This easy seared tuna steaks recipe with Asian marinade is bringing a gourmet delicacy right into the comfort of your own home and it only takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Coming from a family of fishermen, fresh, sushi grade tuna is something I have gained a lot of experience working with. I have been able to master getting the perfect sear while still managing to highlight the beauty of this delicious fish and since I am fortunate enough to get a lot of sushi grade tuna right off the boat during tuna season, I have had a lot of practice.
If you are able to get fresh, sushi grade tuna, this seared tuna recipe can be an excellent dinner to make for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. It is also great to make for a date night in if you are looking for a fancy date night dinner. It is also excellent to make as a quick appetizer when entertaining guests, especially during the holidays. This can be a wonderful Christmas or Thanksgiving appetizer if you are able to get your hands on some fresh fish. Since tuna is in season on the northern east coast in the summer, this tasty appetizer finds a way into our summer barbecue menu, especially. for July 4th, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend barbecues.
This was inspired by my Japanese Tuna Poke on this site, and pairs well with this grilled bacon wrapped shrimp recipe on my site.
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Ingredients
- Bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna or ahi tuna
- sesame seeds
- green onions
- salt and black pepper
- olive oil
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- rice vinegar
- chili garlic sauce
- Sriracha sauce
- red pepper flakes
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat olive oil in the cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
- Step 2: Season the tuna steak with salt and pepper. Place fresh tuna steaks in the hot oil sear 4 sides of the tuna leaving two un-seared for about 20-30 seconds on each side.
- Step 3: Chop the green onions. Slice the tuna steak. Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- Step 4: Pour the marinade over the tuna. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Hint: to slice the tuna steak, use a filet knife. This will make sure your tuna is sliced nice and thin. This also assures you have a smooth cut which makes the tuna a better quality.
Substitutions
- Tuna - the tuna needs to be sushi grade, there is no substituting that, but the type of tuna you get can vary. If one is not available, another might be in season. Try and stick to bluefin, yellowfin or ahi tuna
- Chili Garlic Sauce - can be swapped out for hot sauce and fresh garlic
- Red Pepper Flakes - add a little chili oil to replace some of the heat in this case. You do not need to add much, a little bit goes a long way when it comes to flavor
Variations
- Tuna Poke - skip the sear and cube the tuna, serve over rice tossed in the same sauce as a delicious tuna poke bowl
- Sesame Coated - coat the tuna steak in olive oil and coat with sesame seed before searing. This will toast the sesame seeds a little bit while also leaving a sear on the tuna with a sesame crust
- Sushi - roll the tuna in rice and serve with the marinade on the side as a dipping sauce
See this tuna sushi version on my website!
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a cast-iron skillet and a filet knife. A small mixing bowl is also needed to mix the marinade sauce to pour over the tuna.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored for up to 1 day in an airtight container depending on when the fish was caught. To be on the safe side, try to assure there are not leftovers or cook the remainders all the way through. Consuming raw tuna is only safe when it is sashimi grade tuna for about the first 1-2 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top Tip
Make sure you are working with a hot pan to sear your gorgeous ahi tuna steaks. Making sure you are using a pan that gets really hot allows you to do a quick sear on the outside of the tuna while the inside is still rare tuna.
FAQ
If you do not live near the coast and can assure your tuna is sushi grade by getting it right off the boat, try and find a reputable Asian grocery store or seafood market that is getting their fish fast and can assure it is sushi grade quality.
Yes, tuna is very high in fatty acids and low in calories. This makes any ahi tuna recipe or seared ahi tuna great as a weeknight meal if you are looking for something lighter.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with seared tuna steak:
📖 Recipe
Easy Seared Tuna Steaks Recipe with an Asian Marinade
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Filet Knife
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Tuna
- 1 lb sushi grade tuna
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Marinade
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat up olive oil in the cast iron skillet. Even out the tuna filet so that it is in the shape of a rectangle. Add salt and pepper the the tuna filet.
- Sear 4 sides of the tuna filet for about 20-30 seconds each.
- Remove the filet from the cast iron and slice into thin slices using a filet knife.
- Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha sauce, and red pepper flakes.
- Chop green onions. Drizzle marinade over the tuna slices. Sprinkle sesame seeds and green onions over the slices of tuna.
Notes
- Tuna is only sushi grade for 2-3 days after it is caught.
- Cook leftovers thoroughly before storing.
- Cooked tuna is good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
If you have any questions about how to make this seared tuna recipe or need other quick and easy dinner recipe suggestions, leave a comment below!
Cindy says
So delicious!!! I didn't have any sesame oil on hand, so I used pumpkin seed oil and it was amazing!!!
thebutteredgnocchi says
So happy you loved it!