Seafood

Serving

Seafood Quick & easy

Seared Ahi Poke Bowl

Name: Seared Ahi Poke Bowl
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 1 lb sushi-grade ahi tuna, cubed; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 cups cooked short-grain rice; 1 avocado, sliced; 1 cucumber, thinly sliced; 1 cup shredded carrots; 2 scallions, sliced; 1 sheet nori, cut into strips

Marinated cubes of sushi-grade ahi tuna served over rice with crisp vegetables and a savory soy-sesame dressing.

25 minutes

Serves 4

Lunch

11 min prep

19 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood Sesame Soy Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

5 steps

1
Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl.
2
Add cubed tuna and toss gently to coat; marinate 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
3
Divide rice among four bowls.
4
Top with marinated tuna, avocado, cucumber, and carrots.
5
Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and nori strips before serving.

Seared Ahi Poke Bowl — plated and served — Serving moment. How Seared Ahi Poke Bowl looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

57/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 50

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 58

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 30

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

650

Calories

36 g

Protein

86 g

Carbs

18 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Poke began as a simple Hawaiian fisherman's dish of cubed raw fish tossed with salt, seaweed, and roasted candlenut, and it has since evolved across mainland North America into a fully customizable rice-bowl format with soy-sesame dressing and a wide range of toppings.

Listahan note

This version briefly marinates the tuna rather than serving it fully raw and undressed, so the flavor is built in rather than left entirely to a drizzled sauce.

Technique cues

Use only sushi-grade tuna from a trusted source, since this dish is eaten raw or barely marinated rather than fully cooked.
Cut the tuna into even cubes so the marinade coats every piece consistently within the short marinating time.
Build the bowl in layers — rice, then toppings, then tuna last — so the presentation stays clean rather than everything blending together.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Cook the rice first since it takes the longest, then prep toppings while the tuna marinates.
Make-ahead: Cook the rice and prep the vegetables up to a day ahead; marinate the tuna only right before serving.
Leftover move: This dish is best eaten fresh the day it is made rather than saved as leftovers, given the raw fish.
Cleanup rhythm: A few small prep bowls for toppings keep the cutting board free, and everything assembles in the serving bowl itself.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Sushi-grade ahi tuna

Main protein

Purpose: Its clean flavor and firm texture are the entire point of the dish and need to be genuinely fresh since it is eaten raw.

Handling: Cube evenly and keep well chilled until just before serving.

Adaptation: Sushi-grade salmon works with the same marinade for a different but equally traditional poke style.

Soy sauce and sesame oil

Marinade

Purpose: This simple pairing is the backbone of poke's savory flavor.

Handling: Toss the tuna gently in the marinade and let it sit only briefly so it does not start to cure the fish.

Adaptation: Tamari makes the marinade gluten-free.

Short-grain rice

Base

Purpose: Its sticky texture holds the bowl together and is the traditional base for poke.

Handling: Cook and let cool slightly so it is warm, not hot, when the cold toppings go on.

Adaptation: Brown rice or a mix of greens work for a lower-carb base.

Avocado, cucumber, and carrots

Toppings

Purpose: They add creaminess, crunch, and color that round out the bowl.

Handling: Slice just before serving so they stay fresh and crisp.

Adaptation: Edamame, mango, or pickled ginger are all common poke bowl additions.

Technique notes

Buy the tuna the same day you plan to serve it, and keep it cold until the last possible moment.
Marinate for no more than 10-15 minutes — poke is meant to taste fresh, not fully cured like ceviche.
Balance textures deliberately: something creamy (avocado), something crunchy (carrots or cucumber), and something chewy (rice) in every bowl.

Ingredient swaps

Fish-free direction: This dish depends on raw fish and cannot be made fish-free while keeping its character; a marinated tofu poke bowl is a reasonable separate alternative for a fish-allergic diner.
Gluten-free direction: Use tamari instead of soy sauce for the marinade.
Sesame-free direction: Skip the sesame oil and seeds and use a neutral oil with a touch of rice vinegar instead.

Serve alongside

Edamame
Seaweed salad
Pickled ginger
Iced green tea
Sparkling water with lime
Crisp Sauvignon Blanc

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

This dish is best eaten immediately and is not intended for storage due to the raw fish.
If needed, refrigerate any unassembled components (rice, vegetables) separately for up to 1 day.
Freezing is not appropriate for any component of this dish.

Equipment

Sharp knife for cubing tuna
Rice cooker or pot
Mixing bowl

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