There’s no reason to save Tuna Steaks for eating out, make them yourself for a gourmet restaurant experience in the comfort of your home. Not only are they full of healthy nutrients, they are delicious and a real treat any day of the week.
I love all things sushi. If sushi is on the menu, I am definitely ordering it! I love tuna especially. I never really cooked with tuna at home because I thought it would be too difficult to cook, and I didn’t want to mess it up. But it’s actually easier to work with than you think! You’ll fall in love with these tuna steaks. Then you’ll have to try this Seared Ahi Tuna, this delicious Tuna Melt, and this yummy Poke Bowl with Tuna.
Tuna Steak
Tuna steaks are the best addition to any salad (especially this Asian Ramen Salad), or just served on top of some rice along with garlic edamame. They are so juicy and flavorful, and a great dish to serve for a special occasion. You can actually find tuna for a great price, which makes this dish a great option any day of the week. I ended up making this recipe twice in one week because we all loved it so much!
I answer a lot of questions about what kind of tuna to choose and how to pick out the best piece in my tip box below. The best part about this recipe is it takes just minutes to cook! If you didn’t want to let it marinade, you can have these stakes ready in under 10 minutes. It’s flavorful and really unique! You can add more to the meal to make it more filling. I prefer serving them with instant pot rice and air fryer green beans.
Ingredients
You could get away with less ingredients than this, but I like to make a yummy marinade for these tuna steaks. It’s fun to add different flavors because you get a whole new experience each time. You could add things like honey, sesame seeds, parsley, and cayenne pepper. I love switching up the flavors all the time. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
- Water: This is to make the marinade.
- Lemon Juice: Acid goes great with tuna, and helps to bring out all the amazing flavors.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is a fermented bean sauce that is salty and full of flavor. You can choose a low sodium version if you are worried about the salt content.
- Sesame Oil: It’s nutty and so flavorful, you’re going to love it!
- Cardamom: This adds warmth and sweetness to the dish.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried thyme goes great with tuna.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper has more flavor, I always use it in the recipes that call for pepper.
- Garlic: Garlic cloves are the perfect pair with these other ingredients.
- Tuna Steaks: You should be able to find tuna steaks at your local grocery store in the fish section. Mine were a little less than an inch thick.
Tuna Steak Recipe
If you are confident cooking a regular steak, then you are overqualified for cooking a tuna steak. All you do is marinade and sear on a skillet! I prefer to use my cast iron, but a non-stick skillet will work great. Make sure that you pay attention to how thick your steak is because a thinner steak will cook faster, and a thicker steak may need a few more minutes on both sides. If you are cooking on a grill, then they will likely cook faster than on the skillet. The steaks should be seared on the outside and medium-rare on the inside.
- Mix Marinade: In a mixing bowl, combine your water, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, cardamom, thyme, and minced garlic. Then mix until well combined.
- Add Marinade to Steaks: Pour your marinade into a large plastic bag and then place your tuna steaks in the bag with the marinade. Push out as much air as you can and thoroughly coat the steaks in the marinade.
- Marinade for 20 Mins: Allow the tuna steaks to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Cook in Skillet: Heat a skillet over medium high heat, once the steaks are marinated and ready, then remove them from the bag and then place them on the heated skillet, cook each side for about 2 minutes. Brush the steaks with more of the marinade as they cook to add more flavor.
- Rest: Once you have cooked both sides of each steak remove them from the skillet, the internal temperature should reach 125 degrees fahrenheit. Allow them to rest for 2 minutes, they will continue to cook while they rest.
- Eat: Enjoy fresh!
Tips for Making Tuna Steak
I think we’ve all assumed that tuna steaks are hard to cook and expensive. Now that we know differently, here are a few more tips to make this recipe a huge hit. You and your family are going to love this one!
- Type of Skillet: I prefer to use my cast iron skillet. I have a very well-seasoned skillet which makes it pretty non-stick. Fish can stick to the pan if your pan isn’t hot enough and properly seasoned. Make sure to follow the instructions with the heat, or use a non-stick skillet if you are worried. The last thing you want is half of your steak sticking to the bottom of the pan!
- Choosing Tuna Steaks: If you have never bought a tuna steak before, don’t be intimidated! They should be in the seafood section at your local grocery store. You can even find them for a good price most of the time. The color should be a nice dark pink. If it is turning brown or looks dull and matte, then that is an older steak and won’t taste as good. The steaks I chose were 4 ounces each and about an inch or ¾ of an inch thick. If you choose a thinner steak, you will not need to cook them for as long to get them to the perfect temperature. Make sure to not overcook your steak or it can become chewy and dry, and way less flavorful. Any kind of tuna will work, I prefer sushi-grade tuna like ahi tuna, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, or bluefin tuna.
Storing Leftovers
Tuna steaks are best eaten fresh. You definitely don’t want to be making these ahead of time for your guests. If you do have leftovers, then here is how to store them.
- In the Refrigerator: Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Seafood Recipes
Dinner
Hawaiian Poke Bowl
Dinner
Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta
Dinner
The Best Lobster Tail Recipe Ever!
Appetizers
The Easiest Crab Cakes
Tuna Steak
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 4 ounce tuna steaks
Instructions
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In a mixing bowl, combine your water, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, cardamom, thyme, and minced garlic. Mix until well combined.
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Pour your marinade into a large plastic bag and place your tuna steaks in the bag with the marinade. Push out as much air as you can and thoroughly coat the steaks in the marinade.
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Allow the tuna steaks to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
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Heat a skillet over medium high heat, once the steaks are marinated and ready, remove them from the bag and place them on the heated skillet, cook each side for about 2 minutes. Brush the steaks with more of the marinade as they cook to add more flavor.
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Once you have cooked both sides of each steak remove them from the skillet, the internal temperature should reach 125 degrees fahrenheit. Allow them to rest for 2 minutes, they will continue to cook while they rest.
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Enjoy fresh!
