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Tuna Poke Bowls
Last weekend, after visiting our son at sleepaway camp, Michael and I spent a few days at The Lodge at Woodloch, a spa/resort in the Poconos. It was beautiful — and I love all that Zen spa stuff — but Michael joked that it 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. But portions aside, we both enjoyed some wonderful food, including tuna poke, a traditional Hawaiian salad of raw tuna marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and onions. I wasn’t at all surprised to see this dish on the menu since poke is all the rage and poke shops seem to be popping up everywhere.
I have a tuna poke appetizer in my cookbook but this one, served over sushi rice and loaded with your favorite toppings, is meant to be a meal. It’s spa cuisine for sure, but since you’re making it yourself, you can have as much as you like. And I put potato chips on mine — sounds weird, I know, but they make a delicious (and easy) substitute for crispy fried wontons.
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.
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.
Tuna Poke Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (see note)
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna (such as yellowfin or big-eye tuna), diced into 1/4 or 1/2-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.
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.
Reviews & Comments
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I love your husband’s honesty. LOL hahaha
YUM, YUM, YUM. Another winner, Jen.
I made this tonight, and it was excellent! (as are all of Jenn’s recipes!) It was surprisingly quick and easy, and I will definitely be making again.
This recipe has a great flavor profile. It was a bit spicier than I was expecting. I have had poke bowls in restaurants that had less or no spice. As a result, I think this should be called Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl. When I make it again, I’ll certainly use the sriacha but probably a bit less.
Really a delicious recipe! My family wolfed it down. I was suspicious about the honey but it balanced the flavors well. I served with mango, avocado, shaved cabbage, more chopped scallions, toasted coconut, and siracha mayo. Will definitely make this again and will try the potato chips on top too!
Will it work with salmon?
Yep!
I am from Hawaii and your recipe is spot-on authentic. The trick is getting the fresh, raw ahi.
Unfortunately, I cannot each sushi, sashimi or poke as often as I would like. Now that the West has discovered the joy of raw game fish (marlin, tuna), we are eating the creatures to extinction.
Could you please tell me where to enter the contest for the cutting board? The page says to enter below, but there isn’t any place to enter or I am not seeing it. Thank you
Hi Vicky, you can find it here. Scroll down the page and you’ll see a box with your entry options. Good luck!