Seared Ahi Tuna • Essential Ahi Tuna Recipe • Two Purple Figs

There’s nothing like a plate of seared ahi tuna for a perfect dinner. There are so many ways to enjoy the succulent Ahi Tuna fish, cooked or not, and we’ve shared plenty of them. But today is sort of the basics, a perfect and tasty seared ahi tuna as your go to when you need to cook it. 

Where can we start? When it comes to Tuna, we are the experts, and we couldn’t have done it without you! So thanks to all of you wonderful readers who’ve made and shared our endless Tuna Recipes.

We have a soft spot for this fish, and frankly all seafood. But fresh, seared, raw, canned, we just simply find tuna a wonder! Our most popular Tuna Tartare is a raw, flavored fish that’s served high end, but so easy to make at home! 

Another raw zesty recipe is Tuna Carpaccio and Crudo. Our semi seared ahi tuna recipes include our basic Tuna Steak Recipe, and Tuna Tataki. Also this delicious Tuna Wrap and Ahi Tuna Salad. Our popular canned recipes include Tuna Casserole and Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing. If you’re looking for a cured recipe, try Tuna Ceviche.

Why You’ll Love Seared Ahi Tuna

• The fish is infused with some soy sauce and then crusted with dry spice and sesame, so it’s SUPER tasty!
• Tuna is so delicate and when seared lightly, you get to the best texture!
• It’s versatile and can be served with so many side dishes.
• While it has some soy sauce and sesame, it doesn’t need to be served Asian. You can pair it with pretty much any side dish.
• The process of searing ahi tuna requires 10 minutes, so t’s super quick!
• You can enjoy seared Ahi Tuna hot, warm or cold. So it’s a great option to make ahead of time.
• This is a really light and healthy meal, it fills you up without overweighing you at all! 
• If you’ve had this dish at any restaurant, you’ll LOVE it more when making at home–I promise!

Ingredients You Need

• Ahi Tuna. Fresh ahi tuna steaks are a must here, while you can use saku–which you can read about in this Tuna Crudo.
  If you’re unfamiliar with the different types of fresh tuna, see more below.
• Soy Sauce. This is the liquid coating for the fish and also a flavor booster. It adds the perfect umami.
• Cust. While you can use just a variety of sesame seeds, we added onion flakes, chilli flakes, coarse black pepper and dried oregano. Lime zest would be awesome here too! 

What is Ahi Tuna?

So fresh tuna comes in two main varieties, the Ahi tuna or Albacore tuna. They both taste very similar but the main difference is their fat content. Ahi tuna is more fatty, and for that you’ll find that plenty of canned tuna is Albacore. Since tuna in general is not a fatty fish, it’s preferable to consume raw or slightly seared. 

What is Saku Tuna?

How to Sear Ahi Tuna

1. The first step is to soak the piece of ahi tuna into a plate of soy sauce. Make sure you cover the entire fish, on all angles and all sides. This will infuse the fish tremendously with umami and saltiness from the soy sauce. 
   
2. Next you’re going to prepare the crust. In a separate plate, add in the dry coarse crust ingredients. You can use just sesame seeds, or add in some flavor as we did here. 
3. We used onion flakes, sesame seeds (white and black), dried oregano , chilli flakes, coarse peppercorn, a touch of sugar and dried ginger flakes. Alternatively you can find these coarse spice blends at the stores, and they work well here too. 
   
4. Now take the tuna fillet and coat it well into the plate of dried ingredients until a thick crust is formed. Make sure every side and angle of the fish is well coated. 
   
5. In a hot pan, with oil, sear the ahi tuna for just 1.5-2 minutes on each side at most. You want to have a nice crust on the outside while keeping the inside of the fish raw and soft. 
   
6. At this point, remove the fish from the skillet and use a really sharp knife to slice the fillet into 1/4 th inch thick slices. 
7. And there you have it, perfectly seared and sliced ahi tuna! 
   
8. You can serve this right away, or have it cold. It’s delicious–SO delicious! We had it with our asian inspired Easy Cucumber Salad. And we also turned some leftovers into a phenomenal Poke Bowl! 

Tips for Perfect Seared Ahi Tuna

1. Buy fresh ahi tuna from your fish monger, and make sure to let them know you’ll be cooking it halfway. 
2. Soaking the fish in soy sauce infuses it with so much flavor and richness, so don’t skimp it! 
3. The curst is completely optional how many ingredients you add in or out. Likewise you can use a store bought blend if you’d like. We add a touch of sugar to cut out the spice and for good caramelization.
4. Make sure you evenly coat the entire fish before searing.
5. When searing Ahi tuna, make sure you have the pan preheated on high heat. High heat is key to a great sear.
6. Avoid over cooking the tuna, give it 1.5 minutes to 2 minutes on each side only and then remove it from the skillet.
7. ALWAYS slice the ahi tuna against the grain so it doesn’t crumble apart. 
8. Have a sharp knife for slicing, it’s key for perfect slices.

What to Serve with Ahi Tuna

How to Make In Advance

This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. You can sear the fish and wrap it in the fridge for up to 2 days before slicing and serving. It’s best not to marinate the fish for more than 30 minutes in soy sauce as it will begin to cure. In that case, it will still taste great, but loose the texture, similar to a Tuna Ceviche.

What Does Seared Tuna Taste Like?

Fresh tuna tastes slightly sweet with a firm texture, and doesn’t have a fishy taste. When seared well, it will have a buttery texture. 

How to Get the Perfect Sear?

Have your pan super hot, and well oiled. Then sear the tuna for 1.5 minutes without flipping or touching. Flip and cook another 2 minutes and remove it from the pan. 

Can Tuna fall apart when searing? 

If your pan is not too hot, or if you don’t have enough oil, these may cause the fish to crumble. Also the thickness of your tuna fillets along with how your flip it around the pan can make it fall apart. Make sure your fish is about 3/4 inch thick and only flip it once during searing. 

Will Seared ahi Tuna be Raw?

Yes, it will be raw on the inside to ensure it is soft and juicy. 

Is it Safe to Eat Raw Tuna?

For most people, yes. However always ask your healthcare practitioner if you are on certain medications or have certain conditions. If you’re pregnant, it’s not recommended to eat raw fish. You can read an article form Healthline on this topic. 

How to Tell when Ahi Tuna is cooked and ready?

If you stick to cooking times, the fish will be perfectly cooked in just the 3-4 minutes. It’s important not to overcook the fish or else it will dry out. If this happens, you can still enjoy the well done fish, but it will have a different taste and texture.

Try it with a dressing to juice it up like this Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing–SO GOOD! Or a simple Greek Salad Dressing, or even Garlic Parmesan Sauce. 

Popular TUNA RECIPES

Tuna Casserole
Tataki
Tuna Crudo
Ceviche
Tuna Wrap
Ahi Tuna Salad
Carpaccio
Tuna Tartare
Spicy Tuna Sandwich