Next Post
Banana Bread Chocolate Fudge Swirled Cheesecakes.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Warm-weather dinner magic: cool, crunchy greens, buttery-tender seared ahi, and a gingery vinaigrette that wakes everything up. The wonton crisps bring the salty crunch you’ll crave.
It’s quick to pull together, feels restaurant-special, and you can prep the parts ahead—perfect for weeknights or low-key entertaining.
Not sure if I am bummed about this or super happy. I am leaning towards super happy because with this Monday comes the potential for sunshine, and after the weekend we had here it will very much be welcomed. It’s still early, but I am hoping for no more snow.
And that’s all I will say about the weather. Just please… no more snow.
You know what I still find really weird?
That people are actually making the recipes I create. I mean, I know that is the point of this whole site and what I do, but still, every time I read a comment, get to see an instagram photo (my favorite!! I love seeing your photos) or read an email about one of you guys making a recipe and loving it, it is the most awesome thing. Makes me smile every time. To me, it’s a little surreal.
Even when family members text me about recipes I get exited.
Last night my cousin was looking for a gluten-free recipe to make for her roommate. Every time Abby texts or calls looking for recipes I get so pumped that she is going to make something. She is always sending me photos of dishes she had made.
It’s super fun and since we are far apart, it’s an awesome way to stay connected.
I always fear that people are going to hate whatever they try. I mean, everyone’s got different tastes, so it scares the living daylights out of me.
I know, I gotta get over it, can’t please everyone…but I’ll always try. It’s a habit I don’t think I will ever be able to break. Unless you start to get on my nerves. Then I would be fearful if I were you. Just kidding!
Sort of.
Moving along.
This salad. It is sort of raw fish, but sort of not. It’s about as raw as fish is going to get around here. Maybe I am still developing the taste buds (and braveness) to like raw seafood, but as of right now I am gonna be saying, no.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
-
Ahi tuna (yellowfin or bigeye): Ask for sushi-grade/“sashimi grade” from a reputable fishmonger. Look for firm, deep ruby flesh with a clean, ocean-fresh aroma. If raw/rare isn’t your thing, you can sear a touch longer, but aim to keep the center rosy for best texture.
-
Greens + veg: Adds crunch and texture to the salad
-
Ginger vinaigrette building blocks: Fresh ginger for heat, acid (citrus or vinegar) for brightness, a touch of sweetness, and a salty element for balance.
-
Wonton wrappers: Thickness with vary by brand; thinner = airier crisp. Store-bought crispy wonton strips as a time-saver.
So I seared my tuna and called it poke mostly because I liked the way it sounded. That’s how I roll.
Honestly though, this salad is so good and super quick to make too. The flavors are heavy on the tropics which seems to be all I am craving lately.
The tuna cooks in like two minutes and it is super important to not go any longer than that. If you cook the tuna through it’s just going to be dry and flavorless. Leave it extra pink and pretty.
And there is also some wonton crisps. Baked not fried because I am tired of frying after these, + these. Baked works awesome. Still so good.
FAQ:
Can I use raw (not seared) ahi?
Yes—use very fresh, high-quality tuna from a reputable source. Keep it cold, slice just before serving, and dress lightly so the fish shines.
How do I know my seared tuna is done right?
Look for opaque edges with a deep ruby center and an easy release from the pan. Slice and check—edges should be just cooked while the middle stays tender.
How can I keep the wonton crisps from getting soggy?
Cool them completely on a rack and store at room temp in an airtight container. Add them to bowls right before eating.
Can I make parts ahead?
Yes—vinaigrette, washed/dried greens, and crisps all hold well separately. Sear and slice the tuna just before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Seared Ahi Tuna Poke Salad with Hula Ginger vinaigrette + Wonton Crisps.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 2064 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Seared Ahi Tuna Poke
- 20 square wonton wrappers cut into strips (use corn tortillas to make this gluten free)
- 2 ahi tuna steaks
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce or sriracha
- 2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds toasted
Salad
- 4-8 cup spring greens
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup fresh pineapple diced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 jalapeno or red chile sliced
Hula Ginger vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup hot chile sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce or sriracha or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 lime zested + juiced
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic grated or minced
- back and white sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Arrange the wonton strips in a single layer (or as best you can get them) on a greased baking sheet. Spray the wontons with olive oil spray and a good sprinkle of sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, watching them closely to make sure they don't burn. They are done when they are a light golden color and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a small sauce pot mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch until smooth. Add 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup honey and 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 3-4 minutes until the sauce is just beginning to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet on high and add the sesame oil. Sear the tuna steaks in the skillet for 1-2 minutes, flip and brush the seared side with the soy sauce mixture. Sear another minute or 2 and then remove the steaks from the pan, brushing them with the remaining soy sauce mixture. Slice into strips.
- Combine the spring greens, cilantro, pineapple chunks, avocado, and jalapeño (or red chile) in a bowl and toss.
- In another small bowl make the vinaigrette. Combine the hot chile sesame oil, soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, chile garlic sauce, tahini, 1 teaspoon lime zest and the juice of 1 lime, the fresh ginger and garlic. Add 1-2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds.
- Divide the greens among plates. Top with tuna, avocado slices and wonton crisps. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Dig in!
I mean, there is pink involved. And not the died kind. Ya!
This post was originally published on April 14, 2014
I love everything about this! Actually pretty much everything you make! Where do you buy your fish?
Hi Kasey,
I like to get my fish from Whole Foods. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so good – and easy! My prep time for the sauces was longer since it was my first time making but it still came together quickly. The tuna and wonton strips cook super fast. I will totally make this again!
Love that! Thank you so much for trying this Kelly! xTieghan
This sounds delish!!! But just FYI….Soy sauce has gluten.
Thank you Keri! xTieghan
WOW weeeeeeeeeee! My son and I made this recipe last night, and although it was rather time-consuming it was so worth it! I am adding this sensory provoking taste-exploding recipe to my favourites. Thank you for sharing, Tieghan!!! I’m your newest fan 🙂
Thank you so much Nicol!!
Made it without the chili sauce for the kids and they loved it, We all loved it, I added fresh fresno peppers to the adults salad and we liked it a lot.
That is so great! I am really glad you all enjoyed this recipe, Maru! Thank you!
Picture looks like the salad has avocado, but its not on the ingredient list. Am I missing something? I think that its a good add, but unfortunately didn’t realize this until after the grocery store. Recipe looks good for sure.
Hey Scott, so sorry about that. Yes, the salad has avocado. Recipe is all fixed. Hope you love it!
I really like this recipe and plan to make this soon. I was born and raised on the island of Maui. Not to offend you, but if other Hawaiian residents saw this post of “poke”, they will be very angry. Poke is marinated raw fish that is not seared. Lately with all the buzz about poke on the West Coast and spreading throughout the nation, the people of Hawaii are delighted. But when you call something poke that is clearly not poke but seared, the people of Hawaii will find it insulting. The Hawaiians take pride in their culture.
Hi! I am really sorry if I offended you. For this salad, I just like the seared flavor of the tuna and I felt that everything else fit with the poke profile. Sorry if that is offensive, but thank you so much for kindly letting me know your thoughts on this. Ps I hope you love the salad!!
Hi there, I tried this meal out yesterday with my boyfriends family, so, so divine! Massive win, I’m going to have to make it for mine 🙂 I’ve tried looking for these plates on Etsy, but there are so many to go through, do you remember the name of them?
HI!! I am sorry, I have no clue what the name, is but the women I bought the plates from no longer carries the same plates. SORRY
Amazing! My wife said it was “stupid good” and that I’d be making it often. Thank You.
YEAHH!! So happy you both loved this, thanks!!
I made this salad yesterday and I can’t believe how good it was. Both me and my husband LOVED it – so thanks!
All the best
Marie
THANK YOU!
This was AMAZING!! I had to play around with the ratio of the vinagrette ingredients because I didn’t have enough of everything, but it came out great. Absolutely delicious.
So happy you loved it! Thanks!
Prep time “20 minutes” is waaaaaay not true! Took us much longer.
Want to make this for dinner tomorrow, it looks great but I have a couple quick questions.
When exactly do you put the sesame seeds on the tuna steak, I don’t see that part included in the recipe.
Also, do you toast the seeds yourself? Or can you buy them toasted already.
Thanks in advance!
Nicole
do you have substitutions or version you recommend that’s not quite so spicy with the hot sesame oil ,garlic oil , and jalapeños it’s pretty spicy and I usually like hot things . It’s delicious but I was sweating lol
Hi Tieghan,
Thanks for this recipe! Love your blog. I made a gluten-free version of this recipe and posted it on my blog. I started curating healthy, tasty salad recipes for myself, then friends, and recently decided to post them online. I used your image so I just want to double-check that it’s ok. Let me know!
Here’s a link: http://www.mariasalad.com/seared-ahi-tuna-poke-salad-hula-ginger-vinaigrette-recipe-with-wonton-crisps/
Thanks again,
Maria