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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
More Whole30 recipes you'll love:
Whole30 Hawaiian Poke Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Poke
- 1 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup chili onion crunch see notes
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 large red onion very thinly sliced, see notes
- 1 cup green onions very thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 3 1/2 tablespoons Furikake seasoning see notes
- 2 pounds sashimi grade wild ahi tuna cubed into 3/4 to 1" pieces
Toppings
- sesame seeds
- black sesame seeds
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 Persian cucumber chopped
- 1/4 cup micro greens
- Nori / seaweed sheets
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Chili onion crunch: The chili onion crunch is from Trader Joe's. If you are not using it and want your poke bowl to have some heat, add a bit of red chili pepper flakes or chili garlic paste (see below.)
- Chili garlic paste: For a Whole30 compliant chili garlic paste, check out this recipe here! Otherwise, you can buy chili garlic paste at most Asian markets!
- Furikake: You can find a Whole30 compliant Furikake seasoning at Trader Joe's or online. Otherwise, it can be found at Asian markets.
- Red onion: Be sure to chop your red onion as thin as you possibly can. That way, the sauce will break it down and make them softer while retaining a bit of crunch.
Nutrition
Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
Is the 1/2 cup of sesame oil correct? Also how many servings does this recipe make?
a 1/2 cup of sesame oil???? are you crazy? that has to be a typo
Hi there! Do you mix the mango, carrot, etc. in with the sauce before you add the tuna...or are those parts added after?
Hi there, I just add them afterwards on top. Then, I mix everything together when I eat it... does that make sense? 🙂
I've been on such a big poke bowl kick when out, but have yet to make at home and think I need to ASAP since it's kind of all I've been craving lately. This looks delicious, I can't wait to try!
That's wonderful... keep me in the loop once you try them! 🙂
This is making me soooo hungry.
Tina!!! That is the goal 🙂
I can't wait to make these! (But why eliminate the mango for whole 30??)
That was my mistake! I hope you love the bowls 🙂
This looks amazing!! Thanks so much for linking up to my chili garlic sauce!!
Absolutely!!! thanks for an amazing recipe 🙂