Hawaiian Tako Poke Recipe (2024)

Tako poke is the ultimate Hawaiian pūpū. Fresh tender slices of tako or octopus tossed in a savory sauce with just the right amount of spice served chilled will have you invited back time and time again.

Before we get started, let’s make sure we are pronouncing poke correctly. Poke is pronounced poh-kay, rhymes with okay. It is not poh-key.

Now on with the post.

Most people are familiar with poke being made with raw fish like shoyu ‘ahi poke, Hawaiian style poke, and spicy ‘ahi poke.

But poke can be made with other ingredients like tako as well. And this is the tako poke recipe you have to try!

What is tako poke?

Tako is the Japanese word for octopus. Tako poke is a classic Hawaiian appetizer that is served chilled.

What is tako poke made of?

Thinly sliced tako that has been boiled until tender and tossed is a delicious soy sauce based sauce. Classic flavors of Hawai’i that pack in the umami punch.

(Full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)

• Tako. Fresh is best, but if you can’t get your hands on it, frozen octopus will work just fine.
• Sweet onions. These are added to the dish raw. Sweet onions are less pungent and work perfectly for this recipe. White onions or red onions can be used as well.
• Green onions. Use just the green part of the green onion. You can save the bottoms and replant it for future use.
• Hawaiian chili pepper. These are quite spicy. A little goes a long way.
• Ogo. Ogo is short for ogonori which is a type of seaweed that is popular in Hawaiian and Japanese dishes.
• Shoyu. Shoyu is Japanese style soy sauce that can be found in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores.
• Hawaiian salt. Hawaiian salt has larger crystals than your classic table salt.
• Sesame oil. This is a strong flavor. A little goes a long way here as well.
• Dashi. I like to use the powdered soup stock base like this one https://amzn.to/3LQnQKK

Poke in Hawaiian means to slice or cut and is commonly used to describe the way fish or octopus is cut to make these dishes.

I like to make my tako poke using thinly sliced tako. You can also roughly chop the octopus as well.

How to make this tako poke recipe?

1. To a small bowl add tako, onion, green onion, and ogo and set aside.
2. To another small bowl add chili pepper, shoyu, Hawaiian salt, sesame oil, and dashi. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour the sauce over the tako and gently toss to combine.
4. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Serve cold and ENJOY!

Tips for the most delicious tako poke

• Use the freshest tako you can for the best flavor.
• Allow the tako to marinate for a few hours. This allows the flavors to be well incorporated.
• Serve this dish chilled. What is not eaten immediately should be stored in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions

Other great pūpū (Hawaiian appetizers)

• Spicy tuna crispy rice
• ​​Smoked meat
• ​​Boiled peanuts
• Lomi ‘ō’io
• Pork hash

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