This completely seared tuna steak is good as a straightforward weeknight dinner—it’s one in all my favourite protein-packed pescatarian recipes! Listed here are my knowledgeable suggestions for cooking this tasty fish and prime concepts for tactics to serve it.

Tuna steak is a kind 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 chunk of rooster or steak!
Sear up a steak and it’s one in all my favourite meals—excessive in protein, cooks in below 5 minutes, and surprisingly connoisseur. Its meaty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and well-seasoned exterior makes it good for all the things from weeknight dinners to impressing visitors at a cocktail party.
This tuna steak recipe is good for pescatarians, tuna followers, or residence cooks in search of a fast meal large on contemporary, high-quality substances. In actual fact, I really 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 important piece of fish. Ahi tuna, often known as yellowfin tuna or bigeye tuna, is a light, lean fish typically 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,” but it surely means the fish is high-quality and secure to be eaten uncooked.
- Verify the fish counter. You need to have the ability to discover ahi tuna steaks at your native grocery counter. “Common” tuna usually refers back to the canned, albacore, or skipjack sorts of tuna. (Bluefin tuna is the rarest and most costly, but it surely’s not crucial right here.)
- Search for frozen steaks. These might be even brisker than contemporary tuna in the event that they’re flash frozen proper after they’re caught. You’ll simply have to thaw them within the fridge the night time earlier than.
- Discover wild-caught fish. Wild-caught fish is often a extra sustainable alternative, however high quality choices can be found in well-regulated farms. See the Seafood Watch Client Information.
Greatest Approach to Cook dinner and Sear
This seared tuna steak takes simply 2 to 4 minutes, so that you gained’t need to wander too distant out of your skillet. Listed here are the fundamental steps for this one (or you possibly can go forward and leap proper to the recipe):

Step 1: Permit steaks to come back to room temperature. (Give them about 20 minutes.) That is essential. In any other case, the within will stay chilly whereas the surface 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 surface however uncommon on the within.
The inner temperature of your tuna steaks ought to be 130°F for medium-rare. You may 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.
Should you’re serving ahi tuna to kids or pregnant girls, you gained’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 realize a medium doneness, cook dinner to an inside temperature round 135°F. It’s nonetheless not a pan-fried dish, however your steaks will now not be pink on the within.
Tried, Tasted, and 5-Star Permitted
“Turned out nice! I appeared up your tuna steak recipe primarily for the cooking directions and suggestions to ensure I didn’t smash our pretty wild caught fish. I used a lightweight mix of Outdated 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 really like my garlic herb sauce with contemporary herbs and capers for any tuna steak recipe, but it surely actually relies on what you’re going for in your ultimate dish. Listed here are a couple of extra tasty sauces for seared tuna:
- Hoisin: For Asian-style flavors, strive savory hoisin sauce for dipping. It’s candy and savory for the proper 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 may decide up a bottle on the grocery retailer, however I even have a straightforward recipe for selfmade teriyaki.
As for sides, you possibly can pair ahi tuna steaks with absolutely anything to show them into an entire, wholesome dinner. Listed here are a couple 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, corresponding to quinoa or farro. You possibly can additionally add rice to make a spin-off model of a poke bowl.
- Salads: Add some further protein with a white bean salad or maintain 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 steadiness of textures, I like to stay to crunchy veggies like snow peas or sautéed broccoli.
Tuna Steak
Cooking tuna steaks isn’t sophisticated, but it surely does require some consideration to element. Right here’s how I get an incredible sear and unimaginable taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 5 minutes
- Complete 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
Directions
- Carry the tuna steaks to room temperature by letting them sit for not less than 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 flippantly browned on the surface however nonetheless uncommon on the within.
- Cool for two minutes, then slice the tuna towards 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 could deal with greater 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 okay, but it surely provides a little bit of a special 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 crimson pepper romesco for grilled fish recipes and summertime dinners.
This tuna recipe doesn’t name for a marinade, however you possibly can all the time add a fast marinade for further taste. Preserve 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
Tuna steak can usually 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. Should you’re not sure in regards to the supply, you possibly can cook dinner your tuna right through.
To make a crusted tuna steak, coat your tuna with a sauce after patting it dry to assist your crust substances stick. Sprinkle all sides of your tuna together with your crust combine, which generally consists of sesame seeds, then press it down into each bit. Sear your steaks in the identical manner from there.