Seared Tuna Steak

May 9, 2025

7

This completely seared tuna steak is right as a simple weeknight dinner—it’s one in every of my favourite protein-packed pescatarian recipes! Listed below are my professional suggestions for cooking this tasty fish and prime concepts for methods to serve it.

Tuna steak is a type of magical proteins that don’t style such as you’d count on. When cooked properly, it tastes much less like fish and extra like a bit of rooster or steak!

Sear up a steak and it’s one in every of my favourite meals—excessive in protein, cooks in below 5 minutes, and surprisingly gourmand. Its meaty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and well-seasoned exterior makes it excellent for all the pieces from weeknight dinners to impressing visitors at a cocktail party.

This tuna steak recipe is excellent for pescatarians, tuna followers, or house cooks in search of a fast meal huge on contemporary, high-quality elements. In truth, I like this recipe a lot that Alex and I included a rendition of it in our A Couple Cooks Cookbook, served with this chimichurri sauce!

Shopping for High quality Tuna Steaks

This recipe begins with an incredible piece of fish. Ahi tuna, also called yellowfin tuna or bigeye tuna, is a gentle, lean fish usually utilized in sushi, poke bowls, or cooked uncommon or medium-rare. It’s bought as thick steaks on the grocery retailer, not skinny fillets like different sorts of fish.

Right here’s what to search for when shopping for tuna steaks:

Think about sushi or sashimi grade. There aren’t any particular laws across the label “sushi-grade,” nevertheless it means the fish is high-quality and secure to be eaten uncooked.
Examine the fish counter. You must be capable of discover ahi tuna steaks at your native grocery counter. “Common” tuna typically refers back to the canned, albacore, or skipjack sorts of tuna. (Bluefin tuna is the rarest and costliest, nevertheless it’s not mandatory right here.)
Search for frozen steaks. These could be even more energizing than contemporary tuna in the event that they’re flash frozen proper after they’re caught. You’ll simply must thaw them within the fridge the night time earlier than.
Discover wild-caught fish. Wild-caught fish is normally a extra sustainable alternative, however high quality choices can be found in well-regulated farms. See the Seafood Watch Client Information.

Finest Approach to Prepare dinner and Sear

This seared tuna steak takes simply 2 to 4 minutes, so that you received’t need to wander too far-off out of your skillet. Listed below are the essential steps for this one (or you may go forward and bounce proper to the recipe):

Step 1: Permit steaks to come back to room temperature. (Give them about 20 minutes.) That is necessary. In any other case, the within will stay chilly whereas the skin is cooked.

Step 2: Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. We use about ¾ teaspoon for each 8 ounces.

Step 3: Warmth oil in a non-stick or forged iron skillet over medium-high warmth and cook dinner the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes per facet. They need to be browned on the skin however uncommon on the within.

The inner temperature of your tuna steaks must be 130°F for medium-rare. You possibly can measure the temperature by inserting a meals thermometer into the thickest a part of the steak. Permit your steaks to relaxation for two minutes earlier than slicing them into strips.

When you’re serving ahi tuna to youngsters or pregnant ladies, you received’t need the within uncooked. In these situations, cook dinner your steaks to medium; I promise they’ll be simply as meaty and scrumptious! To attain a medium doneness, cook dinner to an inner temperature round 135°F. It’s nonetheless not a pan-fried dish, however your steaks will not be pink on the within.

Tried, Tasted, and 5-Star Authorized

“Turned out nice! I regarded up your tuna steak recipe primarily for the cooking directions and suggestions to verify I didn’t break our pretty wild caught fish. I used a lightweight mix of Previous Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, and sea salt. Moist, tender, flavorful, not overcooked. The entire household cherished it!”

– Pamela M.

Serve With Sauces and Sides

I like my garlic herb sauce with contemporary herbs and capers for any tuna steak recipe, nevertheless it actually depends upon what you’re going for in your ultimate dish. Listed below are a number of extra tasty sauces for seared tuna:

Hoisin: For Asian-style flavors, attempt savory hoisin sauce for dipping. It’s candy and savory for the right mix of that elusive umami.
Ponzu: This Japanese dipping sauce, made with soy sauce and citrus juice, is a pleasant distinction to the tuna’s meaty taste.
Teriyaki: You possibly can choose up a bottle on the grocery retailer, however I even have a simple recipe for do-it-yourself teriyaki.

As for sides, you may pair ahi tuna steaks with absolutely anything to show them into a whole, wholesome dinner. Listed below are a number of concepts for fast sides that may be made within the time it takes to relaxation and cook dinner your steaks:

Grains: Use no matter grain you want, equivalent to quinoa or farro. You could possibly additionally add rice to make a spin-off model of a poke bowl.
Salads: Add some additional protein with a white bean salad or hold it contemporary and easy with a romaine lettuce salad.
Pastas: Serve your tuna on a mattress of fluffy couscous or orzo with lemon juice for some acidity in your dish.
Veggies: For a stability of textures, I like to stay to crunchy veggies like snow peas or sautéed broccoli.

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Tuna Steak

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Cooking tuna steaks isn’t difficult, nevertheless it does require some consideration to element. Right here’s how I get an incredible sear and unimaginable taste.

Creator: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 5 minutes
Whole Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 4-ounce servings
Class: Fish
Technique: Seared

Elements

2 8-oz ahi tuna steaks
½ tablespoon impartial oil
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly floor black pepper, to style

Prepare dinner Mode

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Directions

Carry the tuna steaks to room temperature by letting them sit for at the least 20 minutes. Pat the tuna dry.
Sprinkle the fish liberally with the kosher salt and contemporary floor black pepper on either side.
Warmth the oil in a medium skillet over medium-excessive warmth.
Add the tuna steaks and cook dinner 1-2 minutes per facet till frivolously browned on the skin however nonetheless uncommon on the within.
Cool for two minutes, then slice the tuna in opposition to the grain into ½-inch slices.
Serve instantly, with a sauce if desired.

Notes

A impartial oil is healthier than butter for searing tuna steaks as a result of it might deal with larger warmth with out burning. Searing is finest quick and scorching, so that you need oil with a excessive smoking level, like grapeseed or vegetable oil. Olive oil is ok, nevertheless it provides a little bit of a distinct taste profile to the dish.

Grilled tuna steak is simply as fast and scrumptious as a scorching pan. You’ll use the identical seasonings however can play with the smokiness when it’s time for sauces. I like my chimichurri sauce with cilantro or a pink pepper romesco for grilled fish recipes and summertime dinners.

This tuna recipe doesn’t name for a marinade, however you may at all times add a fast marinade for additional taste. Hold it quick. About 15-Half-hour in a soy-, citrus-, or sesame oil-based sauce is greater than sufficient for marinated, pan-seared tuna.

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FAQs

Can tuna steak be eaten uncooked?

Tuna steak can typically be eaten uncooked if labeled “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade.” Meaning the vendor has deemed it fit for human consumption uncooked as a result of it meets particular processing requirements.
You’ll discover uncooked tuna in pokes, tartares, and sashimi. When you’re uncertain in regards to the supply, you may cook dinner your tuna right through.

How do you make a crusted tuna steak (e.g., sesame-crusted)?

To make a crusted tuna steak, coat your tuna with a sauce after patting it dry to assist your crust elements stick. Sprinkle all sides of your tuna along with your crust combine, which usually consists of sesame seeds, then press it down into each bit. Sear your steaks in the identical manner from there.