If you love sushi but have never tried a poke bowl, you don’t know what you’re missing! Poke bowl places have been popping up around the Triangle for the last few years and I was skeptical at first. Once I tried it, I realized it’s basically a deconstructed sushi roll. I eat them all the time now!
The best part about poke bowls are the options to make it your own. You can make your bowl exactly how you’d like it but ya’ll already know I’m making mine spicy!
The first thing you’ll need to make these bowls is sushi grade tuna. If you prefer salmon, that’s fine – you can just sub out for salmon and use all the same ingredients. I found my tuna at Wegmans, which is a large grocery chain that features sustainably sourced seafood. It’s high quality and you can get the employees working the sushi counter to cut you a piece to your liking. Because of the quality, it’s not cheap. However I live by the motto “you get what you pay for”, and this rings true here.
If you live in the Triangle, The Butcher’s Market locations carry sushi grade tuna as well. You can also call around to local fish mongers in your area to find sushi grade fish. I cut mine in small chunks and mix together the marinade, then set it in the fridge until I need it. This marinade was very simple – just scallions, soy sauce, & sriracha.
Then I prepare the spicy mayo. Spicy mayo is actually very simple to make at home – it’s just chili garlic sauce, mayo, and a tiny bit of sweetened condensed milk mixed together. If you don’t have sweetened condensed milk on hand, you can just leave it out. I think the milk just adds a touch of flavor that adds to the mixture but it’s not 100% necessary. You can also use sriracha instead of chili garlic sauce if you don’t have any.
The only thing left to do is cook your rice and chop up any toppings you’d like to add into your bowl. You can buy sushi rice, but honestly I just used plain white rice because it’s what I had on hand. You can’t tell a difference when it’s thrown in with all the other ingredients.
Some common toppings for poke bowls are: seaweed salad (I purchased this at Wegmans as well), cucumber, mango, avocado, edamame, green onions, wasabi peas, fried onions, jalapenos, kimchi, watermelon radish, and ginger. You don’t have to put all of these on your bowl! I usually have about 4-5 toppings after I put the rice and meat in my bowl. You can make yours with as many or as little as you want.
Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls
Ingredients
For the Tuna:
- 8 oz. sushi grade ahi tuna
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion
- 2 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sriracha
For the Spicy Mayo:
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 2 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp sweetened condensed milk
For the Bowl:
- 1 cup sushi rice or white rice
- 1 cup cucumbers, sliced
- 1/2 cup wasabi peas
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup mango, diced
- 1 cup seaweed salad
- sriracha, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the tuna into small chunks. In a medium bowl, combine tuna and marinade ingredients. If you don't want it spicy, leave out the sriracha. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cook the rice according to package directions. While that's cooking, whisk together the spicy mayo ingredients. If you want it thinner, add in a tablespoon of milk.
- Assemble the bowls with rice and/or greens at the bottom. Then add the spicy tuna, toppings, and drizzle with the spicy mayo and sriracha.
