Name: Hawaiian-style Ahi Poke Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs Fresh Ahi (Cubed ); 1 tbsp Sea Salt; 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger (Minced ); 2 tbsp Shoyu or Soy Sauce; 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; 1 tsp Sambal or Chili Sauce; 1/2 cup Onions (Diced); 5 stalks Scallions (Chopped); 1 tsp Sesame Seeds

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Chef Sheldon Simeon and Chef Chris Cho — This is how you make Ahi Poke!

Ahi Poke is literally cut-up or sliced tuna that has been seasoned with classic Asian sauces.

When I went to Hawai’i, I was honored to meet and be taught by Chef Sheldon Simeon. He is a Filipino-American Professional chef who’s been reppin’ the Hawai’ian cuisine hard. According to him, the aloha spirit is real and he can’t WAIT to share it with the rest of the world.

During my visit, I got to witness him cook up Ahi Poke and Loco Moco for me and my wife. Delicious is an understatement for the dishes he made! He knew there were a lot of joints around the island, and he wanted us to taste nothing but the best!

Note: The recipe is approximated and you can check out his cookbook Cook Real Hawai’i to know the specific measurements.

Preparing the Ahi Tuna for Poke

Disclaimer: I get a small commission at no additional cost to you when you make a qualified purchase under the affiliate links.

For this recipe, you will need sashimi-grade tuna. While sometimes it can be hard or confusing to get “sashimi-grade”, you can:

Go to your favorite sushi place and simply order tuna sashimi. By doing this, you can be sure it’s good quality and good to be eaten raw.
If there are grocery stores, especially Asian groceries that sell raw fish, make sure to check the label if it is “sashimi-grade”. Always ask to confirm.
You can also go to your local fish market and ask the sellers which fish they sell can be eaten raw.

When you get your fish, do your due diligence to double-check if it has vibrant color and no foul odors. While ahi is a great option to make poke, you can also use salmon sashimi or blanched octopus to make this recipe!

Poke does not require any cooking so make sure to chop it up as soon as you buy your items. Use clean surfaces, and maintain a clean surrounding as you handle the fish. Also, using sea salt will be great for the curing of tuna!

Seasonings and Ingredients for Ahi Poke

Poke uses basic seasonings typical in any Asian household, but the flavors of umami are bursting through the roof. You’ll only need shoyu/soy sauce and oyster sauce for the main flavor, sesame oil for a nutty finish, and sambal for spice.

I honestly think this dish is a great representation of the island. It uses different ingredients from different cultures and they come together so great! Hawai’i is a melting pot of culture and the chill, happy, and vibrant spirit is all over the place.

Mixing in the aromatics: ginger, onion, and scallions — Aromatics: Ginger, onion, and scallions

For the aromatics, traditional items used are scallions and onion. However, Chef Sheldon recommends adding ginger to add freshness and pop to the fish. Not everyone might like the taste of ginger, so you can dice it really small or skip it altogether.

When using onions, they will be placed in the poke raw. If the taste is too strong for you, you can lessen the amount recommended or you can soak the onions in cold water for 5 minutes as well.

How to Serve Ahi Poke?

Before serving, let the ahi marinate for 30 minutes so it soaks in all the flavors. Poke can be served as an appetizer or on a bed of warm (not hot) rice or salads.

The ahi must be consumed the day it was made as the fish can start to go bad after some time. If not ready to consume, you can refrigerate it in an airtight container.

According to Chef Sheldon, at the core, you can simply get fresh ahi, cure it, and serve it with fresh seaweed (not nori), and you can enjoy it as it is. But this is also another way that locals love it so I think you should give this a try!

Other appetizers you may like:

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!

Print Recipe