Crispy Ahi Tuna Poké Tacos with Avocado Crema

You’ve all heard of a music mashup, right? It’s when two completely different songs get layered together — sometimes wildly different genres — and somehow the result works. Think classic rock mixed with hip-hop or a country vocal over a pop beat. The first time you hear it, your brain kind of tilts sideways. But then the rhythm lines up, and suddenly it makes perfect sense.

That’s exactly how I think about these poké tacos. They’re a little bit sushi, a little bit taco, and somehow the mashup just works.

Now, I had never thought of making poké tacos until we went to Chinitas Tapas & Sushi. Mexican and sushi…that was a new one to me. I love tacos. I love sushi. But wait — ahi tuna poké tacos? Say, what?

You know that line from Jerry Maguire where Renee Zellweger says, “You had me at hello”? That was me. No need to go any further with the menu. That stopped me cold. I was so excited and intrigued to find out what these would taste like.

To be fair, they lean more toward the sushi side of things since the taco shell is really a fried wonton, but who cares? Still taco-shaped. Still served in a taco stand with some delicious toppings. I could hardly wait. And you know what? They did not disappoint. I was immediately a fan.

Next came the personal challenge of making them at home. Did it happen immediately? Nope. It was one of those recipes I wanted to, as they say, marinate on for a while.

I wasn’t exactly sure how to prepare the shells because I don’t love frying things if I can avoid it. That was the first hurdle… and it was a big one. I tried a few methods before even attempting the rest of the taco.

I found a video showing what looked like a brilliant way to form the taco with a wooden spatula. Seemed easy enough. But like anything, it takes practice.

I started with wonton wrappers, but as they fried, they ballooned so much that there was hardly any room left to put anything inside the taco. I tried the air fryer. Then the oven. Not even close to crispy enough. At that point, I took a break and decided to revisit the idea later.

If I’m going to eat a taco — of any kind — I want room to put some stuff in it. That’s when I realized egg roll wrappers were my ticket to happiness. Use a 6-inch round cookie cutter, and suddenly I was in business.

So here came the frying challenge again. I tried deep frying them in a pot first. The skillet method ended up winning. Not to mention, I may or may not have had a small boiling-over incident with the pot that convinced me never to try that again.

With the shells finally sorted out, the fun part began. Poké is incredibly easy to make, so it came together quickly. Then I started thinking about toppings. I decided on an avocado crema I had used before on shrimp tacos, along with a sriracha mayonnaise for a little kick. Add some quick-pickled onions and radishes, and now we were getting somewhere.

But the icing on the cake? Crushed macadamia nuts. What says Hawaii more than macadamia nuts? Crunchy, spicy, and totally satisfying.

At that point, I realized my taco had gone totally international. I got my taco wearing a kimono and a sombrero. Now that is what I call a mashup.