Spicy ahi poke is perhaps my greatest love in the food world. First introduced to me when I visited Bowl #2’s family in Hawaii, poke is pretty much just fresh chunks of tuna marinated in soy sauce and other ingredients. Some describe it as a Hawaiian ceviche, which I find apt but not all-encompassing of its utter perfection (I just describe it as bliss). The standard version is one marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and a few other ingredients, whereas our personal favorite is a slightly unhealthier, spicy mayo-based kind that we usually get from Foodland, a Hawaii supermarket chain. This particular kind was part 2 of the Hawaiian birthday feast (part 1 is here), and here is the stunningly simple recipe for how to make it!
In terms of learning how to make this, it was probably the inverse of musubi for me — rather than something I tried over and over figuring it was easy, it was something I never tried to make because I always thought it would be too hard. Instead, I found spicy ahi poke to be surprisingly simple to do, which was exciting because it’s something that is fairly rare out here (and the restaurants that do offer some kind of “Hawaiian-Style Poke” usually serve something that doesn’t taste that similar to the real thing). That was particularly devastating, given that for awhile when we were in Hawaii I demanded it for lunch every single day. I probably won’t make it every day here, considering the steep price for ahi, but it’s a huge relief to know that we can make it if we really want to, and it’s not just a distant dream in that paradise (Food)land that we can only go back to every once in a blue moon.
Originally, the biggest obstacle in my mind was finding fresh fish that (a) tasted good and (b) didn’t kill us. Or at least didn’t give us toilet problems (sorry, tmi?). Maybe I am exaggerating this feat, but it seemed dubious. Raw fish is always a mystery to me. Anyway, it turns out that if you can find a good quality, flash frozen tuna labeled “sashimi grade,” it will do just fine, and the fish market near us has great quality frozen ahi. (Here’s an interesting NYT article on how freezing the fish may actually be better, since it kills parasites, and is actually extremely commonly done even among the best sushi restaurants in NYC!)
Once you find that, all you need is some everyday ingredients to marinate the poke in. Like I mentioned, it’s most commonly sesame oil, soy sauce, and chopped green onion, along with some other variations (often nori, for instance). But our spicy mayo-based marinade, based on the version from Foodland, adds Sriracha and mayonnaise to the mix. If you prefer the shoyu version, it is more or less just the first three steps of the recipe for spicy ahi poke, but I’ve also reprinted it on its own at the end.
Spicy Ahi Poke
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings. 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb yellowfin tuna steak, sushi or sashimi grade (fresh or flash frozen)
- about 1 tbsp soy sauce, to taste
- about 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, to taste
- 2 scallions, chopped finely
- 1/4 onion, sliced (optional)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise or Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (adjust depending on how spicy you like it)*
- 2 tsp tobiko or masago, if you feel like splurging 🙂
Instructions
- If tuna is frozen, thaw by submerging in room temperature water for 30 minutes.
- When tuna is just short of fully thawed, slice into small cubes, around 1 inch. You could do larger or smaller, whatever you prefer. I tend to go a bit smaller for more flavor.
- Combine in a bowl with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, and 1 chopped scallion. I don’t really measure the soy sauce or sesame oil, but use whatever is enough to coat the tuna thinly. Chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. (See recipe below for regular shoyu poke — basically, you can stop here, but with a bit more marinade and a few optional additions.)
- Combine mayo, sriracha, remaining scallions (reserving a bit for topping), and 1 tbsp tobiko or masago, whisking briefly until combined. When tuna is chilled, add the spicy mayo and mix gently until fully coated. I just get right in there and use my hands. 🙂
- Top with a bit more tobiko and scallions, and serve! The poke will be good for up to one day, but is best eaten fresh.
Notes
One commenter suggested that Maui Foodlands sometimes use Louisiana Hot Sauce instead of Sriracha in their poke, so you might consider trying that, as well. I’ve never done it, but it sounds tasty too!
Regular Shoyu Poke
Ingredients
- 1 lb yellowfin tuna steak, sushi or sashimi grade (fresh or flash frozen)
- 3–4 tbsp soy sauce, to taste
- 2 tbsp sesame oil, to taste
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp shredded nori
- 2 scallions, chopped finely
- 1 tsp Korean gochugaru (optional)
- 1/4 onion, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare tuna in the same way as above (defrosted, rinsed, and sliced into cubes).
- Place in a bowl and add soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shredded nori, scallions (reserving a bit of the scallions for garnish), and sliced onions, if using. Bowl #2’s mom likes to add a few teaspoons of gochugaru, as well. Mix thoroughly, until tuna is well coated. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours.
- Top with remaining scallions and serve!
Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading!
playerdefeated
Yum!
KealaKupono Scott
eh, howzit. So I just moved to San Antonio, Texas for college right after I graduated in Hawaii and a Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl was my favorite kine lunch everyday. Then when I moved, couldn’t find anything like it anywhere so I personally say Mahalo Nui Loa for sharing this recipe, tastes ono!
tworedbowls
Thank you so much for commenting!! I’m so glad you liked it! I could definitely eat this every day too. (And yes, I bet San Antonio must be a pretty big change in food from Hawaii!)
Anonymous
Soooooo ono! Living in San Antonio, Texas, born and raised on Maui. My son and I are in heaven right now. Thank you.
Anonymous
There is an L&L in N. San Antonio! Check it out … discovered it in 2013
Janine
Wow this looks delicious! Been searching for a good poke recipe, after trying it in hawaii a couple years back. I miss foodland poke – so good! Definitely trying this, thanks so much for posting!
tworedbowls
Thank you so much!! We thought it was, if not an exact replica of Foodland poke, at least good enough to satisfy the craving while we’re away. That’s better than nothing right? 🙂 I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it (and if you discover any additional twists!)
Renee
I was shopping around my local H Mart and picked up a pack of mixed, diced sashimi ($10/lb). Googled how to make spicy ahi poke and your blog came up! Thanks for this recipe! I didn’t realize how simple it was and tasted as close to Foodland’s spicy ahi poke as it could get. I saw that you were from Brooklyn on your twitter. Have you tried Onomea in Williamsburg yet? They just opened and are supposed to have some bomb poke!
tworedbowls
Oh my gosh you just made my day!! I still feel very new to blogging and am always surprised and gratified that people have tried my recipes out themselves, let alone enjoyed it. It feels crazy and a little reckless to be telling people how to cook their food so I’m relieved you liked it 🙂 Janine at the quiet baker (above) made this recipe with Japanese mayo and said it was very good, so you might consider trying that!! Her recipe is here. And THANKS for the recommendation! I’ve not tried Onomea (I’m in Brooklyn Heights, so a ways away from cool BK 😉 ) but next time I’m in the area I’ll definitely give it a shot. Are you in NYC / from HI? Thanks so so much for your awesome comment!
Wanh
Thanks for sharing this recipe, can’t wait to give it a try… I miss Hawaii so much ESP foodland CA spicy poke…
tworedbowls
Aww I hope it is as successful at bringing a bit of Hawaii to you as it was for me. I miss it so much too. Hopefully we can both go back soon! 🙂 thank you for your lovely comment!
Pauline Meunier
Thank you for this recipe. We are just home (in Canada) after two weeks in Hawaii. Once I found Poke, I think I had it every day for the rest of our trip! We stayed right near a foodland, and was so suprised at how good their ready made food was. The grocery stores here have a long way to go. I can’t wait to make this!
Mahalo!
Pauline
tworedbowls
Pauline, thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment! I totally agree — it’s really so impressive what Foodland does with their poke! When a supermarket can beat out the restaurants who are 100% devoted to serving up food, you know they’re doing it right. Hope that you enjoy this if you end up making it, and hope you had a fantastic time in Hawaii! I miss it every day. 🙂
chef mimi
I never knew it was so easy to make this! fabulous!!!
Two Red Bowls
It is SO easy! Once you have the fish you’re good to go 🙂 Hope you get a chance to make it! Thank you so much for your comment!
Anonymous
Each trip to Kauai (including last month), starts with a trip to Foodland and the poke counter. I bought ahi at my mainland Costco yesterday, and was delighted to find your recipes for our two favorite versions and how simple they are. A quick side trip to a brand-new H-Mart nearby for sriracha (thanks for the label photo), and we had poke for dinner. Perfect! Thank you!
tworedbowls
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for this wonderful comment! I’m so thrilled you made this and liked it — it’s one of the most rewarding things about blogging. And I love that Foodland poke is your first stop on the island!! Bowl #2’s mom knows how much I love it and usually has it ready in the fridge by the time we get home from the airport, too 🙂 Oh, and lucky you to have an H-mart so nearby!! I heard there’s some legal trouble with the Sriracha factory lately so I’m also glad that you got your hands on some 🙂 Thanks again for your lovely comment and so glad you enjoyed the poke.
heartofmaui
Just for the record, Foodland Spicy Ahi Poke (my favorite at times) uses Louisiana Hot Sauce and NOT Sriracha. Pink fish eggs or masago are it’s crowning glory and not same without it. I live on Maui, if not able to be here, do your best to enjoy what you have, then return to Maui for the real deal. Foodland poke is some of the best! A Hui Hou!
tworedbowls
Oh, thanks so much for the inside tips! 🙂 I’ll definitely have to try this again with Louisiana Hot Sauce now that I know what the real deal is. Thanks for looking out!
heartofmaui
I stand corrected. . . It was Shawna that told me that Lousiana Hot Sauce is used. Stopped by there today and Darren (??) showed me the Sriracha that he uses. Perhaps they each have their own recipe! Always ono-licious!
heartofmaui
Aloha again, Darrell did admit that Shawna prolly does use Louisiana Hot Sause, says it is a bit spicier and would kick it up a notch. Shawna now at Pukalani Foodland, so will ask her when up there again. Either way, always ono!
tworedbowls
Very interesting! That might explain why the poke is spicier some days than others. I always like it on the spicy side, so will definitely want to try it again with Louisiana Hot Sauce and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for keeping me updated.
karlkfi
Thanks for inspiring our Valentine dinner!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27080454/Poke-Musubi.jpg
Don’t forget the secret ingredient: julienne carrots!
It adds the perfect amount of crunch and matches the color of the masago.
tworedbowls
This is my idea of the perfect Valentine’s dinner!! Such a unique idea to add carrots — I would have never thought. Thank you SO much for your awesome comment and for sharing this with me! I’m so touched and honored that you’d make my recipes for a special occasion. 🙂
heartofmaui
I live on Maui and Foodland Spicy Ahi is my favorite. I have never had it with carrots added, although a great idea. Each Foodland makes it’s own poke fresh daily and the last batch from Kihei store had very little hot sauce ( some use Louisiana Hot Sauce and some use Suracha), no onions and too much masago, so am guessing that someone without the recipe is making it. My go to comfort food for a quick lunch is Spicy Ahi Poke on toasted whole wheat bagel with sliced cucumbers on top and eaten open face. A new poke they are offering is called Poke w/Sea Asparagus (seaweed locally known as rat’s foot) that is very spicy and tasty!
Kikukat
I’m in Hilo, and my daughter says Sack N Save (same owner as Foodland) has the best spicy ahi poke. They must be doing something right.
sarah
Im in hilo too and sack n save is where we go to get it, love it so much!! we used to live on oahu and went to foodland in laie, that was the absolute best on that island, it had to be the foodland in laie though. Now that im pregnant i keep getting told to not eat it but i have about 5 times so far this time around, 16 weeks now. Its addicting and just comforts the soul and quiets the mind.
Chris
Me and my wife were in maui in October and fell in love with poke from foodland. This tastes exactly how I remeber it tasting. Great job and thanks for the recipe.
Chris
tworedbowls
This is so wonderful to read. Thank you so much for your kind words and so happy that you were able to recreate the poke you remembered! 🙂
Kristina
Just found your website when I was searching for poke recipes….love your blog! Your recipes are definitely the types of foods I love to eat. I want to make this for my husband’s birthday and surprise him. We are both from Hawaii and living in Pennsylvania now, so he’s gonna love it!! Btw, I think I have the same red bowls as you do! 🙂
uk
I’m from Europe and when I first came to the US (Hawai’i) 14 years ago, I was shocked about the low quality of American mayonnaise. But then I discovered that, at least here in Honolulu, you can buy Japanese mayonnaise which is just as good as the European one. So by all means use Japanse mayonnaise in order not to spoil this otherwise excellent recipe (my son’s favourite). Try using ABC chilli sauce instead of Sriracha. You get it at the Asian grocery on Beretania.
Anonymous
This is true local style spicy ahi… Not the crap they try to sell on the mainland…mahalo
Anonymous
How do you keep the tuna pink? Once we added all the ingredients the tuna looked light brown. Not very appetizing.
Eileen Floresca-Anderson
Unless it is eaten right away, I always add the shoyu last. If the tuna sits in the shoyu too long, the shoyu gets absorbed by the tuna. And you are right: it’s not very appealing, as we eat with our eyes first!
Glenny
i’m so glad i came across your blog. I’m a big fan of Hawaii food ever since I visited it in 2012. I can’t wait to try this recipe out! I love poke! 🙂
Gail
This recipe was the best outside of hawaii I’ve eaten. With sticky rice it was the flippin bomb! Thanks!
Maxine
Just got back from two weeks in Maui and one of our first discoveries was the Poki at Foodland. I thought the spicy one mentioned here was on of the best. Now I have an event for 300 guests and am thinking of making Poki as one of the dishes to go along with the Kailua Pork.
Anonymous
Poke and kalua pork
Tish
I tried this recipe today to surprise my bf who misses living in HI. It is sooo good. My grocery store had Japanese mayo at the sushi bar, so I used that. Only other variation was the addition of a teeny sprinkle of sea salt and red pepper flakes because I love heat. Next time I’ll try adding the white onions for fun. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe – it’s going in my weekly menu lineup. :))
Bill Volckening
Aloha! Onolicious! Broke da mouth! I am in Oahu eating Foodland spicy Ahi Poke as I type this comment. I googled the recipe and found you! Aznuts! I’m just a pale skinned haole visiting from Portland, but when I go home I’m making this. Da kine I like. Mahalo!
Mimai Uehara
Thank you sharing
Katie
I just want to say THANK YOU so much!! Moving away was hard and so was giving up Foodland poke, a weekly staple. Your recipe tastes exactly like it and brings so much joy. To be able to eat this anywhere in the world is priceless! Mucho Mahalos!
Evan
The last time I visited Maui my boss stopped by Foodland and picked up a few varieties of Poke. I was hooked. The “Poke Bowls” here in Minnesota are not the same. So I make this recipe every year on my birthday and it brings me back a little. Thank you so much!
Caitlin
Hello! My husband and I lived in Hawaii for a couple years and we LOVE the Fookdland spicy ahi poke bowl. I’ve made this recipe before and it’s sooooo good! Thank you for the recipe. I have a question though, we have not been able to find tobiko or masago, where were you able to find some??
tworedbowls
Hi!! This makes me so happy! I have found tobiko or masago at Japanese markets like Nijiya or Mitsuwa; Korean supermarkets also sometimes have it, or at least other varieties of roe like mentaiko. I’ve also seen it at specialty fish markets, but at a significant markup. You can get it for a pretty good price if there’s a Japanese market anywhere in your town. I hope that helps, and thank you so much for the kind words!
Robert trinies
I like this , especially with rice !
I make my own , because most places use their old fish for this style of poke !
John
Hi ! The first time I ever tried Poke was from a Foodland in Maui (Kihei ) . Being from Canada , it’s very hard to find the same quality and PRICE . Now , I can’t get enough and sort of tried to copy a recipe from a local place called Pokeh which was my favourite until Covid came around and caused some issues for “Pokeh “ . I want to go back to Maui for Foodland poke alone lol . Thanks for the delicious recipes , will be trying it out tonight on brown rice . Thanks , John Zabolotney
Jill
This was fabulous! I fed it to my son who just got in from Hawaii. I added a tsp. of honey as I like the sweetness. Plus I did half sriracha and half chili paste.
Brandon Crane
After being stationed in Hawaii for 7 years, and falling in love with these bowls I’m beyond enticed to find this recipe. I have made it multiple times and it’s spot on!!!!
Next time I’m going to try a little teriyaki drizzle.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you…
Anonymous
Tamuras in Aiea was were I went during lunch breaks to get my fix. Shhhhhh
bird
just made this using annaseafood precubed fresh frozen ahi, they ship overnight. so fresh
and this recipe is the perfect simple true spicy poke i was looking for! so much ono
mucho aloha 😉
Devin
At least give credit site where you ripped the recipe from.
https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/recipe-spicy-ahi-poke-from-the-buffet-at-hyatt/
Laurel Callahan
Aloha! I am so in love with food, lands, spicy, imitation crab poke! I know it must be fairly easy to make. Can you please post the recipe for that? I had to leave Maui for a little while and I am going through with drawls for my spicy, imitation crab poke! As well as my spicy Aji poke!
Nama Epistola
Looks Easy to make. This will be my dinner.
dennis
Aloha y’all…. 🙂
We are from Kaneohe, been living in Denver for 12 years now (too long). I happened to find a poke shop a couple of weeks ago, got SO excited, finally stopped in yesterday and was very disappointed.. so this morning i went on line to get some recipes and ended up on your site… it’s awesome btw. One of my many sister in-laws worked at foodland and we bought their ahi poke all the time, one of the things i miss the most about the islands. Anyway, thanks for this and i’ll be making poke this afternoon.. can’t wait.
oh yeah, if you need us to send you some aloha shoyu let me know.. kikkoman is ok but it’s not aloha !!!!!
The Pierce fam…….
dp
Killa80805
Fam Really Liked this one it was ono ! Mahalo Nui Loa for the good grindz nothing like dis one !!
Amy
This was my first time making spicy poke and it was delicious! I will definitely make this again but will use a touch less sriracha next time.
My only change was substituting mentaiko (spicy pollack roe) for tobiko because it was what I had it on hand. I highly recommend it though!
Luis Landa
I made it , very delicious and live the spicy
George
Mahalo for sharing. I’m in Seattle, I used some salmon we caught earlier this summer. Yup, I froze em to kill the parasites, and brined it with salt to firm up the meat. Then I followed your recipe, it was Fire 🔥.
Big Mahalo
Danny Casler
You had the sambal olek in the pic but did not mention in recipe. What’s the use of that
imJay
10/10 nice plaits
Anonymous
Not supposed to thaw fish in room temp water, not food safe
paizleysun
I think it’s an either/or type of thing. I’d definitely use the sambal.
paizleysun
Btw, this spicy poke recipe is not original. You can find it verbatim a lot but I couldn’t find the recipe creator.
tworedbowls
Hi Danny, sorry I didn’t clarify — the sambal is pictured because I was experimenting with different hot sauces at the time. You can certainly try it, but I ended up preferring the poke with Sriracha, as written. Thanks so much for your question!
tworedbowls
Hi paizleysun! That’s because the creator is me! I was surprised to see what you wrote, and even more surprised just now to Google and find that verbatim versions of my recipe do appear to be online elsewhere, because I wrote the instructions myself almost three years ago, down to using my hands to mix (and very professional smiley faces) and adding notes to the shoyu version about what my mother-in-law likes to add. Of course, tons of other spicy ahi poke recipes use the same ingredients as I do, especially since it’s a very simple recipe, so I’m sure other versions similar to mine existed long before I published this one. But I think you’ll see that any verbatim versions, as sad as it is to see them out there, were published after this one. Thanks so much for calling this to my attention, and for answering the question about sambal!
Anonymous
So, there we were at Manuela’s Malasadas food truck asking a local where we could find good poke. He said the best poke in the ENTIRE STATE was at Foodland a block away. Said it was better than the poke on Kauai. Well, we’d gone to Ishihara’s Market on Kauai a year earlier, but I’ll be darned if the poke at Foodland was every bit as good if not a little better. Back home, had to find a recipe for their shoyu poke sauce. Will have to try this.
Mahalo!