This Ahi Poke recipe is inspired by our time spent in Maui, and the flavor tastes just like the ultra fresh poke you can find on the Hawaiian islands. Fresh raw, cubed marinated ahi is met with a delicious soy based ahi marinade. We love Hawaiian style recipes, and this is one I could eat for every meal! Healthy, flavorful and fresh, it hits every mark.
Ahi Poke Recipe
Ahi Poke is a fresh fish salad. It uses fresh ahi tuna, cut into cubes, and marinated in a simple soy based marinade. The dish is not cooked, so using fresh, high quality ahi is crucial!
This recipe only uses a few ingredients. The shining star of any poke recipe should be the fresh fish!
Purchasing Ahi Tuna for Poke
Poke can seem intimidating, but it’s actually pretty easy. The most important aspect of this recipe is using high quality, fresh ahi tuna. I recommend going to a local store, or buying it from an online fish market. Here’s my biggest tips for buying ahi to make your own poke!
- Sushi or Sashimi Grade is Important: This means the fish was flash frozen at sea, with no time for it to degrade.
- Did you know? Sushi/Sashimi Grade is a term not regulated by the FDA. Always purchase from a reputable source. You can read about safely serving fish here.
- You’ll want to look for smell, color, and ingredients. That’s no fishy smell, a bright rich color, and no added ingredients.
- Buying from a fresh case can actually be less fresh than frozen. Even high quality fish mongers sell frozen fish for poke. This is because it gets flash frozen at its freshest point!
- Ahi tuna should have no smell. If you’re prepping it and it has a fishy odor, toss it immediately (and ask the store for a refund).
Personal Note: There is one place I do not recommend frozen Ahi tuna, and that’s Trader Joes. It is thinly sliced, and 2/3 of the times I’ve had it, it has had a bad smell.
Thawing Frozen Ahi Tuna
Since most sushi grade ahi tuna will be frozen, thawing it properly is an important step. Skip the microwaves and warm water baths. Simply thaw it in the refrigerator on a plate (covered with plastic wrap or in a plastic bag). It should thaw within 4-6 hours.
Ahi Poke Marinade Recipe
The best poke has a lightly flavored marinade so that the flavor of the ahi tuna really shines through. I worked this marinade countless times before posting this recipe. If you follow me on Instagram you have seen my poke chronicles, where I order a poke bowl at every restaurant I possibly can. I honestly consider myself a poke expert at this point!
Poke Marinade Ingredients
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Rice Vinegar
- Honey
- Fresh Ginger
- Fresh Garlic
- Green Onions
Making Poke at Home
It’s a pretty straight forward process to making poke at home. Getting flavorful fresh fish is the most important part, then it’s easy!
- Make marinade
- Combine ingredients, and whisk well.
- Cube ahi:
- Leave the ahi slightly chilled as it will be easier to slice.
- First, pat the ahi dry with a paper towel.
- Then, using a very sharp knife, cut away any bloodlines, or uneven (sinewy) edges.
- Cut the ahi into 3/4 inch cubes. The more even the better for consistency!
- Combine the cubed ahi with the marinade.
- I recommend allowing it to chill for at least 30 minutes in the marinade before serving.
- Serve on its own, with rice, or a salad!
- You can use this easy oven baked rice trick.
- This honey sesame dressing over mixed greens is my go-to with fresh poke. It has a light Asian flavor with a creamy finish that pairs so well with the fish.
- This also goes so great with pickled cucumbers on the side!
- Serve it with some Mango Iced tea.
Storing Poke
Prepared poke should be eaten within 24 hours. Keep it at or below 38 degrees fahrenheit in the fridge, in a covered container. You cannot refreeze ahi tuna after it’s already been thawed from frozen. Additionally, you cannot freeze leftover poke. Do not consume poke after it has been out of the refrigerator for more than 1 hour at room temperature.
TLDR: Make poke, and eat it all in the same day. Easy!
RE: Food Safety: Note that it is important to be well informed about the risks of consuming raw fish. Here’s a good article with some information.
More Recipes Like This
- Seared Ahi Tuna
- Homemade Poke Bowls
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Grilled Chicken Tenders
- Huli Huli Chicken
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Enjoy! – Kathi and Rachel
Ahi Poke Recipe (Hawaiian Style)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ahi tuna steak (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 1.5 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1.5 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 1.5 tsp fresh garlic (grated)
- 2 tbsp green onions (sliced)
Instructions
- Make marinade. Combine ingredients, and whisk well. Set aside.
- Cube ahi: Leave the ahi slightly chilled as it will be easier to slice. - First, pat the ahi dry with a paper towel. - Then, using a very sharp knife, cut away any bloodlines, or uneven (sinewy) edges.- Cut the ahi into 3/4 inch cubes.
- Combine the cubed ahi with the marinade, toss well and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours before serving.
- Serve & enjoy!
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