Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe

Name: Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons finely sliced green onion; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds; ½ teaspoon sriracha; 8 ounces sushi grade tuna (diced); Rice – prepared sushi rice, white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice; Pickled vegetables – carrots, celery, or cucumber (see notes); Fresh vegetables – avocado, edamame, carrots, lettuce, or cucumber; Garnishes – sesame seeds, sliced green onion, nori komi furikaki seasoning, or spicy mayo (see notes); Other flavorful additions – lime wedges, diced mango, sliced radish, or seaweed chips

Made with chunks of spiced tuna, rice, fresh veggies, and optional garnishes, this Tuna Poke Bowl is a traditional Hawaiian Salad that’s perfect for lunches, dinners, and as a side. Made with a variety of ingredients that are totally versatile, you can make this bowl any way you like.

chopsticks grabbing a cube of tuna from a tuna poke bowl in a white bowl.

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Homemade Poke Bowls

Tuna poke is a native Hawaiian dish that combines sushi grade tuna chunks with soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh green onion. This Tuna poke is infused with spicy sriracha that kicks up the perfect amount of heat!

Tuna poke can be served as an appetizer or a main course. In this recipe, we combine it into a bowl of our favorite ingredients to make a classic Hawaiian salad. The bowl is totally customizable so you can add your favorite rice, pickled vegetables, fresh vegetables, and garnishes.

Why You’ll Love this Poke Bowl Recipe:

Customizable After you make the tuna poke, you can serve it in a bowl with your favorite rice, veggies, and garnishes.
No Baking: The only thing that gets cooked in this recipe is the rice. So it’s perfect if you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
Quick and Easy: With a little prep, some cutting and dicing, and mixing, this recipe is quick and easy.

Tuna poke bowls are perfect as a hearty, healthy lunch option, but they also make great dinner options as well. Be sure to try our Buddha Bowls for another lunch option!

tuna poke bowl in a white bowl with chopsticks.

How to Make a Tuna Poke Bowl

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

Stir your soy sauce, green onion, lime juice, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sriracha together in a large bowl.
Add your chunks of tuna to the sauce mixture. Mix to combine.
Cover your poke tuna with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 15-minutes.
Build a bowl with your favorite rice, vegetables, and garnishes. Then top the bowl with the marinated tuna and serve.
Enjoy!

Tuna Poke Bowl Recipe Notes

Tuna: Make sure to only use sushi-grade fish in this recipe. The best way to find sushi grade fish is to ask a good quality fishmonger – they can tell you which fish is safe to eat raw and which is not.
Soy Sauce: Adds classic umami and saltiness. If you have ponzu on hand, feel free to swap the soy sauce for ponzu sauce.
Green Onion: Adds a slight onion flavor, freshness, and crunch.
Lime Juice: Adds acidity to cut through the fatty tuna. If you don’t have fresh lime juice, rice wine vinegar also works.
Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil adds nuttiness to the poke.
Sesame Seeds: Add crunch.
Sriracha: Adds heat and spice – use as much or as little as you like.

step by step photos for how to make tuna poke bowls.

What is a poke bowl?

A poke bowl is a Hawaiian salad that consists of poke tuna poured on top of rice, fresh veggies, pickled veggies, and garnished with sesame seeds, green onions, or any of your favorite garnishes.

What is in a poke bowl?

Poke simply means seasoned raw fish. So, a poke bowl consists of raw tuna seasoned in classic Hawaiian spices. In the bowl, you will add rice, pickled vegetables, fresh vegetables, garnishes, and other flavorful additions such as lime wedges, diced mango, or seaweed chips. Ultimately, the bowl is customizable to your liking.

Is raw tuna safe to eat?

Yes, it is. In fact, raw tuna is highly nutritious to eat and is considered one of the oldest ingredients used in sushi. Any sort of tuna, be it bluefin, yellowfin, skipjack, or albacore can be eaten raw.

How can I find sushi-grade tuna?

The best way to find sushi grade fish is to ask a good quality fishmonger – they can tell you which fish is safe to eat raw and which is not. Make sure to only use sushi-grade fish in this recipe.

How long do poke bowls last?

Poke is best enjoyed on the day it is prepared. I do not recommend keeping leftover poke.

Serving Suggestions

This tuna poke bowl is made with rice, veggies, and protein for a well-rounded and complete meal. However, you can serve it with a side or two to round out the meal! Here are some of my favorites:

Packed with lean protein, fresh veggies, and low-carb rice, tuna poke bowls are healthy and nutritious. It makes the perfect healthy meal option for anyone.

Tips!

The key to a great poke bowl is to have a variety of flavors and textures. I try to add at least 2-3 more elements to each bowl (in addition to the tuna).
Don’t break up the tuna while mixing. You want to have chunks of meat in your bowl.
Don’t marinate the tuna longer than an hour. If you marinate it too long, the tuna can become dry or tough and unappetizing.

This quick and easy salad can be made with a variety of veggies and garnishes. Mix things up every time you make it to figure out what you like best!

Are poke bowls served warm or cold?

Poke bowls are a mix of hot and cold. The tuna has to be cold! No exceptions here. However, the rice can be warm, or you can choose to chill it.

Can I use any sushi-grade fish?

Yes, you can. Poke simply means raw fish, so you can use any fish you would like. When you see fish labeled sushi or sashimi-grade, it means that it is safe to eat raw. Be sure that any fish you use has one of those labels on it.

What can I put in my poke bowl?

A poke bowl consists of poke tuna, fresh veggies, pickled veggies, and garnishes that are totally customizable to your liking. Here are some ideas:

Rice: You can use prepared sushi rice, white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
Pickled veggies: You can use pickled carrots, celery, or cucumbers. I like to use cucumbers.
Fresh veggies: I always use avocado, but you can use edamame, carrots, lettuce, or cucumbers.
Garnishes: Classic garnishes for this bowl include sesame seeds, sliced green onion, nori komi furikake seasoning, or seaweed chips.
Additions: You can also add lime wedges, diced mango, sliced radish, or seaweed chips.