OMG!!! This Easy Keto Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl has quickly become my FAVOURITE easy keto summer recipe! This deliciously healthy dish takes only about 5 minutes to come together and is not only low in carbs but also super healthy!
Once again, I have fallen in love! This Keto Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl is a 5-minute keto dish that is a super healthy keto recipe.
With the temperatures soaring, I wanted a light and refreshing healthy keto recipe that did not require me to turn on my oven. And, since I had recently discovered some leftover ahi tuna in my freezer (I sometimes feel like my freezer is like a black hole!), I decided to try my hand at an easy poke bowl recipe.
Like my other hot weather healthy keto recipes like my Keto Broccoli Salad with Maple Bacon Dressing , Healthy Keto Roasted Vegetable Pepperoni Salad, or my Healthy Crunchy Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad, this recipe does not require any oven time!
Serve it with some of my Nordic Nut and Seed Bread or my Whole30 Gluten-Free Bread Recipe for the perfect summer lunch or dinner!
What is usually in a poke bowl?
Poke bowl nutrition is derived from the base ingredient, protein items, sauces and toppings. A poke bowl base usually consists of rice, with protein choices of tuna, tofu, salmon and many more options. Sauces are an essential part of a poke bowl and can consist of wasabi mayo, eel sauce and dragon aioli.
Authentic poke bowls originated in Hawaii. The term "poke" means "cut-up". Poke is rooted in the days when native Hawaiian fishermen would slice up smaller reef fish and serve them raw, seasoned with whatever was on hand—usually condiments such as sea salt, candlenut, seaweed and limu, a kind of brown algae. Poke is traditionally made with ahi tuna or octopus.
Wanting to stay as traditional as possible with "everyday" ingredients as well as trying to keep the carbs as low as possible to create a keto poke bowl, I swapped out a couple of ingredients from Cook's Country's recipe and made the most delicious Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl recipe EVER (and did I mention how easy it is?!).
Easy Poke Bowl Recipe Ingredients
As I stated earlier, this recipe requires only some pretty basic ingredients.
Ahi Tuna (also known as Yellowfin tuna) - I always use tuna that has been frozen. To thaw the tuna, I simply place it in the fridge overnight.
Shallot - The original recipe called for a sweet onion and I decided to swap the onion with a shallot instead. Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavour with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat.
Salted dry roasted peanuts - The original recipe called for macadamia nuts which you can ABSOLUTELY use instead of peanuts. I opted for peanuts as they are significantly cheaper than macadamia nuts and it is what I had in my pantry. For Paleo or Whole30 options, use any type of salted nut or seed.
Scallions - These are also called green onions or spring onions.
Soy sauce - For a Paleo or Whole30 option, use coconut aminos instead.
Sesame oil - The original recipe called for a mix of vegetable oil and sesame oil. To simplify things, I used only toasted sesame oil. Sesame oil is full of antioxidants. Along with vitamin E and phytosterols, it contains lignans, sesamol, and sesaminol.
Grated ginger - I personally find grating ginger to be quite the pain in the you-know-what so I opted for minced ginger made by the Ginger People.
Garlic - You will need 1 clove of garlic. To keep this keto summer recipe really easy, I used minced garlic from Dorot. I absolutely LOVE this stuff as is stored frozen and 1 cube is equal to 1 clove of garlic.
Hot Sauce - The original recipe called for hot pepper flakes but I swapped the dried flakes for Chung Lung One Gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a red-coloured paste, made from Korean chilli peppers, fermented soybeans, and salt. You can use any type of hot garlic sauce if you do not have this Korean sauce.
*See the recipe card for quantities.
Easy Poke Bowl Recipe Instructions
Ready for the easiest ever keto summer recipe?!
Step 1: Prep the ingredients and make the sauce
Chop the tuna into approximately 1-inch cubes. Dice the green and yellow parts of the onion and add it to the bowl with the tuna. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and whisk until combined.
Step 2: Toss all the ingredients together and let them sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Hint: Do not add the peanuts until right before serving as they can get a little soggy
Substitutions for Whole30 or Paleo
For those of you following a Paleo or Whole30 diet, feel free to substitute the following:
- Peanuts - since peanuts are a legume and not allowed when following a Whole30 or Paleo diet, instead of peanuts, you can use any type of nut or seed
- Soy Sauce - Most soy sauces contain gluten so use coconut aminos instead
- Gochujang - You can use Frank's Red Hot which is both Whole30 and Paleo approved
Healthy Keto Recipe Variations
This whole30 keto recipe can be used to create an entire meal by adding some fresh cut-up veggies or other ingredients.
- Salad - Toss this healthy keto tuna with some lettuce and add some Keto Ginger Salad Dressing
- Sandwich -Make some buns using my Whole30 Gluten-Free Bread Recipe or my Keto Bread Sticks
- Summer BBQ - Make some of this Whole30 Loaded Mustard Vinaigrette Coleslaw and some tuna on top
- Poke Bowl - Add some sliced watermelon radishes, edamame, tomato and some avocado for the most delicious healthy keto recipe (I drizzled my keto ahi tuna poke bowl with some mayo mixed with some Gochujang sauce...so good!!!!)
Is raw tuna safe?
We have all consumed raw foods, mostly fruits, and vegetables, but there is always extra caution required when it comes to uncooked animal products. Animals may harbour disease-causing parasites in their flesh, which are transmitted to people who consume such uncooked meat.
It is generally safe to eat raw tuna if all of the contaminants are eliminated. Seafood, especially tuna, is almost always free of disease-causing organisms if it thrives in the natural habitat- the sea, and is appropriately handled all the way. The only chance of contamination is if and when the tuna is mishandled from the point of harvesting to when it is consumed.
Always freeze your tuna before eating it raw. Freezing the tuna ensures that it is safe to eat raw. To thaw your tuna, simply place it on a plate in the fridge overnight.
Storage
This easy poke bowl recipe can be stored for up to 3 days. Make sure that you refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and do not leave the leftovers on the counter at room temperature for very long.
I do not suggest refreezing the tuna as it will lose its texture.
Top tip
Toss the tuna with the dressing and the green onions and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to come together. When you are ready to serve the tuna, toss the ingredients one last time and sprinkle with the chopped nuts,
PrintEasy Keto Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
OMG!!! This Easy Keto Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl has quickly become my FAVOURITE easy keto summer recipe! This deliciously healthy dish takes only about 5 minutes to come together and is not only low in carbs but also super healthy!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless yellowfin/ahi tuna, cut into ¾-1 inch cubes
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped salted peanuts (or other salted nut or seed)
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Gochujang sauce (or other hot sauce)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the tuna and green onions in a medium-size bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients, except for the peanuts. Stir to combine the ingredients. Pour the sauce over the tuna and onions and toss carefully to coat. Place the bowl, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to serve the ahi tuna poke, toss the ingredients one more time and then sprinkle the poke with the chopped nuts. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- You can make this dish up to 24 hours in advance
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Resting in fridge: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Hawaiin, Asian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 1
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 30
C.N
So good and delicious!
McKenzie
I love poke bowls but was nervous trying one at home. I followed this recipe exactly as written and it was soooooooooo good!