Poke Bowls
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Fresh, flavorful, and easy to pull together, this tuna poke bowl features fresh, sushi-grade ahi tuna tossed in a savory-sweet marinade, rice, and all your favorite toppings (crispy chips included).
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
When you’re craving something light but still satisfying, a tuna poke bowl really hits the spot. It’s that mix of fresh ingredients and salty-umami flavors that makes it so irresistible. This version was inspired by a poke bowl I once had at a spa resort, made with marinated ahi tuna, sushi rice, crisp veggies, and crispy fried wontons on top.
To keep things easy for a weeknight, I usually swap the wontons for potato chips—a simple shortcut that still gives you that perfect salty crunch. Feel free to get creative with the toppings and use whatever you have on hand (or whatever you’re craving).
Bowls make hearty and satisfying meals served up in one dish! If you love this tuna poke bowl, try my beef hoisin bowls, egg roll in a bowl or chicken katsu bowls next.
“OMG! This was so good. I had it over brown rice with mango, avocado, pickled ginger and wonton strips…Thank you!”
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl ingredients
- Sushi-Grade Ahi Tuna: Choose fresh sushi-grade yellowfin or bigeye tuna (both referred to as “ahi”), with a pink or reddish color. Just be sure not to buy Albacore tuna, which is the white tuna used to make canned tuna fish. Swap out the ahi tuna for another variety of sushi-grade fish if you prefer.
- Soy Sauce: For that signature umami flavor you expect in a poke bowl.
- Sesame Oil: Adds that signature nutty flavor to the poke dressing. It’s mixed with vegetable oil to keep it from overpowering the sauce — too much sesame oil can taste bitter. Most Asian recipes use dark (toasted) sesame oil, which has a much bolder flavor than the light variety.
- Honey: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the saltiness of the soy sauce and heat in the sambal oelek. It also gives a slight body to the sauce. You can also use brown sugar, though the flavor and texture are slightly different.
- Sambal Oelek: A mixture of chiles, brown sugar, and salt, it’s added to the sauce for a bit of heat. It can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets and is sometimes labeled Chile Garlic Sauce. You can also use other chile sauces, such as sriracha or even add in some diced fresh chiles.
- Ginger and Scallions: Freshly grated ginger and scallions add aroma and flavor to the dish. If you’re new to cooking with fresh ginger, see my guide on how to grate fresh ginger.
- Cooked Sushi Rice: The base of every good poke or sushi bowl, sushi rice is a short grain rice with a sticky texture that makes it different from other varieties of rice. Make sure to follow the directions for cooking it, as it cooks slightly different than long grain rice.
- Toppings: This is where you can make your poke bowl your own. I like avocado, cucumber, edamame, pickled ginger, diced mango, wonton crisps/potato chips, and sesame seeds, but you can mix it up with thin red bell pepper strips, carrots, or cabbage. Try pickled red onions, sprinkle on furikake or nori, add a little heat with wasabi or fresh chiles, or drizzle on a creamy sauce like sriracha mayo.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make a Tuna Poke Bowl
Step 1: Make the Marinade. Whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, sambal oelek, ginger, and scallions in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Combine with Fish. Add the tuna to the marinade mixture and toss to fully coat all the fish. Place the mixture in the fridge and allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. This step gives the fish time to absorb all the delicious flavors.
Step 3: Assemble and Serve. Scoop the rice into bowls and top with the tuna and your favorite toppings. Serve and enjoy!
More Bowl Recipes You May Like
Tuna Poke Bowls
Big on flavor and simple to pull together, poke bowls make the perfect fresh, easy meal.
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
- Wonton crisps or potato chips
- 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 is stupidly good. i’m so pleasantly surprised. this is my first time on your website, but definitely won’t be my last. wonderful recipe!
Fantastic! Whole family loved it! I held back the Sambal Olec for the kids, but added it to the marinade for the adults. A perfect combination of flavours!
Hi. Just wondering instead of chips would small sheets of nori work?
Hi Doris, While nori wouldn’t be as rich and crispy, it would definitely work — the recipe is very flexible. Enjoy!
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that adds a slightly odd crunch element! I used pork rinds and it was SO delish! I’m a huge fan of all of your recipes! Love this dish!!!
Hi Jenn: Husband had this for lunch at a restaurant yesterday and when I saw your recipe I HAD to give it a shot. SO much better and way more tuna in yours. Easy and quick to throw together; the chips were a great substitution for likely the most difficult bit to find. I won’t be paying big bucks for this bowl any longer. I’m a convert. AND I was worried it would be too spicy for me but it was perfect!
You NEVER disappoint. My friend bought your cookbook as well and we are always suggesting what we try and what each of us has made. It is all wonderful. Many thanks!!
Another fantastic recipe from my all time favorite chef! Jenn, I have been a long time fan and have never been disappointed with any of your recipes! You are my “go to” for delicious and easy recipes in every category. For this Tuna Poke Bowl, I purchased frozen steaks (all that was available in my small town in Texas hill country). I didn’t want to risk raw, so marinated steaks in a small amount of the sauce, sprinkled with Trade Joe’s Everything Bagel seasoning and pan seared in oil to medium rare. I assembled the bowls with quinoa and cabbage slaw, topped with sliced orange bell pepper, shredded carrots, lightly marinated cucumber slices and mango. Added the sliced tuna to center and drizzled bowl with the reserved marinade. Spectacularly out of this world! Best flavors EVER!. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
All tuna steaks are frozen at some point in time, unless you get them right from the boat. Most Tuna gets shipped to Japan and processed and then shipped around the world. So if it says its sushi grade, you’re good to eat it raw, even if it’s frozen!
Yum, yum, yum!! This is hands down the BEST! Love “once upon a chef” recipes, but this is my favourite so far with me and my dinner buddies. Thanks Jenn!
Sooooo good! Instant hit with entire family! I didn’t have sushi grade fish so I used pan seared salmon. Putting this into high rotation. Thank you!!
Delicious! Easy! My husband was enthralled & thought it was as good as the tuna poke we enjoyed on many trips to Maui.
Tuna was on sale, and I brought it home intending to sear it. Then I remembered how much I loved poke & that you had a recipe in the cookbook! Turns out the recipe online is slight variation from the Once Upon a Chef Cookbook, so I used this online recipe which was closer to ingredients I had on hand.
Served with jasmine rice, homemade shrimp wontons (I had in freezer when my friend & her mom taught me how to make them)….
ADJUSTMENTS
Due to the current situation sweeping the globe (everyone asked to self-isolate) I only could use pantry items. Did not have Sambal Oelek in my pantry and substituted Sriracha.
Thank you Jennifer for another winner recipe!!!! And some GREAT VARIETY during the isolation when we are not going to restaurants.
This recipe is excellent. Have made several versions of poke and this one is the best. Have made it multiple times now and all love it every time!