Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos (VIDEO)

How to Eat Ahi Tuna Poke

My many trips to Hawaii have instilled a deep love of Ahi Tuna Poke (especially from Foodland, our favorite place to get all types of fresh poke!) While this recipe is for Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos, you can actually eat the poke with or on top of many different dishes. Here are some ideas:

• Put it on top of rice with edameme, seaweed salad, and avocado to make an Ahi Tuna Poke bowl
• Place it on top of leafy greens, avocado, carrots, edamame (or any of your favorite vegetables) and eat it as a salad
• Eat with your favorite chips – tortilla chips, wonton chips, or taro chips all work great! You can even put it on top of the chips and make Ahi Tuna Nachos!

I like mine on top of rice and with a side of Hawaiian Mac Salad and some light Japanese Cucumber Salad. I love the food in Hawaii so much and my recipes for Chicken Katsu, Coconut Shrimp, and Mochiko Chicken are all inspired by my trips there!

Ingredient Tips

Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!

• taco shells – use your favorite taco shells. You can also refer above to other ways to eate Ahi Tuna Poke.
• sushi grade ahi tuna – the most important part of this dish is the ahi tuna – so I strongly urge you to use the best quality tuna you can find. The easiest way to do this is by buying “sushi grade” tuna – however, these regulations are loose and inconsistent in the US, so my recommendation is to go to a fishmonger and ask them for their highest quality tuna. If you explain you are making poke, they will be able to help you!
• soy sauce – this is the main seasoning for poke; you can also use shoyu (which is what is used in Hawaii), tamari or coconut aminos.
• Korean chili flakes – if you are sensitive to spice, I would leave this out.
• neutral oil – I used avocado oil but you can also use canola, grapeseed, or vegetable oil. Avoid olive oil, as the flavor will not go with Poke!
• sesame oil

Optional Garnishes:

• Avocado cubes, sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, scallions – pick and choose which ones you prefer!

Recipe Instructions

1. Cut the Ahi Tuna

Start by cutting the fresh ahi tuna pieces against the grain so that the muscle fibers break apart easily (see the left photo, below). This will create a more tender bite when enjoying the poke. Once sliced, cut the ahi tuna into 1 inch cubes as shown below.

Add to a bowl with thinly sliced onions, chopped scallions, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, salt, Korean chili flakes, neutral oil, and sesame oil. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap and let the Ahi Tuna marinate in the refridgerator for least 10 minutes – the longer the better!

If you are eating the Ahi Tuna Poke as it is, you can stop here and enjoy!

2. Assemble the Tacos

To make Ahi Tuna Poke tacos, it is super simple – take your favorite taco shells and assemble the taco by placing your desired amount of Ahi Tuna Poke, with any garnishes on top, and enjoy! For garnish, I love topping my Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos with cubed avocado, thinly cut scallions, and sesame seeds.

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips

Ahi Tuna Poke stores very well – you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may find that it tastes even better the day after!

Ahi Tuna Poke is meant to be eaten cold, so there is no need to reheat it.

If you have leftover assembled Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos, my recommendation would be to remove the Ahi Tuna Poke from the taco shells, discard the shells, and store the leftover Ahi Tuna Poke in an airtight container by itself. The taco shells will only soften and disintegrate as it’s exposed to any moisture.