This flavor-packed remix of a traditional Hawaiian poke recipe are some of the tastiest fish tacos I've ever eaten. Simple and unique, this recipe is made with only 5 minutes of stove time, so it's great for hot summer days when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.
Street Tacos at Home
When you discover that “taco” includes so much more than ground beef, lettuce, and cheese, the culinary world really opens up to you. You can put almost anything in a taco and you're going to have a good meal.
Take a traditional Hawaiian poke recipe! Poke (POH-keh) means “chunk” in Hawaiian. It's usually raw seafood cut into small chunks and marinated. Then you add onions, salted candlenut, limu (think seaweed), soy sauce, green onions and sesame oil to create a basic poke bowl.
When you combine those flavors with peppers, avocado, spring veggies, chili, and cilantro, you get a mouthwatering spicy poke recipe you'll return to again and again.
What You'll Need
- Marinade: We have a recipe below for a stellar Asian-inspired marinade, but if you're short on time or ingredients, your favorite teriyaki marinade works well!
- Tuna: Finding Hawaiian ahi tuna can be difficult depending on where you live. “Sushi-grade” has to do with how the fish was handled and frozen (a requirement to kill off bacteria and parasites). Talk to your local fish market (if you're on the coast) or look for “flash frozen” in the freezer section for your best bet.
- Toppings: Do what you love! I went with cilantro, sriracha for some spice, black sesame seeds, and carrot shavings!
Step-by-Step Instructions
You won't believe how a few simple steps will result in AMAZING flavors.
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour into a shallow dish. Add the tuna steak, turning to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Chop your peppers and vegetables into small pieces.
- Slice an avocado vertically and twist to separate. Remove the seed and dice the avocado in the skin. Scoop the diced avocado into a dish and mash with lime juice and mayo until smooth.
- Remove the tuna from the marinade, pat dry, and cut into small cubes. Toss the cubes with sriracha chili sauce, mayo, and sweet chili sauce for a creamy poke sauce.
- Sautee the vegetable mixture over medium heat with olive oil for 3-4 minutes until they are crisp tender.
- Finally, assemble the tacos and top with carrot shavings, sriracha, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
Expert Tips
- Adding lime juice to avocado helps keep it from browning before you serve up your tacos.
- Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. They should be heated through but still nice and crisp when you bite into them.
- This dish is great even for people who are not familiar with eating raw fish, but you could easily saute your cubed tuna or substitute cooked chicken.
- Don't like cilantro? About 15% of the population think it tastes like soap! Try fresh basil, parsley, or celery leaves instead!
(For more on the wonders of cilantro, check out the book I wrote with Jim Rude, Herbs for Flavor, Health, and Natural Beauty.)
Summer at its Best!
And there it is! Colorful, sassy, and full-flavored tacos that will satisfy poke lovers and the novice seafood eater alike. And-satisfies that itch for quality street tacos.
If you're looking for other Mexican-inspired dishes, try the Mexican French Toast! Or, if you're looking for dessert maybe you would like to explore White Chocolate Mascapone and Watermelon!
What are your favorite summer recipes? Once the heat comes, I'll be looking for dishes that don't heat up the kitchen. Let us know in the comments!
And follow Little Rusted Ladle on Instagram for a steady supply of beautiful and delicious food! As always, don't wait for a special occasion, create one!
Jena
Tuna Poke Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tbsp Miran wine
- 1 tsp Minced ginger
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp Sesame oil
Tuna
- 12 ounces Fresh tuna preferably sushi grade
- 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Sweet chili sauce
Avocado Mayo
- 1 Avocado seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Lime juice
Sauteed Vegetables
- 5 small Sweet peppers seeded, cut into thin strips
- 3 medium Shiitake mushrooms stems removed, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks Asparagus trimmed and chopped
- 2 Green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
Tacos
- 8 Street taco flour tortillas grilled
- Fresh cilantro leaves, carrot shavings, sriracha, and black sesame seeds for toppings
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine teriyaki sauce and next 5 ingredients. Transfer to a pie plate or shallow bowl, then add tuna steak. Turn tuna steak over twice to coat all sides with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning once after 30 minutes.
- While tuna is marinating, seed and dice an avocado. Combine with lime juice and mayo in a small bowl. Mash until smooth. Set aside.
- Remove tuna from marinade and discard marinade. Pat tuna dry and cut into small cubes. Add sriracha, mayo and sweet chili sauce to tuna. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Saute peppers, asparagus, and onions in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender. .
- To serve: Spread a small amount of avocado mixture over each tortilla. Spoon reserved tuna mixture over avocado. Top with sautéed vegetables and finish with fresh cilantro, carrot shavings, sriracha, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- Marinade: We have a recipe below for a stellar Asian-inspired marinade, but if you're short on time or ingredients, your favorite teriyaki marinade works well!
- Tuna: “Sushi-grade” has to do with how the fish was handled and frozen (a requirement to kill off bacteria and parasites). Talk to your local fish market (if you're on the coast) or look for “flash frozen” in the freezer section for your best bet.
- Adding lime juice to avocado helps keep it from browning before you serve up your tacos.
- Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. They should be heated through but still nice and crisp when you bite into them.
- This dish is great even for people who are not familiar with eating raw fish, but you could easily saute your cubed tuna or substitute cooked chicken.
- Don't like cilantro? Try fresh basil, parsley, or celery leaves instead!
Love it! Great presentation
Thanks so much Keith!!