Hawaiian Ahi Poke (Ahi Poke)
Ahi Poke Say it: AH-hee POH-keh
Poke is Hawaii’s beloved raw fish salad, traditionally made with cubes of fresh ahi tuna, sea salt, seaweed, and roasted kukui nut. This shoyu-style version adds soy sauce, sesame oil, and sweet Maui onion for a savory, nutty, briny flavor with a silky, tender texture. It is eaten year-round as a pupu (appetizer), over rice, or as a light main, and is prized for its clean, ocean-bright taste and quick preparation.
Hawaiian Ahi Poke (Ahi Poke)
Ahi Poke
Pronounced AH-hee POH-keh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
Also egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, nuts, soy, fish, sesame. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the poke
For serving
Method
Place the cubed tuna in a medium bowl and keep it refrigerated while you prepare the sauce.
In a small bowl, whisk together the shoyu, sesame oil, neutral oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the sugar and salt dissolve and the sauce is glossy.
Pour the sauce over the tuna and fold gently with a silicone spatula until every cube is evenly coated and glistening.
Add the scallions, sweet onion, inamona, and seaweed; fold again just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes, until the tuna just begins to absorb the marinade and the edges look slightly darker.
Taste and adjust with more salt or a few drops of rice vinegar if needed.
Serve cold, topped with sesame seeds and diced avocado if using.
Regional variant: Traditional Hawaiian Limu Ahi Poke
Omit the shoyu, sesame oil, neutral oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and sweet onion. Instead, toss 1 lb (450 g) cubed ahi tuna with 1 tsp Hawaiian sea salt, 2 tbsp chopped limu kohu, 2 tbsp inamona, and 1/4 cup (30 g) thinly sliced sweet onion; serve immediately. This is the older, more austere style.
Cook's notes
- Buy sashimi-grade tuna from a reliable fishmonger and keep it cold until just before cubing.
- Do not marinate longer than 30 minutes, or the fish will become mushy.
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of shoyu and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
Serve with
Steamed white rice, cucumber slices, or seaweed salad; traditionally served as a pupu with cold beer.
Make ahead and storage
Poke is best eaten within 30 minutes of dressing; leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 day but the fish will soften.
