ponzu sauce are tossed together for a simple, yet satisfying sauce!
Mix-ins and spices: We’re using gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and/or togarashi (a popular Japanese seven spice) as well as sesame seeds and a pinch of sugar!
Serve with fluffy white cooked rice! I always use my rice cooker, and will make a sugar/salt and rice vinegar solution to toss in. For rice suggestions, you can use sushi rice, or any short grain rice you prefer. Brown rice and cauliflower rice works great as well!
Some topping and serving suggestions:
Spicy mayo (a quick blend of sriracha, Kewpie mayo, sesame oil and sugar will do great!), sliced cucumbers, seaweed/seaweed salad, sliced carrots, edamame, nori, furikake, macadamia nuts, chili sauce/chili oil, radishes, on top of lettuce and herbs like cilantro and basil as well.
You can also make this ahi poke creamy overall, by tossing in the spicy mayo mixture with the ahi.
Instructions to make this ahi tuna poke bowl recipe
Prep your ahi tuna
Cube your raw fish, and prep and slice your onion, green onions and ginger.
Mix your ingredients
Add your cubed ahi poke in a large bowl. Add in all your ingredients in a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, ponzu, gochugaru or togarashi, sesame seeds and a pinch of sugar. Toss well to combine.
*If you want to make this creamy, add a touch of spicy mayo (just eyeball a mix of sriracha, sesame oil, mayo (I like Kewpie) and sugar. Mix in with the above sauces if you want it creamy, or just do a drizzle on top as well.
Marinate!
Let marinade in the fridge for 5-10 minutes (or longer!) but I definitely recommend letting it sit in the fridge for a tad, it really brings all the flavors together.
Serve
Spoon your ahi poke mixture in a dish over white rice! Garnish with green onions and a drizzle of spicy mayo if you prefer!
Looking for more fish & seafood ideas? Check out the Below Recipes!
- Steamed Mussels in White Wine & Lemon
- Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
- One Pan Seared Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
- Tuna & Orzo Stuffed Peppers
- Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with Grilled Avocados
If you do make this Ahi Tuna Poke (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Watch How To Make This Recipe
Tuna Poke
Ingredients
- 1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna
- 1/2 cup sweet white onion or maui onion, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced
- 1 thumb ginger, in matchsticks (optional)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or shoyu, adjust with more if preferred
- 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, depending on your preference
- 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru or togarashi, or both
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- pinch of sugar
Instructions
- Cube your raw fish, and prep and slice your onion, green onions and ginger.
- Add your cubed ahi poke in a large bowl. Add in all your ingredients in a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, ponzu, gochugaru or togarashi, sesame seeds and a pinch of sugar. Toss well to combine.
- *If you want to make this creamy, add a touch of spicy mayo (just eyeball a mix of sriracha, sesame oil, mayo (I like Kewpie) and sugar. Mix in with the above sauces if you want it creamy, or just do a drizzle on top as well.
- Let marinade in the fridge for 5-10 minutes (or longer!) but I definitely recommend letting it sit in the fridge for a tad, it really brings all the flavors together.
- Spoon your ahi poke mixture in a dish over white rice! Garnish with green onions and a drizzle of spicy mayo if you prefer!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.