The perfect seared ahi tuna recipe with crunchy sesame crust, a delightfully playful wasabi mayo and a mirin ginger dipping sauce. The best part of this recipe is looking through the translucent pink, stained glass window-like tuna after it has been seared and sliced. So beautiful it almost makes you not want to eat it... Almost.
THIS SEARED AHI TUNA RECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO AND LOW CARB. IT IS KETO WITHOUT THE MIRIN DIPPING SAUCE.
SEARED AHI TUNA RECIPE
I first fell in love with seared ahi tuna with a sesame seed crust in Nantucket. Caroline and I were there with her brother, some friends and a beautiful, fresh caught piece of tuna.
I remember clearly that the tuna was ruby red and perfect. Our friends pulled out some sesame seeds, wasabi and soy sauce. Within minutes, we were eating a mind blowing, simple and delicious appetizer.
This is the same recipe that I would like to share with you today. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.
Tips on Buying Ahi Tuna
One of the reasons I don't make this recipe very often is due to limited supply. It seems as though the tuna in the seafood cases just don't excite me, particularly with their extreme price tag.
When buying Ahi, you will either be buying yellowfin, bluefin or big eye tuna. They all fall under the Ahi category. What you are looking for is freshness. Ask the following questions:
- Ask when the fish arrived and if it was fresh or frozen. If it was frozen, ask when it was defrosted.
- Ask to smell it before you buy it as well. If it smells fishy, don't buy it.
- Ask if you can touch it before buying. It is okay- they can wash the fish before packaging. If it is slimy, don't buy it.
Ahi tuna should be fresh looking with a nice sheen to the steak. My one piece of advice: never buy Ahi tuna on sale.
You are looking for freshness because you're not going to be cooking it all the way through!
How to Sear Ahi Tuna
It's really easy to sear ahi tuna. Just follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Buy the best tuna you can find.
Step 2: Trim the tuna to allow as much of the protein to contact the pan as possible. See the image below on how I trimmed my ahi tuna for this recipe.
Step 3: Season the tuna. Salt and pepper is fine, or you can add sesame seeds like I've done below.
Step 4: Heat a heavy bottom pan over high heat. Add in the oil of your choice. When the oil is hot, add the Ahi tuna to the pan.
Step 5: Sear each side for 20-30 seconds dependent on the thickness of your tuna. The tuna shown is quite thick so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Step 6: When seared on each side, remove the tuna from the pan and slice into ¼" pieces.
Other Gluten Free Asian Style Recipes:
Remember that my site started as a Gluten Free blog and has moved into a Low Carb, Keto and Gluten Free blog.
I've got more Asian inspired low carb recipes coming out soon, but in the meantime check out some of these Gluten Free Asian Style recipes:
Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe
The perfect seared ahi tuna recipe with a delightful sesame crust, a playful wasabi mayo and a salty-sweet mirin dipping sauce.
Ingredients
For the Wasabi Mayo
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise, store bought works fine
- 2 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- 2-3 teaspoon Wasabi Powder, depending on how spicy you like
- ½ teaspoon Braggs Liquid Aminos, Or soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon Honey
For the Mirin Dipping Sauce
- ¼ Cup Braggs Liquid Aminos, Or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Mirin Sweet Wine
- 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Pickled Ginger Juice
- 1 teaspoon Raw Honey
- 1 teaspoon Minced Green Onion
For the Seared Ahi Tuna
- 1 LB Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna
- 2 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
- 3 tablespoon Olive or Grapeseed Oil
Instructions
For the Wasabi Mayo
- Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix well with a fork to incorporate. If you have a squeeze bottle, pour into the bottle and decorate the plate.
For the Mirin Dipping Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix well with a fork to incorporate. Set aside.
For the Seared Ahi Tuna
- Mix the sesame seeds on a plate. Lay the tuna on the seeds and press. Repeat on all sides including the ends.
- Heat a heavy bottom, stainless steel pan over high heat. Add the oil. When it is shimmering, but not yet smoking, carefully add in the sesame crusted tuna.
- Cook on each side for 20-30 seconds. When you flip, make sure you flip to a section of the pan that wasn't just cooked on. It will be hotter and create a nice crunchy sear. Make sure to sear the ends as well!
- Remove from the heat and slice in ¼" slices. Serve with the Wasabi Mayo, Mirin Dipping Sauce and some pickled ginger. Enjoy!
Notes
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: The recipe is not KETO or LOW CARB if you are using the mirin dipping sauce. A good substitute is Braggs Liquid Aminos as a soy sauce alternative.
Additionally, the NUTRITIONAL DATA is solely for the TUNA, SESAME SEEDS and COOKING OIL.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
¼ PoundAmount Per Serving Calories 265Total Fat 15gCholesterol 44mgCarbohydrates 2.1gNet Carbohydrates 1gFiber 1.1gProtein 29g
Nutritional data is provided by Nutrifox and is not 100% accurate.
Saw this on FB and had to click through - I love ahi tuna, but I've never tried making it like this at home. Great tips about buying it - sort of scary if you're not sure what you're doing!
Hi April:
Thanks for clicking through and taking a look! You're going to love making tuna like this- it is really tasty. You can use those tips with all the fish that you buy at the store- it has saved my bacon more than once!
Hope that you have a fantastic afternoon-
Scott
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]
Gorgeous restaurant-style plating, Scott!
Hi Carol:
Thanks very much- the plate just kinda put itself together. Funny how that happens sometimes.
Have an excellent day in the kitchen-
Scott
I LOVE seared ahi tuna! Your photos look divine!
Hi Andrea:
This is a delicious recipe. The wasabi mayo is wickedly good.
Thanks so much!
Scott
This looks delicious. My husband and I really want to try to make our own, but we've been too nervous/don't know where to buy a high quality tuna that won't break the bank. We will have to try this recipe. Certainly motivated me to look harder for that tuna!
Hey Olivia:
Thank you for writing and please let me know if you find the right one.
Hope you have a delicious day in the kitchen!
Scott
Thank you indeed for the best recipe!
Hi Milly:
Thank YOU for visiting and sharing your thoughts. This is a true delight.
Take care and happy cooking!
Scott
Thank you so much for this recipe and tutorial. I made this for a friend who is used to dining at 5 star restaurants and country clubs. He said it was "the best he ever had" and it was so easy to make. I love to try new recipes and often try them out on him, so the bonus came when he asked me to make this for a business meeting / dinner he was hosting in his home. It was a huge success!
Thanks again!
Hey Lorie:
So happy to hear that- you just made my day!
Thank you for making this delicious tuna and sharing your thoughts on it.
Take care and happy cooking!
Scott
Thanks for the tip on the powdered wasabi, made this last week really good so making it again tonight. Tip for good fish, have a boss/friend that goes to Mexican waters and brings you Yellowtail, Yellowfin and fresh caught Bluefin because you cover for him while he's gone.
Hi Tom:
Ha, great tip.
Thanks for stopping by and trying this awesome tuna.
Take care,
Scott
Delightfully simple. The Mirin Dipping Sauce is outstanding. Just love the fresh flavors.
Hi Tiffany:
Absolutely delicious- thank you for visiting and sharing your thoughts.
Hope you have a fantastic day in the kitchen!
Scott
[…] you’re serving as a side salad at dinner, it pairs incredibly well with a Crunchy Seared Ahi Tuna […]
[…] you’re serving as a side salad at dinner, it pairs incredibly well with a Crunchy Seared Ahi Tuna […]