Marinated in a fresh ginger soy sauce and piled into bowls with lots of toppings, these ahi tuna poke bowls are quick to prep and better than any restaurant!
Meet the most flavor bomb of a poke bowl!
While it’s definitely not as good as the poke bowls my husband and I have enjoyed in Hawaii on vacation (the struggles of living in a land-locked state), these tuna poke bowls come about as close as they possibly can.
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making poke at home, consider this your sign! Save those $$ because this restaurant favorite is SO easy to make homemade.
While loaded poke bowls are all well and good, I really like to take a leaf out of the Hawaiian book of poke and keep my bowls as simple as possible and really let the good ingredients shine for themselves.
I do a simple ginger-soy marinade on the tuna and then pile it all into bowls with avocado, cucumber, a little pickled ginger action, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes and call it a day. It’s really all these bowls need!
These Poke Bowls feature…
- Ahi tuna marinated in a fresh ginger soy sauce marinade
- A base of steamed sushi rice
- Fresh sliced avocado, cucumber, and pickled ginger
Making the Poke Bowls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ahi tuna
- Sweet onion
- Green onion
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Honey
- Sriracha
- Sushi rice
- Avocado
- Cucumber
Choosing Your Tuna
You will need 1 lb fresh ahi tuna for this poke. Ahi tuna is traditionally used in Hawaiian poke and typically refers to either yellowfin or bigeye tuna.
For this poke I highly recommend using fresh (not frozen and thawed) ahi tuna for the best flavor. You can typically find fresh tuna at seafood markets and at some local grocery stores depending on what part of the country you are in.
Tips for Perfect Poke Bowls
- Cut tuna in uniform cubes – aim for 1/2-inch cubes for consistent sizing throughout bowls.
- Use fresh ginger – grate fresh ginger for a strong, spicy ginger flavor throughout poke.
- Marinate tuna – don’t skip the marinating step! A quick 30-minute marinade time adds so much flavor to the tuna.
- Garnish poke – a sprinkle of green onions, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds add a pop of flavor to the poke bowls.
- Assemble poke just before serving – once assembled, poke is best if enjoyed immediately. Keep reading for make-ahead tips.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these bowls.
- Adjust heat level – skip the sriracha for a mild flavor. Alternatively, for a little spicy kick start with 1 tablespoon sriracha and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and add more to taste.
- Use different toppings – try adding diced mango, pineapple, jalapenos, edamame, carrot, seaweed, or crispy onions.
- Try another grain – for a healthier alternative, try using steamed brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice as a bowl base.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.
- Marinate the tuna – follow recipe instructions through Step 1 and refrigerate tuna up to 3 days.
- Steam the rice – steam the rice, allow to cool, and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Prep the toppings – cut the cucumber and green onions and store in refrigerator up to 3 days. Wait to cut the avocado until just before serving to prevent it from turning brown.
- Assembly – when ready to serve poke, reheat the rice in the microwave 30-60 seconds then top with tuna and toppings.
The fresh spicy ginger and salty soy are the key ingredients behind what makes the tuna so incredibly flavorful here! Paired with the warm steamed rice and all those wonderful toppings and you’ve got a bowl full of seafood magic at your fingertips.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other poke bowls next time!
Ginger Soy Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ahi tuna, cubed into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup thinly-sliced sweet onion
- 1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onion
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce (optional)
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups hot steamed sushi rice
- 2 medium avocados, thinly sliced
- 1 medium seedless cucumber, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- Pickled ginger, green onions, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine tuna, sweet onion, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and hot sauce. Season tuna with salt and pepper to taste if needed, cover bowl, and allow to marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
- Divide sushi rice between 4 serving bowls and top with marinated tuna mixture, sliced avocado, and cucumber. Garnish bowls with pickled ginger, green onions, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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