My ridiculously simple Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna recipe looks and tastes super impressive, but is a snap to make. Made with easy-to-find ingredients and just 10 minutes of active cooking time, this show stopping seafood main is easy enough for even the busiest weeknights.
My family loves when I make this recipe! It looks impressive and it's SO flavorful. We love it in Ahi Tuna Tacos or even on an Ahi Tuna Salad!
If you are in pinch you could even make this ahi tuna recipe in the air fryer!
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Why You'll Love It
Whenever I go out to eat, it seems that there’s some kind of ahi on the menu. Whether it’s a seared tuna salad, ahi tuna tacos, sesame crusted tuna, or a pan-seared tuna steak, one thing remains the same: I’m probably going to order it.
The only bummer about eating seared ahi tuna recipes prepared at restaurants is that they’re EXPENSIVE. Who wants to pay $20 for a salad? Not this gal!
Luckily, I’ve cracked the code on how to perfectly prepare tuna steaks at home for a mere fraction of what you’d pay to eat out. Here's why you'll love it:
- Is Made With Fewer Than 10 Ingredients. And I’d bet you already have most of them in your pantry!
- Takes Just 10 Minutes Of Active Time To Prepare. Whip up a quick marinade for your tuna steaks, then refrigerate for a few hours. When it’s time to eat, they’ll get a perfect sear in no time.
- Is Wholesome & Nutritious. Ahi is an excellent source of vitamins B12, B6, and D; minerals like phosphorous, iron, iodine, potassium, and selenium; and is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids; and is an excellent source of protein. What’s not to love?
- Saves Tons Of Money. Cooking yellowfin tuna at home is a simple way to save you money. A pound of ahi costs around $10 where I live. Most restaurant portions are no more than a ¼ pound and can easily run upwards of $15 or more. I wasn’t a math major, but that seems like a significant amount of savings, no?
- And Is Super Versatile! Serve this seared tuna with a sesame crust over salad for a light entrée, turn it into a tasty tataki platter, or tuck it into taco shells for a fun fusion recipe. No matter how you slice it, this is a great fish recipe!
- It's elevated. So whether its weeknight dinner or a dinner party, serving ahi tuna is always the right choice! Serve it next to my Pasta al Salmone or Shrimp Scallop Pasta for a well rounded seafood dinner.
- An excellent source of protein that’s almost inevitably going to be delicious!
What Is Ahi Tuna?
Ahi is the Hawaiian name for two types of large, tropical, sea-dwelling fish — yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna. While smaller catches can weigh in at just 3 pounds, the larger catches can surpass 300!
I tend to prefer the slightly milder flavor and firmer texture of yellowfin, but both are quite delicious.
Either variety you choose, you should expect a meaty fish with a pink to dark red hue and a mild, buttery flavor that makes it perfect for searing, grilling, air frying, or eating raw as poke, sashimi, nigiri, or maki.
Also, please note that both types of ahi are typically less expensive than bluefin tuna, but bluefin can be used interchangeably in this recipe. So, check with your local grocery store and see what they carry!
Important Ingredients
As promised, you don’t need much to make this beautiful ahi tuna steak recipe. Cooking ahi tuna is way simpler than you might expect. In fact, this seared tuna recipe only needs these few ingredients:
- Fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks - Roughly 2 large steaks should be plenty to feed 4 adults. You can find these at specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods or your local fish market.
- Soy Sauce - The flavor for this dish comes from our soy sauce marinade. So this is super important within this simple recipe. It adds umami and it's a popular choice for most seasoned tuna steaks.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning - this is a little different, but is my all time favorite ahi tuna hack! This seasoning has most things you would use to flavor the fish steaks: garlic, sesame seed, onion, salt...all rolled into one mixture! It's my secret ingredient and truly makes my ahi tuna recipe the best one out there!
- Lemon Juice - another way to add maximum flavor! You need acidity in your marinade that takes the raw fish from good to great!
- Hot Honey - Ok, this is my other secret ingredient! Honey is necessary to balance out the other powerful flavors in our marinade and I love the slight kick from a hot honey in this recipe.
- Sesame Oil - sesame oil adds a ton of flavor to this marinade and helps to balance out the acidity from the lemon and soy sauce.
Swaps and Substitutions
This seared tuna steak recipe is pretty much perfect as is, but there’s always room for customizations! Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Make it spicy - If you’re among the some who like it hot, feel free to amp up the spice by adding a dollop of sambal oelek, sriracha, or a dash of cayenne pepper to the marinade.
- Substitute coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
- Grill instead of sear - Cooking tuna steaks is super simple. All you need is very high heat and a minute or less per side. Feel free to make these bad boys on the grill instead of the stovetop if you prefer to cook and dine al fresco.
- Make a seared tuna sauce - Make extra marinade as a delicious dip, and/or drizzle with wasabi or sriracha aioli. Bonus points if you use Japanese kewpie mayo!
- Finish the dish off with sliced green onions for a pop of freshness.
- Swap the lemon juice for lime juice instead.
Full Recipe Below
Find the full list of ingredients & measurements below!
Step by Step Instructions
It’s seriously SO simple to make! Here’s how to cook this easy dinner:
- Step 1: Mix the marinade together in a bowl.
- Step 2:Place your tuna steaks in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours. If you have the time, I suggest leaving them in the full 6 hours for the best flavor.
- Step 3: When the pan is scorching hot and the oil is nearly smoking, lay one tuna steak down in the oil. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute depending on the level of rareness you like. Flip to the other side and cook for an additional 45 seconds to 1 minute in the hot pan.
- Step 4: Remove and let the tuna steaks rest on a cutting board and slice against the grain using a very sharp knife.
Top Tip
Cook this recipe in a Heavy-Bottomed Pan. I typically reach for my enamel coated Dutch oven. The high sides make a lot less splatter and a lot less clean up in the end!
Tips for the Perfect Seared Tuna
I've made this easy ahi tuna recipe almost over a hundred times and it has been shared thousands of times, so here are the best tricks I have for this easy recipe!
- Make extra marinade as an ahi tuna dipping sauce - This sesame-soy-honey marinade is so good, I’d honestly eat it by the spoonful. Make a little extra to serve as a dipping sauce, especially if you’re serving the seared ahi with white rice.
- For best results, use a heavy bottomed pan. The heavier the bottom, the more even the heat will be, resulting in a perfectly even sear. A dutch oven or cast iron skillet will work perfectly!
- You must use coconut oil. It has a high smoke point which means it won't burn before getting hot enough for this pan-seared ahi tuna.
What To Serve With It
Here are my favorite serving suggestions for the sesame-crusted ahi tuna steaks:
- A seared ahi tuna salad is a classic, in my opinion. To make things easy, I’ll often turn to a bag of Your Taylor Farms Asian Salad mix (your guests will never know!) and thinly sliced avocado. Homemade salads with fresh greens work just as well.
- This sesame tuna is also excellent served with a side of sticky rice and a simple cucumber salad. Or you can serve it chirashi-style over a bowl of sushi rice and top it with some pickled ginger, avocado, and sunomono for a hearty feast.
- This would be a great thing to pair with Everything Bagel Egg Rolls.
- If you’d like to eat this as more of an appetizer, try plating it on a long rectangular plate and top it with ponzu or some extra marinade for a homemade take on tuna tataki.
- Finally, try making it into a fusion dish by using it in my simple tuna taco recipe!
FAQ
Since you’re merely searing the tuna steaks, the fish doesn’t need to be fully defrosted all the way through. In fact, having the center be slightly frozen can act as a precaution against overcooking!
If you’re in a rush, keep the tuna steaks wrapped in plastic, place them in a deep bowl, and put them under cool, running water. They should defrost in about 10 minutes. You can also defrost them overnight in the refrigerator.
If properly refrigerated, seared tuna should keep well for 24 hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If cooked properly (i.e. over very high heat for no more than a minute per side), then the interior should still be somewhat raw. Overcooking the tuna leads to a dry, gray interior that overshadows the light, mild flavor of the fish, so do your best to keep it nice and pink in the center.
You can check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer if you are wanting to cook it all the way through.
So long as the tuna has been frozen at -4℉ (-20℃) or below for 7 days , at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours is considered food safe by the FDA and is likely to kill most parasites. I’d imagine that any fish you find in the frozen aisle should easily meat these qualifications.
If you are worried, you can always take the added precaution of purchasing the highest quality from a fish from a reputable fishmonger and requesting sushi-grade ahi tuna. That said, a small risk still exists, so pregnant or breastfeeding women, small children, and the immunocompromised should avoid eating raw tuna.
In addition, you should note that large sport fish like tuna that eat other, smaller fish have a higher mercury content than smaller fish like sardines or oysters. As such, you should limit your intake of tuna to no more than a few times per month.
In terms of flavor, I think bluefin tuna is superior, but it’s not technically ahi and it’s also quite expensive. Next in line would be yellowfin tuna, followed pretty closely by bigeye tuna.
Related Recipes
If you tried this Seared Ahi Tuna recipe, or any other of the delicious recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Simple Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe
Equipment
- dutch oven or cast iron skillet
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- baking dish
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lbs Ahi Tuna Steaks This is usually about 2 large tuna steaks
Ahi Tuna Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Mikes Hot Honey or regular honey
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
- Black Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, sesame oil, everything but the bagel seasoning, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and hot honey. Whisk to combine.
- In a shallow dish place your tuna steaks and pour marinade over them. Cover and let sit in the refridgerator for 3-6 hours. The longer the better!
- Take out your tuna and over high heat get 3 tablesoons of coconut oil screaming hot in a cast iron pan. I use a dutch oven because the sides are tall and there is less splatter.
- When the pan is very hot, lay one tuna steak down in the oil. Cook for 45 seconds -1 Minute depending on the level of rareness you like.
- Flip to the other side and cook for an additional 45 seconds to 1 minute.
- Remove from pan and lay on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with 2nd tuna steak.
- With a serrated knife, cut slices against the grain of the tuna.
- Top with sesame seeds and sliced avocado!
Notes
- Make extra marinade as a dipping sauce - This sesame-soy-honey marinade is so good, I’d honestly eat it by the spoonful. Make a little extra to serve as a dipping sauce, especially if you’re serving the seared ahi with white rice.
- Use a large cast iron dutch oven to cook this so it doesn't splatter oil everywhere. Less clean up!
- You must use coconut oil. It has a high smoke point which means it won't burn before getting hot enough to sear your tuna.
Julie says
I have never made tuna like this before. It was very good. My husband said, "you've got to make it like this all the time". It was very easy.
Hiliana G says
I needed a recipe for my ahi tuna and this one caught my eye and was I happy to have tried it. Beat flavor. My kids 9 and 12 loved it.
Jodi Diemel says
I rarely comment on recipes but this one deserves a lot of praise. It is so easy, minimal ingredients, super easy to cook, healthy and SO DANG DELICIOUS! No substitutes needed. So many options for side dishes to go with this. Thank you!!
Sara Ayesh says
Jodi, thank you so much for your review and making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
Patti says
It was easy and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Anastasia says
By far the easiest and tastiest recipe for Ahi. DO NOT cook longer than 1 minute per side. DO let the Ahi rest. It's wonderful served with a crisp salad or even just rice. Also, you can chill it and serve it in a mixed green salad with some onion and a vinaigrette. Perfect recipe and a staple in our home. Thank you.
Sara Ayesh says
Thank you so much for these comments! I'm glad you enjoy the recipe. I love it chilled with a salad too, awesome serving suggestions!
Mary Ann says
I love tuna🍣 sometime I eat raw tuna 🍣 it was so good to make Ahi Tuna 🍣
Lindsay says
This recipe was fantastic! My husband and I have it made it now three times and it's a hit every time! So easy to make and will wow your guests.
I would add that we do cook ours for about 1.5 mins on each side and it still comes out quite rare.
Sara Ayesh says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed and thanks for the feedback on the cook time!
Tamara Sweasy says
I make this all the time! Healthy, delicious and simple. A go-to for me!
Katie says
Sooo, SO good! Had never made a dish like this before and it turned out amazing. Definitely adding it to the weekly meal rotation!
Sally says
Sooooo good! Very easy to make!!! Tastes AMAZING!!!!
Audrey Coad says
Amazing!
Simple, elegant and delicious! I love cooking a meal that looks fancy but takes little time.
Phyllis says
This looks amazing!!! I’m going to try this for sure!
Kelsie says
So easy and so yummy! My husband thought I spent all day long preparing this dish— nope!😉
Sara Ayesh says
Ahh thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lori D says
I need to edit my prior post. I didn’t have the “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning and had to DYI it. That is where I substituted the minced garlic. But this Ahi Tuna Marinade is excellent!!
Sara Ayesh says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I'm so glad the substitutions worked for you.
Lori D says
This was excellent! I put the tuna on my salad and it tasted exactly like a dish I recently had in a high end restaurant. I didn’t have the dried minced garlic but powder or fresh minced garlic work just fine, you just need to get the ratio correct when substituting. I just googled it. I also let it marinate overnight so it was very full of flavor. This is definitely my favorite and I will use this recipe going forward!