I love making poke bowls at home - though I do tend to have shredded chicken or some tuna salad for my teenager to enjoy instead of raw tuna. More for me! In the past, I've relied on chilled white rice, but my family has been trying to incorporate more brown rice in our meals. So I pull out my Instant Pot and instead of using the rice setting at 12 minutes of cook time, I use that setting at 15 minutes of cook time instead. And that is the biggest bit of time investment in this meal!
I do like to make the marinade and give the tuna a soak in the refrigerator for an hour or two to give the fish a chance to really take on these great flavors. If you're in a rush or don't have time to let it rest, you can just stir and serve, but I like the depth of flavor that comes with giving it a little time to get to know each other. The toppings on this bowl are ones I love. If you don't love it, don't use it. If I missed something you love or you just have something on hand you'd like to use … do that!
I rarely serve this with anything other than a light beer or chilled glass of white wine. This is definitely a favorite of mine and I hope you'll find it worthy of putting on your menu rotation too.
Tuna Poke Brown Rice Bowls
- ¼ cup soy sauce (use gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons hot honey
- 1-2 tablespoons chili crisp + more for serving
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 12 oz. sushi-grade ahi tuna, diced into ¼ or ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ English cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 6 oz. grape tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large carrot, coarsely shredded
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 3-4 green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning, for sprinkling
Prepare the tuna by combining the first 6 ingredients (soy sauce through ginger) and mixing it well in a bowl with a lid. Add the tuna and stir it well to combine. Refrigerate up to 2 hours or use right away - the flavors blend more the longer it chills.
To assemble the bowls, add brown rice to each bowl and layer tuna, cucumber, avocado, tomato, carrot, and pepper over the rice. Add more chili crisp to your tastes and sprinkle it all with sliced green onions and sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus additional chilling time if desired.