Crispy wonton chips loaded with ahi tuna, creamy avocado, jalapeño and more, drizzled with spicy mayo— these spicy tuna poke nachos bring the heat and the flavor!
Table Of Contents
What Are Poke Nachos?
Poke nachos are a popular modern Asian fusion dish that combines traditional Mexican nachos with elements of Hawaiian poke, a dish featuring raw fish. Instead of the usual cheese and meat toppings, tuna poke nachos feature sushi-grade tuna and a variety of fresh toppings and sauces. The base of is typically crispy wonton chips, and they're topped with fresh ingredients like avocado, seaweed salad, spicy mayo, sriracha, wasabi aioli, sesame seeds, green onions and jalapeños.
This tuna nachos recipe is made with marinated ahi tuna, jalapeños, avocado, scallions, furikake seasoning and toasted sesame seeds served over crispy wonton chips and drizzled with a homemade spicy mayo sauce. This dish makes a great dinner that feels like comfort food but is clean and vibrant- perfect for when you want something fun, light, and a little different.
Poke Nacho Toppings
Tuna poke nachos are delicious with a variety of Asian-inspired or Hawaiian style toppings, such as:
- edamame
- green onions
- jalapeños
- seaweed salad
- sliced radishes
- avocado or guacamole
- pickled red onions or caramelized sweet onions
- pineapple salsa or mango pico de gallo
- wasabi crema: just add a little wasabi sauce to Mexican crema!
- toasted sesame seeds
- fresh herbs: cilantro, chives, parsely
- soy or wasabi glaze
- mango habañero sauce
Ingredients
Our spicy tuna nachos are made with:
- 12 ounces fresh ahi tuna, diced into ¼-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon black and white toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ cup spicy mayo: ¼ cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 24-36 square wonton wrappers, cut diagonally into triangles: or use store-bought wonton chips or tortilla chips.
- Canola oil (for frying)
- 1 avocado, diced or thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
- Furikake seasoning, for garnish
Chef's Tip
Can't find wonton chips and don't want to make your own? Use air fryer pita chips or a bag of tortilla chips.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Marinate the tuna. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds until well combined. Add the diced ahi tuna to the marinade, gently tossing to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Make the spicy mayo. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth. Adjust the spiciness to your liking by adding more sriracha.
- Make the wonton chips (if not using store-bought). Pour about 1 to 2 inches of canola oil into a deep frying pan or pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to approximately 325°F . Add a few wonton wrapper pieces to the hot oil, without overcrowding the pan. Fry for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chips and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste. Continue frying in batches until all wonton wrappers are cooked.
- Assemble the nachos. Spread half of the fried wonton chips on a large serving platter or tray. Over the chips, layer half of the marinated ahi tuna (drained of excess marinade), jalapeño slices and fresh avocado slices. Place the remaining wonton chips over the first layer. Top with the remaining marinated ahi tuna and avocado. Generously drizzle the spicy mayo over the top layer. For a neat presentation, transfer the spicy mayo to a squeeze bottle or a small plastic bag, snip off a corner, and drizzle in your desired pattern. Finish by sprinkling the green onions, sesame seeds, and furikake over the top. Serve your spicy tuna poke nachos immediately with lime wedges for garnish.
Chef's Tip
Because the tuna is consumed raw, ensure you purchase fresh, high-quality ahi tuna from a reputable source. It should be labled "sushi grade" or "sashimi grade". Keep the tuna refrigerated and consume it on the day of purchase to ensure optimal freshness and safety.
Variations
- Adjust the heat level by adding more sriracha to the spicy mayo or including a drizzle of wasabi mayo.
- Substitute the ahi tuna with marinated tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian version.
Recipe FAQs
You can cook the tuna if you'd prefer. Follow the recipe for marinating the tuna and before assembling the nachos, pan fry the tuna cubes on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Even when cooked, ahi tuna should be slightly raw and pink inside for the best flavor and texture. Although, you can cook it to the doneness that you are most comfortable with.
It's best to use sushi-grade ahi tuna for this recipe. However, you can use bluefin tuna, albacore, skipjack or any other type. If not cooking it, it must still be sushi-grade. Canned tuna is fine, but the flavor will not be the same as it is when using raw ahi tuna.
While nachos are best served immediately, you can keep them in the fridge for a day or 2 wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap. To reheat and keep some of the crispiness of the chips and freshness of the ingredients, remove any toppings that don't cook well, such as avocado. Since the tuna should not be cooked in poke nachos, it's best to try and remove the tuna and store it separately as well. Reheat the nachos in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes for best results or in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Then add back any toppings that were removed prior to storing.
Recipe
Tuna Nachos
Ingredients
- 12 oz sushi-grade ahi tuna diced into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 ½ tablespoon sriracha divided
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 24-26 square wonton wrappers cut into triangles
- 2-4 cups canola oil for frying
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 1 large jalapeño sliced
- 2 scallions diced
- furikake seasoning for garnish
- lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the tuna. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds until well combined. Add the diced ahi tuna to the marinade, gently tossing to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Make the spicy mayo. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth. Adjust the spiciness to your liking by adding more sriracha if desired.
- Make the wonton chips (if not using store-bought). Pour about 1 to 2 inches of canola oil into a deep frying pan or pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to approximately 325°F. Add a few wonton wrapper pieces to the hot oil, without overcrowding the pan. Fry for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chips and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste. Continue frying in batches until all wonton wrappers are cooked.
- Assemble the nachos. Spread half of the fried wonton chips on a large serving platter or tray. Over the chips, layer half of the marinated ahi tuna (drained of excess marinade), jalapeno and avocado. Place the remaining wonton chips over the first layer. Top with the remaining marinated ahi tuna and avocado. Generously drizzle the spicy mayo over the top layer. For a neat presentation, transfer the spicy mayo to a squeeze bottle or a small plastic bag, snip off a corner, and drizzle in your desired pattern. Finish by sprinkling the green onions, sesame seeds, and furikake over the top. Serve immediately with lime wedges for garnish.
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