This ahi tuna steak recipe makes one brilliantly cooked piece of fish: in just 5 minutes! Here’s how to cook tuna steak.
Need a simple meal that’s restaurant quality? Try a Tuna Steak! Tuna steaks are one of our favorite easy meals because they’re high protein and cook up in a flash: just 2 to 4 minutes! The flavor is melt-in-your-mouth meaty: with a salty, seasoned exterior and a buttery, raw interior. You’ll want to use sushi grade fish here. Sear it up in a hot pan, and it’s one of the most impressive meals you can make!
Tips for buying ahi tuna steak
You’ll want a great piece of fish for this tuna steak recipe. Ahi tuna, aka yellowfin tuna or bigeye tuna, is a mild, lean fish commonly served as sushi, in poke bowls, or cooked rare or medium-rare. It’s sold as large thick steaks at the grocery, not thin fillets like with other types of fish. Here’s what to look for when buying tuna steaks:
- Consider sushi or sashimi grade. The best quality tuna steaks are often marked “sushi” or “sashimi” grade. There are no specific regulations around the label “sushi-grade,” but it means it’s a high quality fish that is safe to be eaten raw.
- Check at the fish counter. You should be able to find ahi tuna steaks at your local grocery counter.
- Look for frozen steaks. Or, it’s possible that your grocery might have frozen steaks. These can be even fresher than fresh tuna if they’re flash frozen right when they’re caught. You’ll just need to thaw the night before in the refrigerator.
- Find wild caught. Fish that is wild caught is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
How to cook tuna steak
How to cook tuna steak? It takes just 2 to 4 minutes, so it goes quickly! Here are the basic steps to the process, or you can jump right to the recipe to get started!
- Allow it to come to room temperature first! This is important: otherwise the inside is still cold when the exterior is cooked! Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to cooking. It makes a big difference!
- Season it liberally. Coat it with salt and pepper, as shown in the photo below. We use about ¾ teaspoon for every 8 ounces.
- Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, and use a food thermometer to assess temperature (130 degrees Fahrenheit). Add the steak and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned on the outside but still rare the inside. The tuna will continue cooking while sitting. For a medium-rare tuna steak, the internal temperature should be 130 degrees Fahrenheit when measured with a food thermometer at the thickest point.
- Rest for 2 minutes. This helps it to set and become easier to cut.
Can you cook it medium instead of rare?
In some cases you may not want the ahi tuna completely raw on the inside, like for children or pregnant women. You can cook tuna steaks to medium, too! They are just as meaty and delicious. Here’s what to know:
- Cook the tuna steak slightly longer, until it’s no longer pink on the inside but still tender. The steak will look gray the entire way through instead of just on the outside.
- Check for an internal temperature around 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sauces for this tuna steak recipe
Want a sauce to serve with this tuna steak recipe? Here are a few tasty serving ideas:
- Garlic Herb Sauce: This Garlic Herb Sauce is Mediterranean-style with lemon, parsley, garlic, butter and capers: and it makes the fish sing.
- Hoisin Sauce: For Asian-style flavors, try purchased hoisin sauce for dipping: it’s quick and easy and packed with savory flavor.
- Ponzu Sauce: Ponzu sauce is a Japanese dipping sauce made with soy sauce and citrus juice. Try this Ponzu Sauce recipe.
Sides for tuna steak
Just about anything can pair with ahi tuna steaks to make them into a healthy dinner. Here are a few ideas for quick sides that can be made in the time it takes to rest and cook the tuna steak:
- Serve it on a bed of Easy Couscous or Easy Orzo
- Add a fresh salad like Couscous Salad, Simple Radish Salad, Hearty Farro Salad, Romaine Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess, Fennel Salad with Parmesan or Easy White Bean Salad
- Go for a quick veggie like Lemony Broiled Asparagus, Sauteed Broccolini or Easy Snow Peas
More tuna recipes
Love ahi tuna? Here are a few more tuna steak recipes you might enjoy:
- Try Best-Ever Grilled Tuna Steak
- Go for a Poke Bowl or simple Ahi Poke
- Make Ahi Tuna Tacos or Tuna Tartare
- Make 5-Minute Seared Ahi Tuna
Perfect Tuna Steak
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Prep Time: 20 minutes -
Cook Time: 5 minutes
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Total Time: 25 minutes
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Yield: 2 4-ounce servings
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Pin RecipeDescription
This ahi tuna steak recipe makes one brilliantly cooked piece of fish: in just 5 minutes! Here’s how to cook tuna steak.
Ingredients
- 2 steaks (8 ounces) high quality ahi tuna (sashimi grade recommended; wild caught if possible*)
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- For serving: Garlic Herb Sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Allow the tuna steak to come to room temperature by letting it stand for at least 20 minutes.
- Pat the tuna dry. Sprinkle it liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper on both sides to get a nice even coating (about ¾ teaspoon kosher salt for 8 ounces).
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the tuna steak and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. The tuna will continue cooking while sitting. For a medium-rare tuna steak, the internal temperature should be 130 degrees Fahrenheit when measured with a food thermometer at the thickest point.
- Cool for 2 minutes. Then slice the tuna against the grain into ½-inch slices and serve immediately, with the sauce if desired.
Notes
*Frozen is okay, just thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.
Category: Fish
Method: Seared
Keywords: Tuna steak, tuna steak recipe, how to cook tuna steak
Cuisine:
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