This homemade Ahi Poke is a restaurant-inspired recipe with a wasabi aioli base. It is made fresh with sashimi-grade tuna and paleo-approved substitutes. Easily turn this appetizer into Whole30 and AIP so you can enjoy your diet more! Jump to Recipe
I got asked recently how I chose my recipes and to be quite frank, there is no method to my madness. Here is what it boils down to. The recipe content you get, is usually what I crave.
When I used to eat out for lunch, I would frequently go to poke restaurants because I thought they were the healthiest. Somehow, I managed to always regret eating it as I would get an upset stomach and spend a ridiculous amount of money only to not feel satisfied. It’s not so much that the quality of fish is bad (although it has happened, especially if it’s sitting out there for hours unattended), it’s the fact that I usually have them mix all of the sauces together and add all of the sides to fit in one bowl.
The first bite is usually fantastic. However, by the 4th or 5th bite I am usually over it. I have made several swaps over time: mixed greens over rice, one sauce at a time, fewer toppings, chose different fish etc. My boyfriend, on the other hand, was never a fan of poke because of the same reasons I’ve regretted eating them. Until one day, he and I discovered Chris’ Ono Grinds in North Park, San Diego.
This Island Grill hole-in-the-wall in San Diego makes their food fresh from scratch and never processed. When we tried their ahi poke, we were instantly hooked! Instead of feeling overwhelmed after a few bites, we were eager to buy more! The flavor and spice of the wasabi aioli married well with their sashimi-grade ahi tuna! We both knew from that day on, this was our go-to poke spot.
But then we moved to North County San Diego and we couldn’t make the 45-minute to 1-hour trip down to North Park. So here we are, it’s winter (at the time I developed this recipe) and I am craving spicy ahi poke.
My friend, let me tell you how proud I am to be making this dish. For someone with food intolerances, I’ve discovered what my body can handle, and eating this poke at home without feeling dissatisfied, guilty, or sick has made me fall in love with recreating dishes I obsessed over. I am so excited to share Chris’ Ono Grinds inspired ahi poke!
How to Make Ahi Poke Paleo, Whole30, and AIP-friendly:
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Shoyu is a Japanese soy sauce often made for ahi poke.
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Substitute with coconut aminos to avoid soy/legumes.
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Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise is delicious and a secret ingredient to enhancing aioli-bases. Unfortunately, it is packed with sugar and vegetable oil.
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To understand how vegetable oil and sugar destroy our cellular structure, read Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan, MD.
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Substitute with paleo-approved avocado oil mayonnaise for this ahi poke recipe.
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Mirin is a traditional sweetened sake often mixed in ahi poke. Beware of food labels as sugar is sometimes called fructose.
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Substitute with white wine vinegar and date syrup for this ahi poke.
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Sesame oil is not AIP-approved. Just omit during your elimination diet. If you can tolerate it during the reintroduction phase, you are golden!
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Serrano Peppers are nightshades. If you are on AIP or cannot tolerate spices, omit this.
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Wasabi is a green Japanese horseradish. Fresh wasabi is best, but since we only use a small amount it is not that detrimental.
Creamy Ahi Poke
Ingredients
- 1 lb sashimi grade tuna
Wasabi Aioli
- 3 tbsp lemon
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp wasabi
- 1 tsp date syrup
- 3 tbsp avocado mayonnaise
- 3/4 tsp white wine vinegar
Shoyu Substitute
- 3 tbsp lemon
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 2 tbsp Coconut Aminos
- 1 tbsp date syrup
- 1 tsp garlic grated
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1/2 cup green onions
- 3 tbsp serrano peppers
- 2 tbsp furikake optional
- 2 tbsp sesame oil optional
Instructions
- In a small ramekin, combine lemon, dijon mustard, wasabi, date syrup, avocado mayonnaise, and white wine vinegar. Mix well and set aside.
- On another small ramekin, combine lemon, mirin, coconut aminos, date syrup, grated ginger, and grated garlic. Mix well and set aside.
- Dice the sushi-grade tuna into 1/2 inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine ahi tuna with wasabi aioli and coconut amino sauce.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with sesame oil, serrano peppers, and furikake.
