Poke Nachos with Baked Wonton Chips

If you love poke, nachos, and appetizers that disappear within minutes, this is the recipe for you. This restaurant quality appetizer is so easy and fresh. Crispy golden wonton chips (which are baked, not fried!), are piled high with fresh ahi tuna poke, loads of toppings, and drizzled with a honey sesame sauce that comes together quickly. The end result is a surprisingly fast, but impressive dish that a crowd goes wild for. The contrast between the cold poke, and the golden crispy wonton chips is restaurant quality delicious! 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

On a recent trip to Maui, I made these on a whim. This is a surprisingly easy recipe to make in an AirBnB, because all you need is a fresh toppings (so no special cooking equipment required). The wonton chips are fresh and unique, baked on a simple sheet pan.

• Crispy baked wonton chips (instead of fried) 
• Restaurant quality appetizer made right at home
• Ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes
• Perfect for parties, gatherings, and especially Summer entertaining
• Versatile: You can load up the toppings or keep it simple. 
• Hearty: Protein packed from the ahi so it’s enough to be a snack-dinner!

How to Make Poke Nachos

The trick to delicious poke nachos is a good poke recipe. The shining star of any good poke recipe is fresh fish! You can dress the poke in a variety of ways. My favorite way is featured in our Hawaiian Style Poke Recipe. It’s fresh ahi tuna, cubed and dressed in a light shoyu mixture.  You could mix your poke with spicy mayo, ponzu, or even just with soy sauce if you prefer it simple. 

Buying & Preparing 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 frozen fish market.

• 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! 
  • If you purchase frozen, allow for it to thaw in a bowl of cool water in the refrigerator.
• 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 while you’re at it). 

Wonton Chip Recipe

Instead of using tortilla chips, we really lean into the Pacific Islander flair of poke. The base of these poke nachos uses baked wonton chips. Yes, these are baked, not fried! You’ll want to purchase a package of small square wonton wrappers, usually found the refrigerated Asian aisle near the chow-mein noodles at your local grocery store.

Making Wonton Chips

Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. I encourage parchment paper for this recipe, the wontons lift right up from the parchment paper.

• Cut wontons in half (to make triangles) and place them on the parchment lined sheet pan.
• Spray them with olive oil (cooking spray works in a pinch) sprinkle with a little salt, and pop them in the oven.
  • Every oven is a little different, you’ll want to keep a close eye on them.
• In about 5-7 minutes, the wontons get crispy, and voila- you have wonton chips!
• Note that these can go from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds, so once they start to reach a nice golden brown, pull them.
  • The sheet pan is hot so they will continue to cook a little as they rest. 

Allow the wonton chips to cool a little (or completely, if you prefer) before assembling nachos.

Assembling Poke Nachos

This is the fun part! Layer the poke, followed by toppings. I like to give this a drizzle of our honey sesame sauce, something about the sweetness of it plus the salty wonton chips is a match made in heaven. You could also use a wasabi mayo, or our favorite store bought teriyaki sauce, Bachan’s (not sponsored, just a product we love).

The toppings I used were lots of fresh avocado, diced red bell pepper (I don’t like spicy), green onions, and the sesame sauce I mentioned earlier. I really go for fresh and easy with mine, but chef’s choice. 

Poke Nacho Toppings

I love to make these super colorful and flavorful. Especially with creamy avocado! Something about it pairs so naturally well with the fresh poke. Here’s some topping options. You can go as simple or as big as you like.

• Avocado 
• Edamame 
• Red Bell Pepper
• Jalapeños 
• Cucumber
• Green Onion
• Radishes
• Mango 
• Seaweed Salad
• Crisp Onions
• Furikake
• Cilantro

Serving Wonton Nachos with Poke

This is a dish that is best served fresh. You don’t want to assemble them in advance, the chips would get soggy, however you can absolutely prep the ingredients a few hours in advance. 

A few things to keep in mind if you want to prep ahead: 

• You can make the poke up to 24 hours in advance. The longer it marinates, the more flavor it absorbs. 
• Avocado browns easily, so I recommend waiting to slice it until serving right before. 
• Prep the veggies up to 24 hours in advance. Onions, bell peppers, etc. 
• You can make the wonton chips up to a day ahead of time. 

Tips for Recipe Success

• Don’t overdress the nachos- drizzle well, but not overly so. You want crisp chips! 
• Buy high quality ahi. It makes a difference! 
• Watch wonton chips carefully as they bake. They can burn quickly! 

If you like this recipe, here’s a few more we think you’ll love: 

• Seared Ahi Appetizer
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Homemade Poke Bowls
• Easy Sushi Bake (California Roll Style)
• Sushi Cupcakes
• Crab Rangoon Pizza

Let’s eat!- Kathi and Rachel

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!

Easy & Fresh Poke Nachos (with wonton chips)

A simple recipe for easy and fresh poke nachos using baked wonton cups.

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Servings: 6 servings

Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

Wonton Chips

• 20 wonton wrappers (cut in triangles)
• olive oil spray
• salt

Hawaiian Style Poke

• 1 lb ahi tuna
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1.5 tsp fresh ginger
• 1.5 tsp fresh garlic
• 2 tbsp green onion

Toppings

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper (diced)
• 1/4 cup cucumber (diced)

Honey Sesame Drizzle

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

Prepare Wonton Chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Cut wontons in half, resulting in a triangle shape. Place wontons individually on the parchment lined sheet pan, being cautious not to overlap. Spray the tops of each wonton with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.

  Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep a close watch so they don't burn.

Prepare Poke

• Mix together poke marinade ingredients, whisk well until fully combined. Add diced ahi tuna. Mix well to incorporate, and refrigerate until ready to assemble nachos (but not longer than 24 hours, fresh ahi is key).

Mix Sesame Honey Dressing

• In a small bowl, combine ingredients, and whisk until no lumps remain. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble Nachos

• Add cooled wonton chips to a serving platter, followed by marinated ahi poke. Add toppings. Drizzle with honey sesame dressing. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 833mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1909IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg