Hawaiian Poke Bowl with Ahi Tuna

You are going to love this Hawaiian poke bowl! Full of fresh marinated fish, warm rice, crisp vegetables and a variety of toppings and sauce, these poke sushi bowls are so delicious!

Have you ever tasted a Hawaiian poke bowl? Pronounced “poh-keh”, these deconstructed sushi bowls are SO delicious. We took our little one to Hawaii for spring break and she wanted to eat poke for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

In Hawaii, you can find these sushi poke bowls everywhere – including fancy restaurants, roadside shacks, and every single grocery store.

You can create sushi poke bowls filled with any kind of fish, cooked seafood, or even grilled chicken, but a traditional Hawaiian poke bowl typically consists of ahi tuna, a simple soy sauce, sweet onions, and a bed of warm rice.

Where to Find Ahi Tuna

We won’t be cooking the ahi tuna for these sushi poke bowls, so it’s extremely important that you are using a high-quality ahi tuna that is SAFE TO EAT RAW. You’ll know it’s safe to consume raw if it’s labeled as “sushi quality” or “sashimi grade” on the package. I found sushi grade ahi tuna at Aldi of all places, in the freezer section! This is great because freezing ahi tuna makes it safe to eat. I’ve also seen it at Costco, Whole Foods, and my local Japanese market.

This is what I got from Aldi – notice how it’s labeled as “sushi quality” across the top of the packaging?

Why You’ll Love These Hawaiian Poke Bowls

• Fresh, healthy and FULL of flavor. Marinated fresh fish + vegetables and rice is pretty close to my perfect meal. I could eat this every single day!
• Easy to customize for your personal macros. Want to eat a little lower carb today? Swap out the sushi rice for cauliflower rice or serve your Hawaiian poke bowl on a bed of fresh lettuce. Need a little more protein? Double your ahi tuna, or add in some cooked shrimp.
• It’s so simple. Dice up your fish and marinate, slice a few veggies, press “start” on your rice cooker and dinner is basically done.

Hawaiian Poke Ingredients

Ahi Tuna

It’s very important to make sure your ahi tuna is safe to eat raw, so make sure you’re grabbing fish that’s labeled “sushi-quality” or “sashimi-grade”.

Sweet Onions and Scallions

In Hawaii, it’s common to use sweet Maui onions, but you can use any sweet or yellow onion, thinly sliced.

Sauce

A mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic (or sriracha) and just a touch of sugar.

Base & Toppings

This is the fun part! I like the traditional base of sushi rice, but you can substitute cauliflower rice or a bed of greens as your base. And then add your favorite toppings to the Hawaiian poke bowl like edamame, cucumbers, avocado, sesame seeds and pickled radishes!

How to Make Sushi Poke Bowls

Make sure your ahi tuna is thawed. Pat dry and slice into small cubes. In a small bowl, add your soy sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic or sriracha and sugar and whisk together until blended.

To Make Sushi Rice

If you’re serving with sushi rice, start cooking your short-grained white rice in the rice cooker. Once cooked, spread out in a flat dish (I like to use a pie plate) and sprinkle on 2-3 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar. It’s important to use seasoned rice vinegar and not regular rice vinegar as they have different flavor profiles.

Next add your sliced ahi tuna to a bowl, add in your sliced onions and scallions, and drizzle in the sauce. Mix well for one minute until everything is well coated in the sauce. Then, marinate in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 15 minutes but, if you have enough time, 1 -2 hours is best.

After your tuna has marinated, it’s time to build your Hawaiian poke bowl! Add your sushi rice (or cauli-rice or lettuce) and then a generous scoop of the marinated ahi tuna. Sprinkle on sesame seeds, edamame, avocado, cucumbers, and my personal favorite – pickled radishes!

Serve with extra soy sauce and sriracha if desired.