I love cooking this seared ahi tuna recipe when I’m craving sushi or a nice seafood dinner at home. It’s so easy and quick to make, but it feels like a gourmet-level meal! Sushi-grade yellowfin tuna steaks are coated in Dijon mustard and sesame seeds, then briefly pan-seared. I love to slice up this sesame crusted ahi tuna, then serve it atop an asparagus and arugula salad, sushi bowl, or poke bowl.
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Ingredients for this Ahi Tuna Steak recipe
You only need 3 ingredients to make these pan-seared, sesame-crusted ahi tuna steaks! This is such a simple and straightforward how-to, but it makes such a beautiful, restaurant-level seafood dish.
- Ahi Tuna: Use 8 ounce yellow-fin steaks. I highly recommend that you get the best quality (sushi-grade) tuna you can for this dish, because it’s only cooked briefly. Fresh or flash-frozen both work, but thaw it first if frozen.
- Dijon Mustard: This is spread all over the steaks to flavor the tuna, and it helps the sesame seeds to stick, creating a nice coating.
- Sesame Seeds: I used a mix of white and black sesame seeds for the crust. They add a nice texture and savory flavor.
Should I marinate ahi tuna before searing?
Marinating is not necessary, and I usually don’t when I’m cooking ahi tuna. But if you’d like to, you can whip up a marinade with soy sauce, oil, and any seasonings or ingredients you like, to infuse it with more flavor. Some things you could include in the marinade are ginger, sambal oelek, cayenne pepper, wasabi, or garlic.
Submerge the tuna steaks and marinate anywhere from 15 minutes (right before searing) to 8 hours (overnight). You can also use it as a glaze or dipping sauce for serving.
How to Store and Reheat
Seared ahi tuna, as with all raw fish, is best consumed on the day it is cooked. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. I do not recommend freezing it.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe for ahi tuna steaks makes a great main dish to serve along with greens and veggies (like this Asian cucumber salad), or as part of a sushi plate. I’ve included a green salad in the recipe card with arugula, asparagus, avocado, and wasabi for you to try if you need some serving ideas.
You can also slice up the seared tuna and use it to make tuna poke bowls or sushi bowls. Add white rice, pickled beets, and fresh greens. Then drizzle with soy sauce or hot chili oil, add sliced green onions and more sesame seeds, or anything you like.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
What’s the secret to cooking perfect, pan-seared ahi tuna? The skillet you’re cooking it in must be very hot! We want the tuna to be close to raw when it’s done, but we still want a nice seared crust on the outside. So high heat is the answer.
Let your skillet fully heat up over medium-high/high heat before adding the steaks. I recommend using a cast iron skillet for searing, because it holds heat really well and evenly.
5-Star Review
“So easy and so delicious!!!! My husband was licking the plate after!” — Lacey
Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (optional)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Ahi Tuna steak ½-pound (230 grams), thawed if frozen
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Optional Salad
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2.6 ounces asparagus 0.16 pound (75 grams)
- 1 avocado
- 5 ounces arugula 1 bag (142 grams)
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (see note)
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼-½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Wasabi optional
Instructions
For the Tuna
- Preheat a large skillet over high heat.
- Meanwhile, season the tuna steak with Dijon mustard all over.8 ounces Ahi Tuna steak, ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Combine the black and white sesame seeds on a shallow plate, then gently press the tuna steak into seeds to coat it on all sides.1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
- Place your tuna in the skillet once it is very hot, cook on one side for 1-1½ minutes, just to sear, then turn over. Make sure you sear all sides.
- Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for a minute, then slice.
- Serve as desired, or continue on to make the salad below.
For the Optional Salad
- Place hot water into the still-hot skillet with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cut the tips of the asparagus and add them into the skillet once the water is hot. Leave them inside just to cook them briefly, about 3-4 minutes, just until they turn bright green.½ teaspoon sea salt, 2.6 ounces asparagus
- Discard the water and add cold water so they stop cooking.
- Slice the tuna steaks into small slices as well as the avocado, or you can also cut the avocado into small squares.1 avocado
- Add arugula to the serving plates for the base and top with slices of tuna and avocado.5 ounces arugula
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mustard, sesame oil, ginger, lime, honey, and wasabi (if using). Add a pinch of salt to taste.2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, ¼-½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger, ½ lime, 1 tablespoon honey, Wasabi
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
Becky’s Tips
- Soy Sauce: Use an equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free alternative.
- Only use sushi-grade ahi (aka yellowfin or Saku) tuna.
- If using frozen tuna, be sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before searing.
- Use a heavy, large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet, not a nonstick pan.
- Get the pan smoking hot before adding the tuna. This will create the perfect sear. To test if the pan is hot enough, add a drop of water to the pan. If it sizzles and skips across the surface of the pan, it is ready.
- Don’t move the fish around in the pan. Let it sit until it develops a nice sear and naturally releases from the pan, then flip.
- Don’t overcook the tuna. For a 1-2 inch thick tuna steak, cooking will take only about 1½ minutes per side.
- Nutritional information is for tuna and salad. A single serving of just the ahi tuna is 212 calories.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Sear Ahi Tuna Step by Step
Prepare Tuna Steaks: Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, season 8 ounces of yellowfin tuna steaks with ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard all over.
Coat Tuna: Combine 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of black sesame seeds on a shallow plate, then gently press the tuna steaks into seeds to coat on all sides.
Sear Ahi Tuna: Place the sesame crusted tuna steaks in the skillet as soon as it gets very hot. Cook on one side for 1-1½ minutes, just to lightly sear. Then flip or turn the steaks as needed, to continue searing each side for about 45-60 seconds each. Make sure you sear all sides.
Transfer to a cutting board, let the tuna rest for a minute, then slice and serve.
You should always use fresh or flash-frozen, sushi-grade ahi (yellowfin) tuna.
Yes! So long as the tuna smells sweet and not fishy, is fresh or flash-frozen, and is sushi-grade, it is perfectly safe to eat raw. If your local grocery store sells sushi, they will likely carry sushi-grade yellowfin.
Seared ahi tuna tastes mild and slightly sweet. It should not taste fishy. It will have a firm, buttery texture.
Ahi tuna contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce cholesterol and improve heart health. It does, however, also contain small amounts of mercury, so it should be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.
Searing is a very quick process. You only need to cook each side about 1 1/2 minutes (for 1-2 inch thick steaks). Since yellowfin is safe to eat raw, you don’t have to worry about undercooking, but you don’t want to overcook.
So easy and so delicious!!!!! My husband was licking the plate after!
Wow, that looks so delicious, Lacey!