Spicy Mango Avocado Poke Lettuce Wraps for Fresh Weeknight Meals

When I began planning the #dudediettour, I imagined a culinary adventure in every city on the schedule. I pictured solo date nights across the country—sampling cocktails and the best local bites I’d discovered through research and recommendations. Maybe I’d jot notes about my favorite spots and compile a list to share here: working title Serena Eats America. It sounded fun and useful.

It didn’t turn out that way.

Traveling constantly is exhausting, and after events I usually wanted nothing more than to collapse in my hotel room. Early-morning appearances and flights also make late-night feasting and cocktails impractical. A few memorable meals did happen—killer sushi in Seattle, oysters in Charleston, Mexican in Denver—but most nights I lived on a makeshift meal from my Snack Pack, wearing a bathrobe and drinking “anxiety tea” (calcium-magnesium powder in warm water). If you watch my Instastories, you’ve probably witnessed this glamorous routine.

Oddly enough, I grew to like those quiet nights in. One evening stands out: after a long day in Santa Monica I stopped at Sweetfin Poké to grab dinner on the way back to the hotel. I’d been meaning to try Sweetfin for ages and was thrilled to finally order one of their poké bowls. The menu was a little overwhelming, but I built a custom bowl with sriracha tuna, avocado, and mango over a citrus kale salad base.

I ate it in bed while watching the season premiere of The Bachelorette and the experience felt downright magical. Maybe it was simply better than a GoMacro bar, but the flavors—sweet, spicy, savory, tangy, and creamy—were perfectly balanced. Using greens instead of rice kept the dish light and fresh, which I loved.

The memory of that bowl haunted me in the best possible way. I wanted to recreate it at home, so I developed these Spicy Mango-Avocado Poké Lettuce Wraps.

These wraps capture the flavors of the Sweetfin bowl in a slightly different format. For convenience I folded mango and avocado into the poké and served it in butter lettuce leaves—perfect for eating with your hands. I added toasted coconut flakes and chopped macadamia nuts for crunch, but toppings are flexible: seaweed, crispy garlic, pickled cucumbers, or wasabi peas would all be great additions.

You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your preferences. Serve it bowl-style over rice, salad, or noodles if you prefer utensils. Rice crackers or taro chips make fun appetizers. Swap the ahi for salmon, snapper, or tofu if you don’t eat tuna. Try pineapple, orange, or grapefruit instead of mango. There’s lots of room to experiment.

Spicy Mango-Avocado Poké Lettuce Wraps: (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
¼ cup finely minced sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (or hot sauce of your choice)
1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
12 ounces sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 head butter or Boston lettuce
For serving (optional): toasted coconut flakes, chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:

– In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, minced sweet onion, sliced scallion, toasted sesame oil, Sambal Oelek, garlic, and sesame seeds.

– Add the cubed tuna and toss gently to coat. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature. (If needed, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours; add mango and avocado just before serving.)

– Fold the diced mango and avocado into the coated tuna.

– Spoon the poké onto butter lettuce leaves and top with toasted coconut flakes and chopped macadamia nuts if desired. Serve immediately.