Ahi poke is absolutely so delicious! This poke recipe is very simple, quick to make, light, and will impress any guests with tongue-hugging umami flavor. It really is a win-win. Little time. Lots of yummy.
No wonder an ahi tuna poke recipe makes such a popular appetizer amongst so many restaurants. People always seem to gravitate towards the ahi poke, so perfectly shaped into a cute little mound, sometimes sitting atop flowered avocado slices.
Now, you could plate the same thing by spooning a heap on top of some wonton chips…and boom! Doesn’t need to look the same, but has the same great taste.
Eat and Prep Poke the Island Way
Oh, by the way, poke (pronounced pooooh-keh) is Hawaiian.
Don’t let the wonton chips serving suggestion trick you. You wanna be more authentic? Then eat poke with rice.
Grab a heap of poke, put it on some rice, and that’s poke for you, the way Hawaiian’s first intended it to be.
Yep, warm rice, cold poke (and don’t ever let the poke go warm). Not “poke bowls” with salad and radishes, etc. Though those are yummy too, just not as traditional.
What is Shoyu?
Shoyu refers to the use of any Japanese style soy sauce.
For this poke recipe, yep it’s still Hawaiian, we will use Japanese soy sauce (as Kikkomen is pretty standard and easy to find) so therefore, shoyu poke.
This is a total low stress recipe.
Sounds super, doesn’t it?
There are tons of types of poke, and while you may have seen it on menus at fancy restaurants, it actually isn’t fancy at all.
Being a popular Hawaiian food, it’s a common dish prepared in many types and variations of ways with different fish and sauces.
The most popular kind, which we’ll make today, is shoyu style. Simple and few ingredients of ahi tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onion, salt, and here, garnished with black and white sesame seeds, chilies, scallions, and seaweed.
Ingredients
- Ahi Tuna – get only fresh (not frozen) sashimi grade
- Soy Sauce – Aloha Hawaiian brand or Kikkomen works as well
- Sesame Oil – Toasted sesame oil is fine also (I heard some stores do not carry to many varieties)
- Hawaiian Salt or Sea Salt – I recommend only coarse sea salt and grinding the sea salt from its original state
- Sweet Onion – has to be sweet onion like Maui, Oso, or other sweet yellow onion.
- Green Scallions
- Ogo Seaweed (Hawaiian seaweed) to garnish….or use Seaweed snack and cut very thin with a kitchen scissor to make as a topping
- Black and White Sesame Seeds (optional) – these enhance the mild nutty flavor
- Thai and Fresno Chilies (optional) – mince very finely
Equipment
- sharp knife
- an easy mandolin is good to have to slice the onions and save time. I highly recommend it because it makes everything so uniform and thin.
- mixing bowl and spoon
Once you try and see how easy it is, you won’t have to wait till your next dine-out experience. You can make this today!
The most important aspect of your shoyu ahi tuna poke recipe, is going to be the right cut of ahi tuna. Grab yourself a sashimi grade slice. Something fresh, clean, and beautifully pinky-red. Now you’re ready to start creating.
Instructions to Make Ahi Poke
The beauty and ease about poke, is that perfection is out the door! It’s a home style recipe! The taste will be awesome, but the cut and technique doesn’t require perfection.
A sharpened chef’s knife will do, and you’ll want to cut your tuna into little cubes. Just slice lengthwise a lot of strips and then the other way. I recommend small cubes so there’s more pieces coated with sauce for each savory bite.
You’ll need a clean glass bowl, and simply add your raw, cubed ahi tuna, a nice pinch of Hawaiian salt or Sea Salt (I like to use coarse sea salt that is grounded), and soy sauce, sesame oil, thinly sliced Maui, Oso, or Sweet Yellow Onion.
DO NOT OVER-SAUCE THE AHI TUNA POKE.
Garnish Your Ahi Poke
Add blk & wht sesame seeds, thin sliced scallions, and minced Thai and Fresno chilies.
If you don’t have the chilies, you can use crushed red pepper flakes (Not Italian flakes! Use Asian red pepper flakes like Sichuan red pepper flakes).
Then toss and serve! It’s quick to make. The time is in the prep which shouldn’t be more than ten minutes.
Sign. Me. Up.
What to serve with ahi tuna shoyu poke? RICE.
No. Make this ahi poke recipe fresh and eat right away.
You can always cut ahi, onions, and garnishes and store them in a glass, airtight container. You can make the sauce and store that in a small, glass jar as well.
Adjust the recipe as necessary. Do not over sauce because it will be salty and over power the Ahi Tuna. Just add or subtract more soy and sesame by the teaspoon to adjust per the size of the tuna fish you get, and to your liking.
Ahi Tuna Shoyu Poke
Ingredients
- 1 lb sashimi grade Ahi Tuna only the freshest cut
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tsp sesame oil
- 1 pinch Hawaiian Salt or Sea Salt I like to use coarse grounded sea salt
- 1/4 cup very thin sliced Maui, Oso, or Sweet Onion variety use a mandolin for best results and save time
- 3 tbsps green scallions cut very thinly
- 2 tsp minced Thai or Fresno chilies (optional) or use Asian Sichuan red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp black and white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp Ogo Seaweed or Seaweed snack cut up thinly as garnish
Instructions
- Take your Ahi Tuna and cut into cubes. Cut lengthwise into many strips, then across for cube like pieces. Use a very sharp knife as to not tear your Ahi Tuna. Small as a dime is nice so the sauce can season each piece well.
- Place in mixing bowl.
- Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, thin sliced onions and scallions. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and the chilies.
- Gently fold and mix everything well. All pieces should be touched with the sauce and should not be over sauced, as so to still highlight the delicate flavors of the Ahi tuna.
- Transfer to serving bowl and top with sprinkled seaweed.
- Enjoy!
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