Recipe

Rustic Poke: Cozy and Indulgent

A bold, cozy take on poke with soy-sesame tuna, warm garlic rice, crunchy toppings, and a creamy spicy mayo that makes you want to “just taste” every 30 seconds. Optional crispy rice edges if you want the full indulgent experience.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A rustic poke bowl with sesame soy tuna, warm rice, avocado, cucumber, crispy shallots, and spicy mayo on a wooden table in natural light

Jump to Recipe

Poke is usually all clean lines and pristine cubes. This one is more like real life. A little messy, wildly flavorful, and built for the kind of night when you want something indulgent without turning your kitchen into a science lab.

We are going for bright sauce, cozy carbs, and crunch. That means warm garlicky rice (with an optional crispy-edge upgrade), a glossy soy-sesame tuna (or salmon) situation, creamy avocado, quick crunchy cucumbers, and a spicy mayo that has no business being this good for how easy it is.

A close-up photo of diced tuna in a bowl being mixed with soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds — If you have about 35 to 45 minutes and the willingness to taste as you go, you have everything you need.

Why It Works

Decadent without being fussy: The tuna gets dressed, not cooked, and the sauce does the heavy lifting.
Big texture energy: Cool cucumbers, creamy avocado, crispy shallots, and optional crispy rice edges make every bite feel like a win.
Rustic by design: No perfect knife work required. Chunky cuts are welcome here.
Flexible and accessible: Swap fish, use leftover rice, or go cooked shrimp. The bowl still hits.

Pairs Well With

Miso soup with tofu and scallions
Seaweed snacks and sesame cucumbers
Chili-roasted edamame
Iced green tea with lemon

Storage Tips

Keep It Fresh

Poke bowls are best the day you make them, but you can absolutely set yourself up for great leftovers if you store components separately.

Marinated fish: Best eaten the same day. If needed, refrigerate in an airtight container and eat within 24 hours max. The texture will soften the longer it sits.
Rice: Cool quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, until steamy.
Spicy mayo: Refrigerate up to 1 week.
Cut avocado: Best fresh. If you must store it, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and add a squeeze of lime.
Cucumber salad: Keeps 1 to 2 days, but it will lose crunch as it sits.

Make Ahead

Do ahead: Mix spicy mayo (up to 1 week), thaw edamame, quick-pickle cucumbers (up to 1 day).
Last minute: Cut and marinate fish, slice avocado, build bowls.

Food safety note: Keep raw fish cold (refrigerator until cutting and serving). Use clean tools and a clean surface, and do not let it sit at room temperature. When in doubt, choose cooked shrimp, seared fish, or imitation crab.

Common Questions

What does “sushi grade” actually mean?

It is not a regulated label in the US, so treat it as shorthand. Buy from a reputable fishmonger or market you trust, ask if it is suitable for raw consumption, and keep it properly refrigerated. Also, “sushi grade” is not a magic shield. Raw fish safety typically depends on proper freezing and careful handling by the supplier.

Can I make this poke bowl without raw fish?

Yes. Try cooked shrimp, flaked cooked salmon, seared ahi (rare), or even shredded rotisserie chicken with the same marinade. The sauce will carry it.

Can I use frozen fish?

If it was packaged and labeled for raw consumption and handled safely, yes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, pat dry, then cube. If you are unsure, cook it.

How do I keep the rice from getting gummy?

Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then let it rest a few minutes after cooking. Fluff with a fork. For reheating, add a splash of water and cover.

Is this spicy?

It can be. Start with 1 tablespoon sriracha in the mayo, taste, then go louder if you want.

What if I do not have rice vinegar?

Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar in a smaller amount, then add a pinch of sugar to smooth the edges.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Medium saucepan with lid (for rice)
Sharp knife and cutting board
Medium mixing bowl (for poke)
Small bowl (for spicy mayo)
Fine mesh strainer (helpful for rinsing rice)
Microplane or garlic press (optional, for garlic)
Nonstick or cast iron skillet (optional, for crispy rice)

The first time I made poke at home, I tried to do it like a restaurant. Perfect cubes, perfect symmetry, everything chilled, everything precious. It was good, but it felt like I was wearing a suit to eat on the couch. This rustic version is what I actually crave. Warm rice, cold fish, crunchy toppings, and a sauce that makes you stop and re-check that you really made it yourself. It is the kind of bowl you can throw together on a weeknight and still feel like you treated yourself.

Rustic Poke: Cozy and Indulgent

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients

For the Warm Garlic Rice

1 1/2 cups jasmine or sushi rice
2 cups water (or according to package, especially for jasmine)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or neutral oil
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Optional: Crispy Rice Edges

1 to 2 teaspoons neutral oil or butter

For the Rustic Poke

1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna (or salmon), cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Optional: 1 teaspoon gochujang or sriracha for heat

For the Spicy Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
Pinch of salt

Crunchy and Creamy Toppings

1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Pinch of salt and sugar
2 ripe avocados, sliced
1 cup shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 cup shredded carrots (optional)
1/3 cup crispy fried shallots or onions
Nori sheets or seaweed snacks, torn
Lime wedges

Optional add-ons: pickled ginger, jalapeño slices, furikake, radish, or a soft boiled egg if you want to get a little extra.

Quick Swaps

Gluten-free: use tamari
Lower sugar: reduce honey/brown sugar to 1 to 2 teaspoons
No sesame: swap sesame oil for neutral oil and add extra ginger and lime
No mayo: use vegan mayo or plain Greek yogurt (tangier, still great)

Instructions

Make the Rice

Rinse the rice. Rinse in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. This helps keep it fluffy, not gluey.
Cook. Combine rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes (follow package timing if it differs). Turn off heat and let steam 5 minutes.
Season it. In a small bowl, stir rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Fluff rice, then fold in the vinegar mixture.
Garlic it up. Heat butter or oil in a small pan over medium. Add garlic and cook 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant. Pour over the warm rice and fold to combine. Taste and adjust salt.
Optional: Crispy rice edges. For the “crispy edges” moment, heat 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high. Press a couple scoops of rice into a thin layer and let it cook, undisturbed, 3 to 5 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom. Break it into chunks and use it as your base, or scatter on top like crunchy little rice croutons.

Mix the Poke

Keep it cold and clean. Keep the fish refrigerated until you are ready to cut it. Use a clean knife and board, and do not leave it sitting out while you prep everything else.
Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds, and optional gochujang.
Toss with fish. Add tuna chunks and gently stir to coat. Refrigerate 10 minutes while you prep toppings. Do not let it sit for hours. This is dress-and-go.

Quick Toppings

Season cucumbers. Toss cucumber with rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar. Let it hang out 5 to 10 minutes for that quick-pickle crunch.
Spicy mayo. Stir mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, and salt. Taste. If it makes you say “okay wow,” you are done.

Build the Bowls

Start with rice. Scoop warm garlic rice (or crispy-edge rice) into bowls.
Add poke. Pile the marinated tuna right on top.
Finish saucy, safely. If you want extra drizzle, either add a small spoonful of marinade from the bowl right before serving, or make a little extra marinade separately (same ingredients, no fish) and use that as your finishing sauce.
Go wild with toppings. Add cucumbers, avocado, edamame, carrots, torn nori, and crispy shallots.
Finish. Drizzle spicy mayo. Squeeze lime. Taste. Adjust with soy sauce, more sesame, or more heat.

A rustic poke bowl being finished with a drizzle of spicy mayo and a sprinkle of crispy shallots in a home kitchen — If your bowl looks a little chaotic, you did it right.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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