SPICY AHI TUNA POKE BOWL
This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.
This spicy ahi tuna poke bowl is filled with radiant goodness. Fresh and nourishing, it’s a healthy feel-good meal that’s energizing and delicious. Make the savory marinade and assemble the bowl in just 20 minutes.
Poke (“poh-kay”) means “to slice or cut into pieces.” Early Polynesians caught and prepared raw fish while traveling to the islands, enjoying it with a variety of tropical fruits they had brought on board with them.
Today this Hawaiian meal has become very popular throughout the USA. It’s enjoyed in a rising number of customizable poke eateries. But with sushi-grade ahi tuna from the market and a savory marinade, it’s easy to make this bold beautiful dish at home on the mainland. It’s fresh, fast and delicious.
Although expensive bluefin tuna can be used for a spicy tuna poke bowl, yellowfin (ahi) is most often used for this dish. It’s less expensive than bluefin, and more easily found at grocery stores and fish markets. For tuna poke bowls, it’s vibrant deep-pink color is very appetizing.
Along with spicy ahi tuna over rice, customize your bowl with your choice of tasty fruit and veggies. Garnish the dish with spicy mayo, sliced green onions, sriracha and a sprinkling of white or black sesame seeds.
If desired, add nori komi furikaki (Japanese multi-purpose seasoning) for a satisfying salty-ocean flavor. Find it at large supermarkets and Trader Joe’s.
This recipe for spicy ahi tuna poke bowl is packed with delicious flavors and textures. For those wanting a little less heat, add less sriracha or chili sauce to the marinade, use less sriracha in the spicy mayo, and only a touch of the hot sauce when garnishing. Or kick it up a notch by adding more!
INGREDIENTS
Spicy Tuna Poke
Our savory marinade with its tasty layered flavors is the “secret sauce” for a delicious spicy ahi tuna poke bowl. These are the ingredients you’ll need.
- Soy Sauce: It adds delicious umami flavor and saltiness. The Hawaiian word for soy sauce is “shoyu.” In Hawaii they favor Aloha brand shoyu. But feel free to use ponzu sauce (Japanese dipping sauce) instead.
- Orange Juice: For bright citrus flavor and tang.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Its strong acidity cuts through the fatty tuna. It’s also known to destroy harmful bacteria. If no fresh limes on hand, use rice wine vinegar instead.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Adds a nutty flavor that’s deeply delicious.
- Green Onion: The green portions of the onion add a mild onion flavor as well as freshness and crunch.
- Fresh Ginger: For a slightly-peppery spiciness, and a sweet refreshing flavor. Or use fresh minced garlic instead with a bit of black pepper.
- Sesame Seeds: Use either white or black, or a combination. They add a nutty, toasty flavor while also adding color and crunch.
- Sriracha or Garlic Chili Sauce: For delicious heat and spice. Sriracha is mildly spicy, while garlic chili sauce is hotter. Add as little or as much as you’d like.
- Sushi-grade Ahi Tuna: It’s very important to only use sushi-grade ahi tuna for this spicy tuna poke bowl.
Spicy Mayo
This hot-sauce-spiked mayo adds a luscious creamy touch to our spicy tuna poke bowl. It takes only a minute to whisk the ingredients together.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base for the sauce.
- Sriracha Sauce: Adds tasty heat and tang.
- Lime Juice: Adds acidity and fresh citrus flavor. It brightens and enhances the other ingredients.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Lends its deep, rich, nutty flavor to the sauce.
For the Bowl – Optional Choices
Fully customize your own tuna poke bowl with these delicious options!
- Prepared Sushi Rice: Or white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
- Pickled Vegetables: Carrots, celery, or cucumber. See “Recipe FAQ” for instructions on how to pickle veggies.
- Fresh Vegetables: Carrots, crisp lettuce, crunchy red bell pepper, mung bean sprouts, sliced radishes, or cucumber.
- Soft Fruit: Avocado, fried plantains, ripe mango or papaya, pineapple.
- Garnishes: Sliced green onion for color, nori komi furikake Japanese seasoning for a salty-ocean flavor, white and/or black sesame seeds for texture, and sriracha to amp up the heat.
- More Tasty Additions: Wedges of lime, jalapenos (for heat), seaweed chips, or chopped kukui nuts.
RECIPE STEPS
RECIPE PREP: With a very sharp knife, slice sushi-grade ahi tuna into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes.
- STEP 1: MAKE THE MARINADE. In a large bowl, stir together the spicy marinade ingredients: soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, sesame oil, green onion, minced ginger, sesame seeds and sriracha.
- STEP 2: ADD DICED TUNA TO THE BOWL. Gently mix to combine, taking care not to break up the pieces of tuna. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 15 minutes (but no longer than 1 hour).
- STEP 3: MAKE SPICY MAYO. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil.
- STEP 4: ASSEMBLE SPICY TUNA POKE BOWL: Add a scoop of cooked sushi rice. Add cubes of marinated ahi tuna in the center of the bowl. For a bold punch, add picked veggies. Add crunchy raw veggies and/or fresh fruit that’s been cubed or sliced. Balance out the texture with a soft ingredient like avocado, mango or fried plantains.
- STEP 5: GARNISH. Add with a sprinkling of nori komi furikake, long drizzles of spicy mayo, sriracha (if desired), sliced green onion, sesame seeds, and any other desired garnish.
KITCHEN SMARTS: Enjoy poke on the day it’s prepared. It’s not recommended to store and keep leftover poke for later.
RECIPE FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions when making a spicy ahi tuna poke bowl, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
At large supermarkets that have fresh fish counters, or at specialty fish markets. Quality fishmongers can tell you which fish is safe to eat raw and which types are not. Make sure to only use sushi-grade fish when making this spicy ahi tuna poke bowl.
A great poke bowl starts with ahi tuna that’s prepped in a deeply-flavorful marinade. Then add sushi rice to the bowl plus at least 2 to 3 more elements. Try a variety of colors, textures and flavors by adding fresh fruits and veggies, and creamy and crunchy toppings.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove pan from heat. Add desired veggies. Stir to submerge them in the liquid. Let veggies sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.
Switch up the seafood protein in your poke bowls! Try grilled mahi-mahi, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, shredded or chopped imitation crab meat (mix it with the spicy mayo), or cooked lobster meat.
MORE HEALTHY RECIPES
If you enjoyed this healthy tuna poke bowl recipe, you’ll also want to try these delicious healthy recipes. For safe keeping, so you can find them later, print out your favorites or pin them to Pinterest.
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Air Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu
- Wonton Soup
- Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
- Roasted Cornish Hen
- Creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup
- P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Discerning recipe testers rated this spicy tuna poke bowl 10/10. They said the flavorful marinade gave this savory dish a distinctive restaurant taste. They gave the choice of toppings, spicy mayo, and garnishes 2 thumbs up.
If you agree this tuna poke bowl has a restaurant-quality flavor, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero! Share it with a friend.
SPICY AHI TUNA POKE BOWL
- Total Time: 20 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
Customize your spicy tuna poke bowl! Add marinated tuna, sushi rice, fruit, and your favorite pickled and raw veggies to the bowl. Drizzle with spicy mayo and sriracha. Sprinkle on tasty garnishes.
Ingredients
SPICY TUNA POKE
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or Japanese ponzu sauce)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons finely-sliced green onion
- 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or minced garlic with a pinch of black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or garlic chili sauce), or more to taste
- 8 ounces sushi-grade ahi tuna*
SPICY MAYO
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
FOR THE POKE BOWL – OPTIONAL CHOICES
In addition to the rice, pick at least 2 to 3 elements or more, mixing colors and textures.
- Prepared Sushi Rice: or white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice
- Pickled Vegetables: carrots, celery, cucumber
- Fresh Vegetables: carrots, lettuce, red bell pepper, mung bean sprouts, sliced radishes
- Soft Fruit: avocado, fried plantains, ripe mango, ripe papaya, pineapple
GARNISHES
In addition to sliced green onion, select 1 or more of your favorites.
- Sliced green onion
- Nori komi furikake Japanese seasoning
- Sesame seeds – white or black
- Sriracha
- Spicy Mayo
- Lime wedges
- Seaweed chips
- Kukui nuts, chopped
Instructions
SPICY TUNA POKE BOWL
RECIPE PREP: With a very sharp knife, slice sushi-grade ahi tuna into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes.
- MAKE THE MARINADE: In a large bowl, stir together the spicy marinade ingredients: soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, sesame oil, green onion, minced ginger, sesame seeds and sriracha.
- ADD DICED TUNA TO THE BOWL: Gently mix to combine, taking care not to break up the pieces of tuna. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 15 minutes (but no longer than 1 hour).
- MAKE THE SPICY MAYO: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil.
- ASSEMBLE POKE BOWLS: Add a scoop of cooked sushi rice. Add marinated ahi tuna. For a bold punch, add picked veggies. Add crunchy raw veggies and/or fresh fruit that’s been cubed or sliced. Balance out texture with a soft ingredient like avocado, mango or fried plantains.
- ADD GARNISHES: Add a sprinkle of nori komi furikake, long drizzles of spicy mayo, sriracha, sliced green onion, sesame seeds, and any other desired garnish.
Notes
*AHI TUNA: It’s very important to only use fresh, sushi-grade ahi tuna for this recipe.
HOW TO MAKE PICKLED VEGGIES FOR POKE BOWL: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove pan from heat. Add desired veggies. Stir to submerge them in the liquid. Let veggies sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Marinating Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
SPICY AHI TUNA POKE BOWL > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
What are your favorite toppings and garnishes for a spicy ahi tuna poke bowl? Do you enjoy thick drizzles of spicy mayo over the top? Do you add extra sriracha to amp up the heat? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Soooo yummy! Thanks a lot for explaining everything so thoroughly – it was so easy to follow. Will definitely make it again…