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Grilled tuna steaks marinated and topped with a sesame ginger sauce that is easy to make from scratch and loaded with sweet and savory flavor!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
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Grilled Tuna with Sesame Ginger Marinade
If you love seafood, then you’ll definitely enjoy these sesame ginger grilled tuna steaks!
The tuna is marinated in a delicious sesame ginger sauce, which adds a sweet and savory flavor to the fish that is delicious, rich, and out of this world.
Tuna is a great steak to grill, since it is thicker than a lot of seafood, so it won’t fall apart on the grill. Tuna’s fattier meat is also easier for beginner cooks to try grilling, since it is forgiving and less fussy – it doesn’t dry out as easily if slightly overcooked.
Plus, grilling the tuna steaks is quick and easy, making this dish perfect for a weeknight meal.
Serve with rice and veggies for a complete meal. We hope you enjoy this easy seafood dinner as much as we do!
How to Grill Sesame Ginger Tuna Steaks
Grilling tuna steaks is super simple – but starts with high quality ingredients.
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Tuna steaks – ask for a full loin tuna, or tuna steaks, for a thick cut of tuna that is perfect to grill. While you don’t need to purchase sushi-grade tuna steaks, they will be the highest quality.
- Sesame oil – sesame oil has a rich, earthy flavor that ups the addictive quality of this recipe, and pulls out a hearty, meatier flavor of the tuna steak.
- Ginger – ginger provides a spicy kick to our dish, as well as a lightly sweet note that cuts through the salty soy sauce flavor.
- Soy sauce – soy sauce is a rich, earthy, salty sauce that is loaded with classic umami flavors – it helps enhance tuna steak’s meaty flavor, and gives a dark, caramel appearance in a sauce. Soy sauce adds salt and black pepper flavor to the tuna.
- Garlic – garlic adds a pungent, earthy flavor to our sauce that adds a rich,
- Rice vinegar – rice vinegar is light, slightly sweet, and a bit tart – helping to cut through the rich, salty soy sauce and fatty tuna flavor.
- Green onion – green onion provides a bright green color, light vegetal flavor, and is more subtle than onion – with a lightly earthy flavor.
- Sesame seeds – sesame seeds add crunch, help provide a crust for the tuna steaks to not stick to the grill grates, and get a delicious, earthy flavor that is almost peanut-like.
- First, combine the tuna, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and green onion in a large zip-top bag. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
- Remove the tuna from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the tuna for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until slightly pink in the center.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions, a squeeze of lemon juice, herbs, and serve with rice and veggies. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Sesame Ginger Grilled Tuna Steaks
Don’t overcook. Tuna is a forgiving fish that is fatty, so it can accept some overcooking and still taste great – but tuna steaks can be cooked rare to medium-rare (sear the outside, with a red middle) and be delicious.
How long to cook tuna steak. If you’re going for a specific temperature, use our grilled tuna steak temperature guide below, to use with a digital meat thermometer:
- Rare: 120 – 130 degrees F.
- Medium Rare: 130 – 140 degrees F.
- Medium: 140 – 150 degrees F.
- Well: over 150F.
Don’t flip too often. Flipping fish often can lead it to flake and fall apart – even fattier, thicker fish like tuna steaks. Flip only after each side has browned to reduce chances of tuna steaks breaking apart.
Marinate. Tuna steaks, even though they are thick and fattier than many types of fish, do best after marinating when grilled. Marinating locks in juices and adds flavor, and is an easy step that only requires 20 minutes before cooking – marinate as your grill heats if you forget to marinate earlier! Even a few minutes helps immensely.
Swap sesame as needed. If you are allergic to sesame oil, please skip it and swap for olive oil. You can replace the sesame seeds with crushed sliced almonds or pecans, or leave the tuna steaks without any kind of crust.
Make it keto. Swap soy sauce for coconut aminos to make this recipe keto diet approved.
FAQs
The FDA recommends cooking tuna steaks to 145 degrees F.
For rare, cook to 120-130; medium-rare 130-140 degrees F.
Leftover tuna steaks can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Raw tuna steaks should be cooked one day after purchasing for the best flavor and freshness. Keep refrigerated until marinating, and let marinate in the refrigerator.
The FDA recommends eating tuna steaks cooked to 145 degrees throughout. I personally prefer a rare to medium-rare tuna steak, cooked to 125-135 degrees (seared on the outside, red/pink in the middle).
Tuna steak can be prepared using various types of tuna, such as Yellowfin tuna, known for its mild flavor and firm texture, Bluefin tuna, prized for its rich taste and smooth texture, and Albacore tuna, offering a lighter flavor and slightly softer texture. Ahi tuna steaks are also a good option.
What to Serve With Grilled Tuna Steaks
Tuna steaks are hearty and delicious, and are fantastic alongside our sesame ginger grilled bok choy – the sauces are incredibly similar and make a perfect pairing on the grill. We also love serving this fish with Garlic Chinese Style Green Beans, Easy Rice Pilaf, Air Fryer Frech Fries, and delicious and easy Grilled Potatoes.
If you’re looking for some of the best easy side dishes, see some of our new favorites below:
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Sesame Ginger Grilled Tuna Steaks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tuna steaks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided
- Green onion, sliced, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high (350 degrees F)
- In a small bowl, mix olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and half sesame seeds.
- Pour half sauce over tuna steaks, and reserve half for finishing tuna.
- Let fish marinate, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes (as grill comes to temperature) up to overnight.
- When grill is scorching hot, remove tuna steaks from the marinade and discard excess the mariande fish was sitting in.
- Cover fish with 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to make a "crust" before grilling. Add more than 1 tablespoon if needed.
- Place steaks on grill.
- Grill 2-3 minutes per side, drizzling a bit of reserved sauce on top of fish as it cooks, until fish is charred on each side.
- For medium-rare tuna steaks, cook to 135 degrees F. The FDA recommends 145 degrees F.
- Remove tuna from grill, and top with reserved sauce, green onions, and additional sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Do you think I could cook this in the air fryer?
Thanks!
Yes, set the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and let it preheat for 3-5 minutes. Place the seasoned tuna steaks in the air fryer basket, ensuring they aren’t overlapping. Cook the tuna for about 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness and your preferred level of doneness. For a medium-rare tuna steak, aim for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. For well-done tuna, cook closer to 8 minutes. For medium-rare, the inside should be pink and slightly translucent. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy (125°F/51°C for medium-rare).
Good flavor but 3 tsp of garlic was pretty over powering. We will try it again and decrease the amount of garlic.
I really enjoyed this but think you meant a teaspoon of garlic powder not a tablespoon? It was a bit overpowering and a thick sauce with that much. I will use less next time I make this.
Yes thank you for letting me know, I will update it to a tsp!
Delicious! Simple recipe that elevates fresh fish with plenty of flavor.
So glad you loved it!