wow! 
The Beauty of Ahi Tuna Steaks
Ahi Tuna Steak is the perfect busy-man food. Or busy-woman. While Ahi Tuna is best fresh, you can get them frozen at Trader Joe’s (and most other grocers). They take five minutes to cook and are easy as hell to prepare. Just salt, pepper and olive oil and you’re done. If you want to get fancy, make simple fish sauce like our Spicy Soy Fish Sauce or this Mayonnaise Sauce for Seafood.
And yes, Ahi Tuna is beautiful. As in, they’re pretty looking. If you sear them correctly, they kind of look like a fillet mignon cooked rare. Brown on the outside, red in the center.
The Trick to Cooking Ahi Tuna Steak
Ahi Tuna Steak can be cooked on the grill. But, I’ve found it’s best cooked pan seared. It doesn’t matter what recipe you use. Usually, with Ahi Tuna, the simpler, the better. Salt, pepper, lemon pepper, extra virgin olive oil. Done.
The trick, you’ll find, is not to overcook the fish. Even if you generally like your food cooked well done, Ahi Tuna is a food you want to cook as little as possible. As it cooks, it very quickly hardens, so it’s good to make sure the center is nice and red (or pink).
Make sure your Ahi Tuna is safe to prepare rare. Check the packaging for the date or any indication of quality. If it’s fresh, give it the “smell test.” And, push the fresh Ahi Tuna through the packaging. You don’t want it too mushy or too firm.
Generally, any Ahi Tuna Steak you find in the grocery store is fit to be cooked rare. Â Or medium rare if prefer. Give it a try and resist temptation to over-cook. A few minutes on each side is all you need.
Print this recipe or share with someone who might make it for you!
Ahi Tuna Steak
Pan seared Ahi Tuna Steak.
Ingredients:
- ahi tuna steak - available frozen (fresh is great, too)
- salt
- pepper
- lemon pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Add thawed Ahi Tuna Steaks to medium hot fry pan (that’s been greased with extra virgin olive oil)
- Add salt, pepper, and lemon pepper to Ahi Tuna Steak while it’s cooking.
- Rub in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.
- Cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Â Add one minute for medium.
- Serve with soy sauce or something like our Spicy Soy Fish Sauce or the delicious Mayonnaise Sauce for Seafood.
- Be happy
NOTES:
- Be careful not to over cook. Â They cook really quickly. Â If overcooked, they’re kinda crappy. Â
- Nutrition facts based on 4 oz servings. Â Typical frozen packs from Trader Joe’s come with four or five 4 oz servings.
This article was pretty decent.
I’m always a perplexed with the way some modern writers leave out some key information.
Example: Where is the frozen tuna steaks thawe times? Is that not important to this dish?
Lastly, using not so descriptive words like ”crappy” are not very helpful and is an opinion not a description.
Best,
Jay
This preparation was easy, the cooking was fast, and the results were phenomenal.
Exactly as the recipe said, pan searing resulted in a perfectly cooked piece of tuna. A keeper recipe for sure.
I’m About to try it, wish me luck ?
I love recipe! Simple yet delicious. Thank you.
I just made a nice sized tuna exacting like you suggested. Wow I’m so pleased ? I used a little teriyaki for my sauce. I love all my meat cooked med rare so this is the perfect fish for me. Mine was sired on outside & very pink on the inside. This will be on my menu every week. Thank you very much. ??
This is a great method of preparation. I don’t own a broiler pan and didn’t have the patience tonight for my crockpot so out came the heavy skillet and your recipe:) I made a pot of rice, heated up some Thai peanut sauce that I had made two nights ago, and grilled the steaks with some grated baby carrots. I also sliced a cucumber and put them into the freezer to chill while making dinner. The steaks were awesome! I gave each side 3 or four minutes and done. I knew they would cook quick so I made sure everything else was done and waiting and gave them my full attention. It reminds of me of making french toast:))
That sounds like some master multi-tasking. Way to go, Tom!
how much of each ingredient do i need?