These Marinated Tuna steaks have the most delicious Asian-style marinade. Tuna can be expensive to order in a restaurant, but it’s easy to make at home. Add a good marinade- this one takes 5 minutes to make and incorporates simple ingredients such as lime, soy sauce, honey and chili sauce- and that’s really all you have to do to create a great tasting tuna steak.
If you love a great tuna recipe, you might also like to try our Sesame Balsamic Tuna, Teriyaki Tuna with Ginger Vegetables or Grilled Tuna with Citrus Salsa.
Ingredients Needed for Marinated Tuna Steaks:
- Tuna: In this recipe, we’re using tuna steaks. They should have them in your market’s seafood department, and you can even use frozen tuna steaks. I’ve included information below on what kind of tuna steaks to look for.
- Lime: Lime juice is what we need for the marinade. If you want some extra zip, zest the lime and add that to the marinade too.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use reduced-sodium soy sauce. The regular soy sauce can be overpowering with sodium.
- Honey: This adds a little sweetness to the tuna marinade!
- Bottled Chili Sauce: Chili sauce is in a ketchup-like bottle, and it’s sold near the ketchup. Heinz makes the variety that I always use.
- Olive Oil: This will help keep the marinade together and help keep the tuna steaks tender.
- Cornstarch: Just a little bit of cornstarch is added in to help thicken the marinade slightly.
What’s the best tuna to use for grilling:
This is kind of important since fresh tuna can be expensive and you really want to get the most bang for your buck. Look for yellowfin, bigeye, or albacore- those are the most common for grilling. They’ll range in color from deep red to pink. You might see bluefin tuna too, but that’s the variety of tuna that is used more for sushi and not grilling. Most of the time in a regular grocery store, you’ll find it already sliced into steaks. That’s what you’ll need for this recipe. If they’re not already sliced, you can ask your seafood guy to cut 1-inch thick steaks for you.
Look for moist, shiny fish for the best freshness. If it looks wet or slimy, it’s not fresh fish. Once cut, the steaks will begin the process of oxidation. The older they are, the more brown and dull the steaks will appear. Fresh fish shouldn’t have an overly fishy odor to it. Just have a chat with your seafood guy to find out the story behind the tuna you’re looking at. Frozen (or previously frozen) is a good option too.
If you have access to a seafood market where fresh finds are delivered daily, that might be your best bet for finding a good price on tuna. If not, I would do some research to find a market that carries good, fresh seafood. Whole Foods usually has good quality fish but it can be pricey there.
How long should you marinate tuna?
Marinating helps tenderize your tuna steaks and infuse them with flavor. For the best flavor and texture, marinate tuna for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Don’t marinate them for any longer than 2 hours. A longer marinating time can cause the fish to start “cooking” from the acid in the marinade.
How should you cook tuna steaks?
- This recipe calls for grilling, and that’s my favorite option for cooking tuna. You’ll add your tuna steaks (drained of the marinade) to a pre-heated grill. Tuna is grilled until the flesh changes color and is no longer translucent. If you over-grill, it’ll be dry (just as if you over cook any other meat). Depending on the thickness of your tuna steaks, it should take 4 to 5 minutes on each side to get the tuna to a desirable 130 to 135°F for medium-rare.
- You can also sear tuna steaks briefly in oil on a hot frying pan or griddle. It’s best to sear the outside quickly, then reduce the heat and cook to your desired doneness. Use a high smoke point oil such as avocado, canola, peanut or grapeseed. This will help to prevent burning and maintain the flavor of the tuna.
- Tuna can also be baked in a 400°F oven. Bake 4 to 6 minutes for rare (pink in the middle) or 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare (lightly pink in the middle).
Recipe Tips
- Don’t rinse your tuna. Splashing the water around could cause bacteria to spread to your countertops or dishes. And rinsing doesn’t remove bacteria anyways. Cooking at a proper temperature is the best way to kill any harmful bacteria in the tuna.
- Use a sharp knife to get nice, clean slices from your cooked tuna steak.
- Serve your marinated tuna on noodles or rice and with a vegetable stir fry.
- Use fresh chopped cilantro, parsley or chives as a garnish.
- This marinade also works on salmon or swordfish.
If you enjoy seafood recipes, you might also like to try my San Diego Style Fish Tacos or this Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa. Beer Battered Halibut and Easy Tilapia Piccata are good choices too!
Marinated Tuna Steak
Ingredients
- 24 ounces tuna (4 steaks, 6-ounces each & 1-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons bottled chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towels. Arrange the tuna in a 13×9 inch baking dish. Mix lime juice, soy sauce, honey, chili sauce, and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour over the tuna. Turn the fish to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (no longer).
- Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and set aside. Grill the tuna 4 to 5 minutes on each side (or longer if the tuna is thick). Fish should be lightly browned on outside and pale pink on thickest part. 130 to 135° for medium-rare (considered the best way to enjoy it). Remove from the grill and let it rest.
- Bring the reserved marinade to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Add to the marinade. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Spoon the sauce over the tuna steaks and serve immediately.
Notes
- Bottled chili sauce is found near the ketchup and sauces in your local market.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I Served this with new potatoes in lime mayo with pan fried samphire and onions. It was divine. Will definitely make againthe whole family loved it.
This recipe was awesome! I used sriracha chili sauce and let it marinade for 4 hours. Absolutely delicious!
I made this recipe for the first time was a big hit!! Family requested it again. Made it twice and no complaints
This was so good! Served over brown jasmine rice and veggies. The sauce made from the leftover marinade pulled it all together. Thanks for sharing.