How to make grilled tuna steak (step by step)
The basic concept behind grilled ahi tuna: you need to crank up your grill to the highest heat possible! To get a perfect sear on the outside and a raw inside, the hotter the better. Because grills vary, the exact temperature will be different based on your grill. Why we love this recipe: Ahi tuna is one of our favorite showstopper dinners, and it’s so fast to make. It’s truly one of the quickest things you can cook! Just 1 to 2 minutes, and you’ve got dinner. Add rice and grilled vegetables and it’s a meal. It always impresses friends, and our kids absolutely love it too.
Ahi tuna steaks: The best quality tuna steaks are often marked “sushi” or “sashimi” grade. If you can find it, wild caught tuna is most sustainable. You can use fresh or frozen tuna steaks here. If the tuna is frozen, thaw it by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight the night before you plan to grill. Salt and pepper: There’s no need to get fancy with marinades. All you need is salt and pepper for a next level grilled tuna steak!
Seared tuna is made with only the highest quality, freshest ahi tuna. This is the tuna is the quality that’s used in sushi and sashimi. The perfect seared tuna is browned on the outside and raw on the inside with a beautiful pink color. It’s absolutely safe to eat, unless you’re pregnant and avoiding raw fish.
More ways to eat ahi tuna
Ahi tuna is a highly nutritious lean protein. There are many ways to eat it, but here are some favorite tuna recipes:
Consider 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. It can be more expensive, so keep that in mind. You should be able to find ahi tuna fresh at your local grocery counter. Look for 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 remember to thaw the night before in the refrigerator. Find wild caught. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms (see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide).
Add a sauce. Grilled tuna steak is perfect with zingy chimichurri sauce, lemon butter sauce, or this garlic herb sauce for tuna steaks. Accessorize with grilled vegetables. Add veggies like grilled vegetables, grilled asparagus, grilled green beans, grilled broccolini, grilled broccoli, grilled corn, or grilled corn in foil. Add rice or a salad. Serve with rice, or add a summer salad like Caesar salad, strawberry salad, cucumber salad, lentil salad, pesto pasta salad, or French potato salad.
Seared tuna: Ahi tuna is easy to make on the stovetop: try 5-minute seared ahi tuna or tuna steak. Tacos: Try seared tuna with cilantro lime slaw in ahi tuna tacos. Poke: Try it as ahi poke or in a classic poke bowl. Tuna tartare: Make an easy appetizer spread in tuna tartare. Salad: Make a grilled Nicoise salad but swapping out the tuna for grilled tuna.
Frequently asked questions
4.5 from 2 reviews Sauce ideas: This grilled tuna steak is great with chimichurri sauce, lemon garlic butter sauce, or this sauce for tuna steaks.
