Poke Bowl Recipe

One of my favorite fresh, light and healthy dinners is this simple poke bowl recipe! My go-to ahi tuna poke is spooned over jasmine rice, before being topped with creamy avocado, crunchy radishes, sprouts and furikake seasoning. It’s a quick, customizable dinner I just can’t get enough of. Think of them as bowls of deconstructed sushi, with the ability to mix and match every bite exactly how you like!

I shared my classic ahi poke several years ago, and it’s been a huge hit ever since I put it on the site. We make this poke bowl recipe on a regular basis, especially through the spring and summer, serving it as an appetizer, or as a light and healthy main. I’ve topped it with crunchy radishes, creamy avocado, a tangle of sprouts and Japanese sesame-seaweed furikake seasoning, but I love how customizable this poke can be in terms of toppings or rice choices.

Brian – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just made this for dinner and it was easily one of the best meals ever!!! So easy, so delicious, so nutritious and so impressive!

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Jasmine rice – Jasmine rice is the perfect texture for all those yummy poke flavors and has that slight stickiness of sushi rice while being fluffier and much easier to cook. Switch it out for brown rice or cooked quinoa as well, or make up some classic sushi rice.
• Ahi tuna – Make sure to use sushi-grade (also called sashimi-grade) ahi tuna. Do not buy frozen tuna steaks in bags. Instead, get to know your fishmonger and ask questions to ensure you are getting the best product that is safe to eat raw.
• Sauces – Gluten-free soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, and wasabi paste balance together to make a slightly sweet, slightly spicy savory dressing for the tuna.
• Scallions – I use chopped green onions for added freshness which will permeate the dressing and still taste great raw.
• Sesame seeds – Pre-toasted sesame seeds are easiest for a lovely nutty flavor, but I often toast my own in a small frying pan. Black sesame seeds will add visual drama to the dish, or you could use a mix of both.
• Avocado – I love the creaminess ripe avocado adds to a poke bowl. Choose one that is only just ripe (I know this can be so tricky to judge!) so you get nice clean slices. A good poke bowl is as much about visual effect as it is taste.
• Radishes – I add these a little bit of bite as well as their pretty pink color, but you can also sub or add cucumber for extra crunch!
• Sprouts – Use alfalfa, broccoli, or even bean sprouts, but only fresh bean sprouts as the ones from the can will make the dish soggy.
• Furikake rice seasoning – This stuff is SO good and you’ll love having it on hand for other recipes! It’s a blend of sesame seeds, dried seaweed, salt, sugar, and dried fish flakes in the non-vegan versions. It’s often used to season Japanese rice and it’s great for adding flavor and texture to Asian-inspired dishes.

How To Make

Find the full recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post!

Cook the rice – First, I add the rice to a medium saucepan with 4 cups of water. I cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, I give it a good stir, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover it again. I let the rice simmer for 15–20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and little steam holes appear across the surface. Then I remove it from the heat, fluff it gently with a fork, cover it to keep warm, and set it aside while I prepare the toppings.

Make the poke – To make the tuna poke, I cut the tuna steaks into ¼- to ⅓-inch cubes. I then add them to a mixing bowl along with the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and wasabi paste, then toss everything together. Then I stir in the chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Prepare the toppings – Next, I slice the avocado and radishes, as well as prepare any additional toppings (I’ve included some ideas below!)

Assemble – To assemble the poke bowls I divide the rice between serving bowls before adding the tuna, and then arranging the sprouts and sliced radishes. I then add few slices of avocado and a generous sprinkle of furikake before serving!

Recipe Variations

• Use salmon – Sashimi-grade salmon will also work in place of the tuna in the same dressing.
• Low carb poke bowls – If you’re looking to lighten up the carbs, you can omit the rice, then add fresh spring salad mix, cauliflower rice, or broccoli rice instead. A mix of salad leaves and rice also will give the same flavors, but a bit lighter.
• Make it creamy – Add a little mayo (Asian-style Kewpie mayo works great if you have it) to the poke mixture, and add more honey and soy sauce to balance things out to taste.

Serving Suggestions

Top off these ahi tuna poke bowls with strands of pickled ginger, edamame and some shredded carrots for extra color. Really, any ingredients that would work on an Asian-inspired rice, salad or noodle bowl make great poke toppings, including cucumber and kimchi. Mango and pineapple also work well with poke to add some tropical vibes!

You can also drizzle on some spicy mayo or ponzu sauce if you want to add extra flavor creaminess (in the case of the mayo) and spice.

I’ve written this recipe to serve six as individual bowls assembled by you, but you can also bring the ahi tuna, rice and all the toppings to the table and let people build their own!

Storage Notes

Because of the raw fish, you should always finish a poke bowl the day it is made. But, if you want to get ahead with some of the elements of the bowl (or have leftovers of those!) you can make the dressing for the tuna and the rice up to three days ahead (cool it as fast as you can to room temperature before refrigerating to prevent harmful bacteria from forming).

Frequently Asked Questions

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