Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

4.84 from 12 votes
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This delicious and fresh ahi tuna poke bowl features perfectly seared ahi tuna, cilantro-lime rice, a cucumber salad, and a poke bowl dressing.

Have you ever made seared ahi tuna? Sometimes fish can be intimidating. But we’ll walk you through how to make seared ahi tuna here. You’ll see how easy it is to make!

seared ahi tuna poke bowl
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Did you know that all three of us went to Hawaii for our honeymoons? It’s true! We all fell in love with getting delicious poke bowls at different grocery stores on Kaui. You just can’t beat it!

Here is our attempt at recreating one of our favorite meals from our honeymoons!

Keeping it FRESH

We are big fresh sushi fans here at Fit Foodie Finds and we thought a good first step towards homemade sushi would be to try to make seared ahi tuna first. Guess what? It’s so easy! Check out our tutorial on how to make seared ahi tuna.

If you’re like me, eating a whole tuna steak in one sitting seems like a lot. I love rare ahi tuna, but love eating it with something. Enter—> ahi tuna poke bowls. The combination of poke, hot rice, and cold vinegary vegetables is SO good.

PS: try our sushi burrito recipe, but swap it with seared ahi tuna!

Tuna Poke Bowl Tips + Tricks

Before we go through a step-by-step on how to make a seared ahi tuna poke bowl, let’s go over some tips and tricks so this meal is easy AND enjoyable to make!

What is poke? Poke is technically diced raw fish and is native to Hawaiian cuisine. You can eat it alone, as an appetizer, or as part of a main dish.

What is poke sauce made of? A traditional poke sauce is made out of a combination of sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili pepper. It all depends on where you are and what you like!

To serve the rice hot or cold? That’s the million-dollar question when people are preparing poke. Traditionally the poke rice is served hot and the poke is served cold. However, you can eat your poke with whatever grain you’d like, and both hot or cold is just great! Check out some other options below:

What do you serve with poke? 

Usually, poke is served with hot rice and seaweed. Today, poke is everywhere and often served in a poke bowl! Feel free to serve your poke anyway you’d like! Make it an appetizer at your next party or serve these poke bowls for the main dish. The options are endless!

What kind of fish do I use with poke? 

Yellowtail is usually used for traditional Hawaiian poke. However, ahi tuna and salmon are some of the most commonly used types of fish!

Is it safe to eat poke? 

Raw fish can be scary sometimes. Our recommendation is to buy sushi-grade fish to prepare your ahi tuna bowls! If you aren’t a fan of raw fish, cook it a little more!

How to Make an Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Step 1: Marinate the ahi tuna

We spiced up the traditional poke marinade by adding ginger and chili sauce to the traditional soy sauce and sesame oil mixture!

Begin by adding the soy sauce, red chili sauce, grated ginger, lime juice, sesame seeds, and olive oil to a large bowl. Whisk the sauce until everything is combined.

Next, add ahi tuna to the bowl and cover. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to marinate!

here’s a tip

The longer you marinate the tuna, the more flavor it will have! Sometimes we will prepare the marinade the night before we plan to serve the ahi tuna!

Step 2: Sear Ahi Tuna

Remove your ahi tuna steaks from the refrigerator and then remove from the marinade. Pour sesame seeds on a plate and coat every part of both tuna steak with sesame seeds.

Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. You’ll want the skillet to be HOT. When the olive oil is fragrant, add one ahi tuna steak to the pan and sear for 30 seconds to 2 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your ahi tuna.

Let seared ahi tuna rest for 2 minutes and then thinly slice.

pouring marinade onto an ahi tuna steak

Step 3: Prepare veggies

You can’t have a poke bowl without veggies! We love tossing vegetables for any poke bowl with a delicious vinegary dressing! Feel free to use whatever vegetables and dressing you’d like!

We decided on cucumbers, cabbage, and radishes for the salad in this ahi poke bowl. All you have to do is toss the vegetables with the lime juice, vinegar, and salt. Store the vegetables in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the ahi poke bowl.

vegetables in a bowl

Step 4: Choose grain

We love all grains here on Fit Foodie Finds. Our favorite grain to eat with poke is hot white long-grain rice! Feel free to use whatever grain (or not) toots your fancy!

Prepare whenever grain you are using by following the directions on the package! If you are using long-grain white rice for our cilantro lime rice, add 1 cup of white rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a pinch of salt to a saucepan.

Bring water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat until water is dissolved (17-20 minutes).

Remove from heat and mix cilantro into the rice. Set aside.

Step 5: Add Sauce

You guys are going to lose it when you make this ahi poke bowl! A little bit goes a long way. Whatever you don’t use, feel free to finish off with a spoon (I joke, I joke..but it’s seriously that good).

All you have to do is add drippy almond butter, sriracha, soy sauce, water, and lime juice to a mason jar. Cover the jar and shake until all ingredients are combined!

Almond dressing in a jar

Step 6: Assemble Tuna Poke Bowl

Evenly distribute rice, ahi tuna, vegetables and dressing to six bowls or meal prep containers. Top each poke bowl with fresh avocado and sesame seeds immediately before serving!

There you have it! An easy, healthy, and fresh meal prep meal that everyone will love!

Drizzling almond dressing onto the poke bowl
4.84 from 12 votes

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl

Say hello to the most delicious healthy bowl recipe you’ll ever eat! This seared ahi tuna poke bowl is fresh, nutritious, and easy to make!
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients 

Ahi Tuna

  • 1.5 lbs. Ahi Tuna Steaks, 2 1.5-inch steaks
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon red chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

Cilantro White Rice

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1.5 cups water*
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salad

  • I cup sliced cucumbers
  • 1 cup sliced radishes
  • 1 cup sliced cabbage
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Poke Bowl Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons drippy almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Poke Bowl

  • 2 large avocados, halved and sliced
  • Sesame seeds, to taste

Instructions 

Ahi Tuna

  • First, place tuna steaks in a large bowl or a plastic bag.
  • Make ahi tuna marinade and add soy sauce, chili sauce, grated ginger, and lime juice to a small mason jar. Tighten cover and then shake the jar until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture over the ahi tuna steaks.
    A person is pouring a sauce on an ahi poke bowl.
  • Seal the plastic bag and place the steaks in the fridge and let marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better!).
    marinating tuna in marinade.
  • Remove ahi tuna steaks from the refrigerator and then remove from the marinade. Pour sesame seeds on a plate and coat every part of both tuna steak with sesame seeds.
    a piece of seared ahi tuna with sesame seeds on a plate.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant, add one tuna steak to the pan and sear for 30 seconds to 2 minutes on each side.*
    Seared ahi tuna cooked in a cast iron skillet.
  • Repeat for the second tuna steak.
  • Let seared tuna steaks rest for 2 minutes and then thinly slice.
    seared ahi tuna on a cutting board

Cilantro White Rice

  • Place white rice and water into a medium saucepan. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for around 15 minutes or until all water has absorbed.
  • Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add cilantro and mix.
  • Set aside for later.

Salad

  • Add all the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl and mix well.
    ahi poke bowl with radishes and cucumbers.
  • Set aside for later.

Poke Bowl Dressing

  • Add all ingredients for the dressing to a separate mason jar.
  • Shake well until all ingredients are combined.
  • Set aside for later.
    a jar of peanut butter in ahi poke bowl.

Poke Bowls

  • Now it’s time to make 4 poke bowls! Add 1/2 cup cooked white rice to the bottom of each bowl.
  • Then, add 1/4 of the salad and 1/4 of the sliced seared tuna to each bowl.
  • Add 1/4 of an avocado to each bowl and then drizzle the almond butter dressing on top of each bowl.
    a person drizzling a creamy tahini sauce on a nutritious ahi poke bowl.
  • Finish off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
    ahi tuna salad with arugula, served with a dipping sauce.

Tips & Notes

  • *Follow directions on your white rice packaging for how much water to use.
  • *30 seconds for rare, 1 minute for medium rare, and 2 minutes for well done.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”mMO8PgLv” upload-date=”2021-06-17T17:06:02.000Z” name=”Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl” description=”Say hello to the most delicious healthy bowl recipe you’ll ever eat! This seared ahi tuna poke bowl is fresh, nutritious, and easy to make!”]

Nutrition

Calories: 454 kcal, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Protein: 35 g, Fat: 23 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 5 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.

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About Linley Hanson

Linley has played an important role in the success of Fit Foodie Finds over the last 10 years. She is an incredible home cook and has an amazing palate. She is the brain behind our recipes and has spent thousands of hours developing, testing, and perfecting the delicious meals you see here at Fit Foodie Finds.

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Pat
Pat
October 16, 2022 6:58 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This is the second time Iโ€™ve made this! So delicious! I saw one of the reviews added sesame oil to the dressing, I will try that next time. My dressing was not as thin as I wanted it but still so good!

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Emily Richter
October 17, 2022 3:49 pm
Reply to  Pat

Looks so delish, Pat!

Billie Thompson
Billie Thompson
July 26, 2022 6:58 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
The recipe was delicious and the instructions were very easy! I changed one slight thingโ€ฆ.I added 2 tbsp of honey to the sauce๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜‹

Emily Richter
July 27, 2022 8:46 am

Sounds like a delicious addition to the sauce, Billie!

Jodi
Jodi
January 6, 2022 5:57 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Tried this for the first time tonight and it was a hit with everyone. Husband enjoyed it with quinoa / son had it with basmati rice, and I had it with 0 carb noodles. After reading through some of the reviews I also added sesame oil & upped the spice level , tripled the almond butter sauce. So delicious. Thank you so much!

Debs
Debs
December 7, 2021 7:28 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This recipe is outstanding! It struck me as one I could go loosey-goosey with, and I can’t wait to try variations. I stuck pretty close this time but subbed in tahini for the dressing (what I had on hand) and made a ginger garlic quinoa (not a white rice fan.) Salad was shredded cabbage, red pepper, cucumber, red onion and arugula. It was DELICIOUS! I can see going Lebanese or Korean or Thai….. the possibilities are endless. From the bottom of my bowl- THANK YOU (Sorry for the photo, but that is what it looked like by the time I wrote the review)

Savita
May 12, 2021 4:25 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This bowl is full of deliciousness, really loved it. ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ’–Pinning!!

Christine
Christine
January 11, 2021 6:02 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This recipe is great! Donโ€™t cut corners, the marinade, vegetable mix with apple cider vinegar and lime, and the dressing is a must! My Almond butter was not drippy so I added sesame oil until I got the proper consistency. This added a nice nutty flavor.
I omitted the radishes, added edamame and some Furikake to the veggies. Super!

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Last edited 3 years ago by Christine
Lee Funke
January 12, 2021 7:06 am
Reply to  Christine

Looks amazing!!

Janet
Janet
July 27, 2020 8:59 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Spicy and satisfying. Great take on a favorite.

Shashee
Shashee
June 21, 2020 5:15 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Easy to make, sadly avacado wasnโ€™t not ripe and shopper forgot radishes. We mad do for Fatherโ€™s Day!

Em t
Em t
June 2, 2020 5:24 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

4 stars
This turned out really good! The dressing, however, had way too much nut butter and not enough heat or tang. Added apple cider vinegar, about 6 times as much sriracha, and 3 times as much lime, and salt of course. No water needed.

Lee Funke
June 3, 2020 8:58 pm
Reply to  Em t

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Toni
March 8, 2020 6:04 pm

Excelente receta, ahora estan de moda los poke bowl, tambiรฉn marinarian muy bien con algas kombu, nori o dulse y gengibre encurtido.