This marinated watermelon poke is made without any fish, but it still retains all the delicious flavors of a traditional Hawaiian poke bowl. This umami-packed dish that looks like ahi tuna poke is actually made from watermelon tuna! And be sure to also try my marinated beet poke.
My family was completely fooled by this watermelon poke . I showed my parents the final dish and they couldn't believe it wasn't made from fish. And after my husband tasted it, he said he could never trust fish again, since the watermelon tuna tasted just like ahi tuna!
Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish that is originally made with small reef fish. This watermelon poke is far from "traditional". But the rich flavors from soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions are quintessential to poke, which helps the watermelon tuna taste like it's from Hawaii.
Over the past 4 years, I've been in my kitchen developing foolproof recipes and helping beginner cooks. This recipe is incredibly simple to make. A lot of the marination is hands-off, so you can let the fridge do all the work for this crowd-pleasing meal.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Let's face it, eating an entire watermelon before it goes bad can be a challenge. Serving some of your watermelon in a new savory way can prevent food waste.
- The longer you marinate the watermelon, the richer the flavor. Leave it for a 24 hours to marinate in the fridge for a hands-off yet delicious dish.
- If you accidentally picked out an unsweet watermelon, make flavorful watermelon tuna!
Ingredients Needed
- Watermelon - Get seedless watermelon for easier preparation.
- Soy sauce - You can substitute Bragg liquid aminos.
- Sesame oil - Adds a slightly nutty, toasted flavor and coats the watermelon in oil to help resemble the texture of raw fish.
- Green onions - Add a pop of fresh, crisp texture.
- Rice vinegar - Adds a bright and slightly sweet flavor.
- Lime juice - Use fresh lime juice if you can get your hands on limes, which is preferable to the bottled stuff.
- Ginger - Grate a knob of fresh ginger or use packaged minced ginger. Adds a kick of sweet-and-spicy flavor.
- Rice, edamame, spicy mayo, black sesame seeds - These are suggested mix-ins for your vegan poke bowl, but feel free to substitute your favorite flavors and what you have in your kitchen.
How to Make Watermelon Poke
Cut up the watermelon: Remove the rind from the watermelon and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Place it in a large mixing bowl or plastic ziplock bag.
Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, rice vinegar, lime juice and minced ginger.
Marinate the watermelon: Pour the sauce over the watermelon chunks and give it a good stir. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap or seal the ziplock bag. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Cook the watermelon: Heat a large skillet on medium heat without any oil. Use a slotted spoon or large fork to remove the watermelon from the marinade and place it in the skillet.
Cook the watermelon, stirring often until it becomes firm and any juice in the skillet has evaporated off, about 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: You can discard the leftover marinade or simmer it on the stove on medium heat for about 15 minutes until it's thickened to add onto your poke bowls later.
Chill the watermelon: Return the watermelon to the fridge for at least an hour to chill.
Serve: To serve, plate the watermelon poke with rice and edamame and top with spicy mayo and toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Tips
- Use seedless watermelon. Seeds in your watermelon poke will throw off the texture and appearance.
- Marinate the watermelon for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours. This marination time is critical to allow the savory flavors to soak into the watermelon and transform it.
- Feel free to get creative with your toppings. Nori (seaweed), kimchi, and marinated cucumber salad all taste great with this recipe.
Storing
Store your leftover vegan tuna in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Leftovers taste best when your watermelon is stored separately from the rice and other toppings. Combine everything just before you're ready to serve it.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Hungry for more easy weeknight dinner recipes like this? Try these:
Watermelon Tuna Vegan Poke Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 green onions, diced
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 4 cups cooked white rice (sushi rice is best)
- spicy mayo, for topping
Instructions
Marinate the Watermelon
- Place the chopped watermelon in a large mixing bowl or a ziplock bag.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, rice vinegar, lime juice and minced ginger.
- Pour the sauce over the watermelon chunks and give it a good stir. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap or seal the ziplock bag. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Cook the Watermelon
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat without any oil. Use a slotted spoon or large fork to remove the watermelon from the marinade and place it in the skillet. Cook the watermelon, stirring often until it becomes firm and any juice in the skillet has evaporated off, about 10 minutes.
- You can discard the leftover marinade or simmer it on the stove on medium heat for about 15 minutes until it's thickened to add onto your poke bowls later.
Chill and Serve the Watermelon Poke
- Return the watermelon to the fridge for at least an hour to chill.
- To serve, plate the watermelon poke with rice and edamame and top with spicy mayo and black sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use seedless watermelon. Seeds in your watermelon poke will throw off the texture and appearance.
- Marinate the watermelon for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours. This marination time is critical to allow the savory flavors to soak into the watermelon and transform it.
- Feel free to get creative with your vegan poke bowl toppings. Nori (seaweed), kimchi, and salad all taste great with this recipe.
Yum-number1
NO WAY! This watermelon looks JUST like fish!! Such a cool idea for anyone who doesn't like raw fish
Humbly Homemade
Thank you!! Yes, I had everyone in my family fooled muahaha 😈
Markus + Micah
Super nice! Will definitely have to try when I get my hands on watermelon.
Humbly Homemade
Yes! Let me know how it turns out for you! 😄
Jessica
LOVE this idea!!! My husband loves raw fish with sushi, me? No wayyyy. Haha. This recipe is so creative. I had no idea watermelon could be marinated or cooked. Very cool. PS I emailed you. Sorry it took so long.
Humbly Homemade
Haha! Maybe you could make watermelon poke for him and see if he can tell the difference! My husband couldn't! 😂