Best Ahi Poke Recipe

The classic Hawaiian poke ahi consists of raw tuna with soy sauce (shoyu), garlic and onions. It’s rich and creamy, perfect with rice or as an appetizer!

Poke is one of life’s greatest pleasures. A bite is an explosion in the mouth. You get the silky, buttery texture of ahi tuna (and you’ll wonder if you’ve really bitten into butter). There’s the savory umami of soy sauce, the crunch of onion, the spicy ginger and that sexy garlic essence…really, there’s nothing quite like it! Poke is an increasingly popular Hawaiian food in the United States. Here’s what you need to know to make Ahi Poke at home!

Looking for a poke bowl with rice and veggies? Access our classic Poke Bowl recipe.
Cooking for herbivores too? Make vegan poke.

What is that ? And what is Shoyu Ahi Poke?

Poke means “slice” or “cut crosswise into pieces” in Hawaiian. It refers to raw fish cut into cubes. It comes from a Hawaiian fisherman who seasoned the leftovers of his catch for a snack! Poke is a Hawaiian food – American, but much of its flavor is influenced by Japanese cuisine: soy sauce, scallions, and sesame oil.

You can prick any raw fish, such as raw salmon or octopus. But the most popular fish used for poke is yellowfin tuna or ahi tuna. You will see this called hey growing Where tuna. What is Shoyu Ahi Poke? So shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce shoyu ahi poke means poke with ahi tuna and soy sauce. Basically they are all words for the same thing!

Use sushi- or sashimi-grade ahi tuna!

The most important part of Ahi Poke is… you guessed it, the Ahi Tuna! You’re going to want to find the best ahi tuna you can find. If you’re making this recipe, we’re assuming you’re also a sushi fan. They use the same quality of fish as your favorite sushi restaurant: labeled for sushi or sashimi (the raw fish served without rice). Here are some things to consider when buying tuna for poking:

• Buy branded ahi tuna Sushi or sashimi quality.
• Depending on the grocery store, this can be in the frozen fish area or at the fish counter.
• If you are unsure, check with the store to confirm that this fish is safe to eat raw.

What’s in Ahi Poke?

So what’s in it? It’s very simple and the quality depends 100% on the quality of your Ahi Tuna. Once you have your fish, marinate it in a mixture containing:

• Sushi or sashimi quality ahi tuna (also called yellowfin tuna), diced
• Sweet yellow onion (similar to the traditional Maui onion), sliced
• Green Onionscut
• soy pasture
• sesame oil (natural, not grilled)
• Gingerchopped
• Garlicchopped
• Sriracha

Marinate Your Tuna Bag (and a Shortcut!)

In order for the flavor to fully penetrate the ahi poke, most recipes require a marinating time of at least 1 hour. What if you wanted to eat it right away? Alex and I tried our Ahi Poke right away, after 30 minutes and after 1 hour to see how the flavor changed. Here is the bottom of the marinade:

• Immediately: The taste is immediately fantastic! It’s very forward and nice and strong. If you’re pressed for time, do it.
• 30 minutes: Marinating for just 15 to 30 minutes completes the taste.
• 1 hour: If you have time, marinate for 1 hour: the flavors really penetrate the fish! After marinating, you need to taste and add some salt to bring out the flavor as the soy will be a bit wilted.

How to serve Ahi Poke

There are two ways to serve Poke Ahi: as an appetizer and in a Poke Bowl!

• Aperitif: You can serve the fish directly as an appetizer. Serve the bowl and everyone can dig with chopsticks or in small bowls. Or serve with plantain chips for dipping!
• Poke Bowl: Here’s our Poke Bowl recipe! There are many ways to make a poke bowl, but it’s typically served with short grain rice and lots of crunchy raw vegetables.

Other good poke recipes

want more ideas There are some great resources from Hawaiian chefs:

This recipe is…

Pescetarian, gluten free and dairy free.