The poke bowl trend had just started taking off in Dallas before we left on our honeymoon to Maui 2 years ago. We had tried it a couple times before leaving on the trip and loved it, so we couldn’t wait to try it in Hawaii. Let me tell you, Maui did not disappoint. Looking back, I’m pretty sure we ate tuna poke at least once a day every single day we were there. Exhibit A below at Star Noodle on our last day in Maui:
Needless to say, since we got back we have been on a quest to find or make tuna poke that is as good as the Maui version. It has absolutely been a challenge, but if you can find high quality fresh Ahi Tuna, you are already halfway there. Luckily, we have an amazing seafood market down the road from us called TJ’s Seafood Market and they carry fresh Hawaiian tuna from time to time. Central Market often bring some fresh tuna as well. We decided to create our own version at home tonight, and it’s so easy! The best part – no heating required! Perfect for those hot Texas summer days that are quickly approaching.
They other key part to creating a good poke bowl is slicing the fish properly with a good knife. We have been using this Shun Chef’s Knife for a little over 2 years now and love it. It cuts through the tuna like butter.
After cubing the tuna, you simply toss it in the soy sauce and sambal and add in the cucumbers, avocado, and cilantro, or any other toppings you would like to add.
In the meantime, prep the sriracha mayo by mixing 1 tablespoon of sriracha and 1 tablespoon mayo. Top the tuna with sesame seeds and the mayo and you have a pretty dang good bowl of poke!
Now, of course our fun didn’t stop there. You can create any type of bowl from this point on. We used brown rice and mixed greens as our base and added some fried crispy onions, jalapeños, and thinly sliced radishes. It turned out delicious!! The possibilities are really endless. We just used what we had in the fridge, but you can create all kinds of bowls with this basic recipe.
We also paired it with a nice glass of Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, which helped cut through the spiciness. What a tasty dinner!
Hope you enjoy! Let us know what you put in your bowl!
Ingredients
Method
- Using a very sharp knife, delicately cut the tuna into small 1/2 inch cubes. Place into a large bowl and add in the soy sauce and sambal. Toss to coat and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to marinate.
- In the meantime, prep the sriracha mayo by mixing equal parts sriracha and mayo. We found about 1 tablespoon of each was plenty of sauce for the two of us. Set aside.
- Chop the cucumber and avocado into cubes as well and toss into bowl with tuna. Toss to coat, once again.
- Top with sesame seeds, cilantro, and sriracha mayo. Serve with your choice of base such as mixed greens, brown rice or cauliflower rice.