Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe

Learn the secret to making perfectly Seared Tuna with a Sesame Seed Crust in just 10 minutes flat. A healthy, delicious ahi tuna recipe that is flavorful and easy to make. Video. Plus 50+ Best Fish Recipes.

This Seared Tuna happened a lot in our catering days, so much so, I couldn’t bring myself to make it again for a long long time. But a good three years have passed now, and the other day I got a hankering for it, so I thought I’d share! It’s one of those recipes that may seem fancy, but honestly, it couldn’t be any simpler and the best part, it is, it is ridiculously fast!

Here we are pairing it with a cool and crunchy Asian Cucumber Salad and Seasoned Japanese Rice with Furikake, a light and refreshing summer meal.

Whenever you serve Ahi Tuna rare, make sure to use “sushi-grade” tuna. My favorite? Look for Saku Tuna.

Seared Tuna

Learn the secret to making perfectly Seared Tuna with a Sesame Seed Crust in just 10 minutes flat. A healthy, delicious ahi tuna recipe that is flavorful and easy to make. Video. Plus 50+ Best Fish Recipes.

Prep: 5min

Total: 10min

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 4 ounce serving

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 4 ounce serving, calories 236 calories, Sugar 1.1 g, Sodium 437.5 mg, Fat 10.7 g, Saturated Fat 1.8 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 5.1 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 29.1 g, Cholesterol 44.2 mg

Ingredients:

• 10- 16 ounces ahi tuna, thawed (sushi-grade) see notes
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or GF liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons high heat oil for searing- peanut oil, wok oil, avocado
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (black, or both black and white)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder (or onion powder)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or dried thyme)

Instruction:

1. Mix the Sesame Crust ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Pat dry the ahi tuna with paper towels.
3. Place ahi tuna on a plate, coat all sides with soy sauce. This will help the sesame spice adhere to the tuna.
4. Generously sprinkle all sides of the ahi tuna with the sesame mix, pressing it down into the flesh. Coat the sides. Read through the rest of the directions before starting because the next part goes very quickly.
5. The goal here is to get a nice golden sear on all sides without cooking the ahi tuna all the way through. HOT PAN is key.
6. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, until very very hot. Turn your hood fan on. Place tongs, metal spatula and splatter guard (or lid) near the stove. When the pan is hot a flick of water should sizzle loudly. Once the skillet is hot, turn the fan on high. Add the oil and coat the pan and let it get hot. Carefully lay the tuna in the pan, pressing it down into the skillet with a metal spatula. Sear 45-60 seconds- checking the underneath by lifting one corner to see if it is golden. When deeply golden, carefully flip. If not golden, turn the heat up. Sear the other side, 60-90 seconds until golden. Sear the long edges using tongs to hold it upright.
7. Place on a cutting board, blot if you like, then using a very sharp knife, thinly slice, and serve.
8. At this point, you could also refrigerate up to 3 days, and serve this later, chilled. Either way is good.

Marinated Seared Ahi Tuna

Here’s the most amazing Marinated Seared Ahi you can make at home! It’s bursting with flavor, super easy to make, and fantastic as an appetizer or healthy dinner.

Prep: 10min

Total: 12min

Serving Size: 1 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 g, calories 246 kcal, Sugar 3.8 g, Sodium 922.4 mg, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 1.6 g, Carbohydrate 8.7 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 36.6 g, Cholesterol 63.5 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 TB regular strength soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari sauce)
• 2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 TB Asian toasted sesame oil (found in the Asian aisle)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds fresh ahi tuna steaks (about 1 1/2-1 2/3 inches thick)
• 3 TB canola or vegetable oil (for searing)
• Optional: freshly chopped cilantro (green scallions, sesame seeds for garnish.)
• Optional: Sriracha mayo for drizzling

Instruction:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients to make a marinade. Towel dry tuna steaks and place in a glass or ceramic dish. Pour marinade over the fish, turning to coat well throughout. Cover tightly and chill several hours to overnight; turn fish over at least once in the middle of marinade time.
2. Heat 3 TB oil in a large heavy skillet – use aluminum or stainless steel; not nonstick, as it won’t sear – until oil is smoking. Sear ahi steaks 1 1/2 minutes per side on high heat, taking care to flip carefully with a flat, steel spatula. (If your tuna is less than 1 1/2 inches thick, sear for only 1 minute per side.)
3. Transfer seared ahi to a large cutting board and let rest/cool 10 minutes. Use a very sharp (serrated works well) knife to slice thinly across the grain.
4. Serve chilled or at room temp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro or green onions, if desired. Drizzle with Sriracha mayo if desired.

Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe

FAQ

What oil is best for searing tuna?

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Should tuna be cold before searing?