Korean Tuna Bowl
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Super simple, healthy and delicious Korean Tuna Power Bowl. Brown rice, a rainbow of veggies, and Korean tuna salad, drizzled with a yummy sesame dressing. The perfect healthy lunch ready in 5 minutes!
I have been on a serious bowl kick lately. It is truly my favorite way to whip up a quick, healthy, and delicious meal. Loaded with a variety of textures and flavors and best of all, I can use what I have handy in my fridge and pantry!
What is a Power Bowl?
Sometimes called a Buddha bowl, bliss bowl, nourishment bowl, or a detox bowl, or just a “bowl”, it simply refers to a healthy assortment of ingredients served in a… yeah you guessed it, a bowl.
Here are the essential components to create a delicious and well-balanced power/Buddha/bliss/nourishment/detox bowl:
- Veggies are the star – Sometimes I like a combination of cooked and raw veggies, sometimes I just want raw. I always try to shoot for at least 3 different vegetables.
- High-quality fat – this is essential. Typically it’s in the form of avocado. Because… avocado, but sometimes it will be in the form of nuts or seeds.
- High-quality protein – Sometimes this is a vegan protein (like in my bbq tempeh bowl) or an animal protein (like in my za’atar spiced chicken detox bowl). Most often it is a quick clean protein from my pantry like my favorite tuna.
- Whole grain/complex carbohydrate/starchy vegetable – this part is optional, but I find adding either a whole grain like brown rice or a starchy veggie like sweet potato helps me feel full for hours and hours and hours!
- Pickled/fermented food – In addition to the gut health benefits of fermented food I absolutely LOVE the flavor kick! In this recipe, I used kimchi, in other recipes I’ve used quick pickled onions or a quick beet relish.
- A crazy delicious dressing – Don’t skip this part, trust me it’s essential.
I kicked up the deliciousness an extra 20 notches or so with this Korean Tuna Power Bowl! I have been all about the Korean flavors lately (Olympics obsessed!) and always have some basic Korean condiments in my pantry like; gochujang sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce (or coconut aminos or tamari if you are soy and/or gluten-free). Gochujang sauce it’s a spicy red pepper and garlic paste, when mixed with mayo, soy, tuna, and celery it creates seriously the most delicious tuna salad you have ever had!
O to the M to the G! Delicious!
Reasons Why This Korean Tuna Power Bowl will Give You All The Feels
- Quick and healthy clean eating protein – albacore tuna
- Extra protein, fat, and brain healthy choline – hard boiled egg
- Whole grain, sustainable energy – brown rice
- Healthy fat – thank you avocado. No, really. THANK YOU avocado.
- Minerals and antioxidants – Veggies! greens, carrots, and cucumber
- Fermented food for extra gut health support – Kimchi
You see why this is potentially the worlds most perfect meal?
This bowl is all about the spicy Korean tuna salad surrounded by a party of healthy crunchy veggies.
I love feeling good about the food I am eating!
Looking for more tuna recipes? Try this:
For similar tasty dishes, check out my Korean recipes roundup!
Korean Tuna Power Bowl
Ingredients
Korean Tuna Salad
- 5 ounces canned tuna
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp gochajung sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped
Sesame Dressing
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch crushed red pepper
Bowl Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups leafy greens
- 1/4 cup carrots
- 1/4 cup cucumber
- 1 large egg, hardboiled
- 1/4 avocado, sliced
- 2 tbsp kimchi
Garnish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- crispy seaweed, crumbled
Instructions
Korean Tuna Salad
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together
Sesame Dressing
- Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside
Build your Bowl
- Arrange ingredients together in a bowl, top with tuna salad, drizzle with sesame dressing. Sprinkle sesame seeds and seaweed on top (optional)
Video
Notes
- You can substitute mashed avocado for the mayo
- Use coconut aminos or tamari if you are soy or gluten sensitive
Nutrition
Meet Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN
Abra is a licensed nutritionist, seasoned home cook, and forever flavor-chaser. She’s spent more than two decades exploring the connection between food and health—and just as long obsessing over what makes something truly delicious. Abra’s Kitchen is where those two loves meet, with recipes that celebrate vegetables, follow the seasons, and make you excited to cook.
I made this for lunch today – it was absolutely fantastic! I forgot to make a hard boiled egg before assembling and I subbed cauliflower rice for brown rice, but otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. It was fresh and filling (but not overly so). I thought it tasted like a delicious sushi roll in a bowl. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to share your success! I agree, it is totally like a delicious sushi roll in a bowl and I love the cauliflower rice sub!
I tried this bowl for lunch before the long run I had scheduled this weekend. I’ve never felt more energetic for 20+ miles in my life! I subbed the tuna you recommended for the albacore tuna cans from Lummi Island Wild (https://lummiislandwild.com/our-seafood/albacore-tuna-can/), and it was really dang delicious. This is going to be a long run staple for me.
Yay!! Love hearing that.
I just need a word to describe this, I just love it. Very healthy and full of nutrition lunch, like a package. Thanks for sharing this tona fish idea. keep blogging.
What wonderful healthy lunch idea! The tuna packets make it sooo easy too. I love it!
Looks like a great lunch bowl! I have everything for it besides gochajung sauce. I’m going to get it and make this recipe asap!
The gochajung is necessary, but one of my favorite pantry staples now 🙂 Hope you love it Elena!
This looks so good! I’ve only had a Buddha bowl at PF changs and it was amazing but I really need to learn how to make my own bowls so I dont have to go out for this kind of yumminess! Can’t wait to try this! Your pictures look amazing!
This bowl looks like such a perfect way to eat clean! I like cabbage, but I’ve never really been able to get into kimchi. I think the ones I’ve tried have been too spicy. But I’m loving everything else in the bowl
I completely understand I have yet to taste a kimchi that isn’t spicy, but that part is definitely optional 🙂
I love your step by step tutorial in making your own power bowl. I don’t make them often because I feel like they’re always missing “something” but this post is super helpful! Your bowl looks delicious and jam packed with nutrients!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so glad you found it helpful 🙂
I love that bowl – full of veggies and deliciousness, and that dressing – yum! I’m going to give this a try real soon.
The dressing is a must! 🙂
I love that you broke down the elements of the bowl! I never thought to put a fermented food in there but that sounds like such a good kick and pop of flavor. This bowl sounds delicious!
Thanks, Lauren, yes the fermented add-in really bumps up the flavor and nutrients!
This would make a perfect lunch and we have brown rice in the fridge waiting for a good recipe. Well, looks like I just found it. Very nutritious and packed full of flavor.
This looks incredible and would make a wonderful dinner in our home. Love sesame dressing so definitely going to try this. Saving this for later.
This looks SO, so good! I love pickled things, and that colorful assortment of toppings is just perfect here.
Pickled things are the best!!
I love LOVE LOVE tuna! And Korean food so this recipe is right down my alley. In fact, I have an opened tub of gochujang paste in my fridge and I have been meaning to google some recipes so that I can finally use it up. Perfect recipe at the perfect time. Thanks so much.
Yay!! I’m so glad Kiki, I love finding more uses for gochujang sauce!
This tuna salad truly looks incredible! I love that sesame dressing, this is a must try
Oh yeah. This looks like a power bowl for a mid-day power up. Full of all the nutrients a person needs and packed with flavor.
Thanks Ben! It is definitely packed with flavor 🙂