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Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls. Homemade tuna poke with spicy gingery tuna, steamed rice, all the best toppings, and our favorite spicy, sweet, and creamy mayo sauce. I top each bowl off with fried shallot crumbs for crunch, then add fresh avocado, and a generous side of the creamy mayo. Each bowl is colorful and full of so much flavor. A great family dinner, any night of the week.
After months of requests, I am finally sharing the poke bowls I’ve been making for my younger brother, Red. Everyone has been asking for this recipe, but I hesitated for so long.
Not because this isn’t a good recipe, but more because I make the poke a little differently each time and have never written down the recipe. Poke is one of those dinners you can make with just a few ingredients or with a lot of ingredients. None of the measurements have to be exact. And each person can customize their bowls to their liking, which makes it great if you’re feeding a more picky crowd.
Anyway, I’ve never written down the poke bowl recipe I put together for Red, so I’ve never shared it, but the time has finally come. I wrote some things down, figured out our favorite poke combinations, and here we are!
Poke bowls for Monday night dinner…just in time for Red, who’s finally coming home to CO tonight after being in China.
The Poke
Since poke is really all about the tuna, make sure you’re using fresh sushi-grade tuna. I always buy mine at Whole Foods, but I will say, they don’t always have it. It’s a little hit or miss, but when they do, I snatch it up for poke.
Cube the tuna, and for the marinade, I like to keep mine simple: tamari (soy sauce), sesame chili oil, ginger, and then green onions and toasted sesame seeds. I’ve found this to be the combo everyone loves most. If you don’t like spicy food, just use sesame oil.
Most poke bowls have a spicy mayo on top. It’s usually just mayo and sriracha mixed together. This is great and super simple, but I like to add tamari and a small amount of honey to balance the spiciness.
The added salt and sweetness make the sauce just a little more special. It’s creamy and honestly so delicious. And we’re not really a mayo-loving family either.
Everything else
The only other “must-have” is rice. You have to have rice to serve the poke over, then the rest is all extra.
My bowls almost always include a quick cucumber salad and avocado.
I made these bowls extra special with some fried shallots mixed with Panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds. It’s definitely extra, but so delicious.
Everyone in my family has agreed (well except my mom, she will not eat fish), they could easily eat this once a week. It’s on rotation when Red and Hailey are home.
Looking for other seafood?
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos with Fried Avocado
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Honey Garlic Salmon Soba Noodle Bowls
Lastly, if you make Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 843 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Poke
- 2 (4 ounce) sushi grade tuna steaks, cubed
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon sesame chili oil or regular sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3-4 cups sushi rice, cooked
- avocado, pickled ginger, and nori sheets – for serving
- fried shallot crumbs (recipe in notes)
Spicy Mayo
- 1/3 cup olive oil mayo
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- 1. To make the poke. In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, soy sauce (or tamari), sesame chili oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, green onion, and sesame seeds. Toss to mix.2. To make the cucumber salad. Toss together the cucumbers, rice vinegar, honey, and a pinch each of chili flakes and salt. 3. To make the Spicy Mayo. In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, sriracha, honey, and soy sauce (or tamari). 4. To assemble, add the rice to bowls, top with avocado, cucumber salad, poke, pickled ginger, green onions, and nori. Spoon over the spicy mayo. Sprinkle on the crumbs. Serve with additional spicy mayo.
Notes
Fried Shallot Crumbs: In a skillet combine 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 2 thinly sliced shallots over medium heat. Cook until golden, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1/3 cup Panko and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Season with salt.
Since I tried this recipe for the first time, it became one of my FAVORITE recipes. It is sooooo good! Easy to make and tastes like a restaurant quality dish. Thank u for an amazing recipe!!!
Hi there,
Perfect!! Love to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed and thanks so much for making it so often! Happy Mother’s Day!💐
Best poke ever! Beautiful recipe. Absolute perfection.
Hi Diane,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌸🌤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
This was amazing! Big hit for a weeknight meal! Had to sub in salmon as Whole Foods was out of sushi grade tuna but still delicious.
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Friday!!🍍🥥 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
We loved this!! The crispy shallots are a MUST!! Thanks again for another fantastic recipe.
Hey Charlene,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
This recipe is spot on, my husband asked to add it to the dinner repertoire once a week! So much flavour. We’ve served it for company 3 times now, it never disappoints. I’ve started adding ataulfo mangos to it, the little bit of sweetness is delish 🙂
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Omg! This poke was sooooo good. It packs a ton of flavor in every bite. I’m never going to go out for poke again.
Hi Danielle,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
My boyfriend went crazy over this! Absolutely hit this one out if the park!
Hi Diane,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
I’m going to use your words “holy freaking yum”. This was easy and delicious! I will certainly make it again. The mayo sauce is delicious.
Hey Ellen,
Happy Wednesday!! LOL I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
So yummy! I had salmon on hand and seared it (because not sushi grade). All the components were so good and I can’t wait to try it with tuna.
Hi Monica,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
This was heavenly! So good, I made it exactly and halved the recipe – love the cucumber salad rather than just plain fantastic! Perfect for the 8 Oz fish portions from my local supermarket!
Hey Thea,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Could you leave poke marinating overnight for leftovers? Thanks!
Hi Jordan,
I would just do one night, but no more than that. Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This recipe is awesome!! So easy to prep and the meal was delicious! Couldn’t find sushi grade tuna at Whole Foods, but I found it at Aldi! Will definitely make this again! Thank you so much!!
Hey Chelsea,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you:)
This looks so good but what shocked me were how many calories are in this dish, especially because it is fish!
Hi Mary,
The estimated calorie count is listed above the ingredient list:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can the shallot panko be made ahead of time or will it loose it’s crunch? This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to serve it tonight as the perfect foil to days of more traditional Thanksgiving fare this week.
Hey Sara,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do, I would just be sure to keep in an airtight container. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
How long should the tuna be marinated before it’s ready to eat? Thanks
Hey Austin,
It doesn’t need long at all, it can just marinate while you are completing the rest of the recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Loved all the elements in this dish! But my tuna was soooooo salty. Almost inedible! And i followed the directions to a T!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for giving this dish a try!! Did you use low sodium soy sauce? Let me know how I can help! xx
This was amazing! Every part, perfect easy dinner. Thank you!
Hey Kathy,
Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
So so good! Very easy to make. Tasted better than any restaurant and we live on the coast in California! I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks Red for inspiring Tieghan to put out this recipe!
Hey Danielle,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx