This Hawaiian poke bowl recipe is made with fresh ahi tuna and takes just a few minutes to prepare. It is easy to make, healthy, gluten free, paleo, low carb, and Whole30 compliant.

hawaiian poke bowl topped with avocado, cucumber and seaweed

Hawaiian poke bowl recipe

Why This Recipe

I absolutely love and adore mashed potatoes. I wanted to make a cauliflower version that tasted just as good as the real deal, but without all of the carbs!

Don't get me wrong, their poke is absolutely fabulous.

We knew there were a few things we could do to really kick it up about 12 notches though.

After making poke at home and realizing just how easy it is, I can almost guarantee you won't want to drop $15+ on a poke bowl again.

A few pounds of high quality ahi tuna shouldn't cost you more than $20, and this recipe makes multiple servings.

ingredients prepped and laid out for poke bowls: Sesame Seeds, Coconut Aminos, Chili Onion Crunch, Ahi Tuna, Sesame Oil, Green Onions, Red Onions, Rice Vinegar, Furikake

What is usually in a poke bowl?

Tim and I worked on this recipe a few times and have tried using salmon and tuna.

I usually prefer poke to be made with salmon but in this recipe, I think it tastes the best with ahi tuna.

Aside from the fabulous tuna, you will also need a handful of ingredients to make the really fabulous poke sauce:

Coconut aminos
Toasted sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Chili onion crunch (This is a product that is exclusively found at Trader Joe's... it's really fabulous and makes the recipe a knock out. It's not a necessity, but if you have access to a Trader Joe's, do not skip out on this ingredient!

Aside from that, you'll need to grab:

Green onions
Red onions
Furikake (Trader Joe's has a Whole30 compliant seasoning with no sugar!)
Sesame seeds

Hawaiian poke bowl with green onions and sesame seeds on the side

What makes a good poke bowl?

It's all about that fish quality, ya feel?

I think you can have the most delicious sauce in the world and the best accompaniments/toppings, but if your fish isn't de-lish, you aren't going to love the poke.

I like to get ahi tuna from my local Sprouts. It's usually on sale, and I can grab it for under $8/pound.

I know there are other stores like that also carry wonderful ahi tuna... just ask up at the seafood counter.

I like to eat the poke right away or within a few hours... that's when it tastes best in my opinion.

However, I do recommend eating it within a few days. Otherwise, the acid from the vinegar starts to break down the tuna too much, and it's just not as delicious.

large ceramic bowl full of Hawaiian poke

What is poke sauce made of?

Traditional poke sauce is typically made from soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. There are other things that go into most sauce recipes but there is some variance.

I like to use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce in all of my recipes. We don't do well with soy (myself and my newborn) so I love to use aminos instead.

Coconut aminos are sweeter than soy sauce, and you will absolutely love the swap, promise! 😉

If you want to add a bit of extra heat to the sauce, go ahead. Feel free to add in some red pepper flakes or chili garlic paste.

Tip

For the creamiest mash, be sure to use as many florets as possible, and not the stems. The florets get a lot creamier.

My favorite part about eating poke bowls is how filling they are.

Start by making a nice, mountain top of white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice Next, add as much tuna as you’d like.

Get heavy handed (or not) with the toppings and accompaniments. Yum.

poke bowl with toppings and a fork inside

How to make a Hawaiian poke bowl

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the tuna.

Whisk the sauce well to combine. Add the tuna and toss well. Eat right away.

The tuna can sit in the dressing for 2 days max, but if you leave it any longer the acid in the will begin to break down the fish too much.

To assemble the bowls, add rice to each bowl and top each bowl with the desired amount of poke and toppings. You can alternatively eat the poke over a bed of your favorite greens.

Spoon a bit of extra poke sauce on top of each bowl and enjoy.

Topping suggestions:

There are a couple of ingredients I think you can use to top off your poke bowl to make it really shine.

Here are some ideas:

Green onions
Sesame seeds
Black sesame seeds
Diced avocado
Chopped cucumber
Micro greens
Everything but the bagel seasoning

Some people like to add fresh fruit like mango or pineapple to their bowls... that sounds great to me, too!

You can also get fancy and add some masago (fish eggs) if you can get your hands on some... yum.

large ceramic bowl full of Hawaiian poke with a fork inside

More Whole30 recipes you'll love:

Easy Thai Chicken Curry

Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

One Pan Thai Basil Beef

Whole30 Greek Salmon

Whole30 Hawaiian Poke Bowl Recipe