Tuna Poke-Stuffed Avocados Recipe

Just when you thought avocados couldn't get any better, the bright green fruit finds another way to be delicious. While we are used to avocados being used for dips like guacamole and as a topping on toast, they can also be used as the vessel itself, relying on their thick skin to serve as a tiny bowl. 

In this recipe by Michelle McGlinn, avocados are split open and pitted, then stuffed with garlicky ahi tuna and edamame. These tiny — and frankly, cute — poke bowls are nutritious and low-carb, and they make the perfect lunch for anyone short on time. Besides marinating the tuna (which can be done in advance), these stuffed avocados come together in minutes and can be customized with any of your favorite poke toppings. Our favorites? Scallions, sesame seeds, and a spicy sriracha mayo, which complement the creamy avocado base. Didn't we tell you avocados were the best?

First, you'll need several ripe avocados. For the perfect texture, look for avocados with darker skin and a slight give when gently squeezed. If the avocados feel too soft or even hollow when squeezed, skip it. If they're green and hard, wait a few more days (and put them in a paper bag to speed things up).

From there, you'll want to grab ahi tuna. Because this dish is made with raw tuna, source your fish carefully from vendors you trust. Buy very fresh tuna when possible, and use it within a day of purchasing. To marinate the tuna, grab soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic; then pick up mayo, sriracha, and salt for the sriracha mayo. To top the tiny poke bowls, you'll need steamed edamame, scallions, and a handful of sesame seeds.

Combine tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.

Stir to combine, then let marinate for 30 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, combine sriracha, salt, and mayonnaise.

To assemble, top each avocado half with ¼ cup marinated tuna.

Sprinkle each avocado with scallions.

Top with edamame and sesame seeds.

Drizzle with sriracha mayo, and serve.

We get it; raw tuna is nerve-wracking enough as it is, and preparing it at home doesn't make you feel any better. To boost your confidence, seek out tuna labeled as "sushi-grade," which is a general indication that the tuna has been flash-frozen to remove harmful bacteria. If you're still not sure, or you happen to be vegetarian, you can simply swap the tuna out for something else.

The closest swap to ahi tuna is simply using canned tuna, which will be saltier and flakier but similarly fishy. Use the same ingredients to season the tuna — soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic — but instead of letting it marinate, simply use it right away. Another option? Mix the sriracha mayo into the tuna instead of drizzling it on top.

For a similar texture to ahi tuna, try using small blocks of tofu. Drain and press a block of super firm tofu until completely dry, then slice it into ½-inch squares. Marinate it as you would the tuna, then assemble the avocados. If tofu isn't your thing either, marinate some shrimp and cook until opaque for a warm topping option.

Tuna poke-stuffed avocados aren't exactly champions of the leftovers game. Not only are they topped with raw fish, but avocados themselves turn brown within a day of being split open; so even if you have a container big enough to hold the assembled avocados, we only recommend storing them for about a day.

Because it can be hard to buy all of these ingredients the same day you use them, we recommend keeping the tuna frozen until ready to use, or preparing the dish up to a day in advance. Keep the avocados whole and refrigerated (if ripened), only cutting them open when ready to use. If you'd like to prep these in the morning and bring them for lunch on the same day, add the tuna and toppings to one container and the whole avocado to another, then assemble when you're ready to eat at lunchtime. One avocado is equivalent to one serving size, so you'll only need to tow a single fruit at a time.