Tuna tataki, especially with yellowfin/ahi, is one of the best ways to enjoy tuna! Seared on the outside and rare on the inside. The best of both worlds!
For those of you unfamiliar with this dish, tuna tataki is yellowfin/ahi tuna that is gently seared on the outside while the center remains rare keeping that sashimi flavor.
It’s then topped with a sauce of choice, but ours happens to be a tangy citrus soy dressing!
Tuna tataki is a very popular dish in many Japanese restaurants and for good reason.
The combination of mild tuna mixed with tangy sauce is an explosion of flavors that leave your tastebuds craving for more!
What we’ve learned from making this dish throughout the years is that it’s important to give the tuna a light sear while being careful not to overcook it. When that happens you end up with something similar canned tuna and that is not what we want.
So to avoid that, make sure to pay attention when searing, giving the tuna a good even timed sear over high heat, about 30-45 seconds on each side.
This dish can be sliced and served as an appetizer topped with green onions and sesame seeds or made into a meal over a bed of greens and a side of avocado. It also pairs very well with many of our soups here on LCA!
For this particular recipe, we used a grill to give the tuna that extra charred flavor but if you prefer, you can also pan sear it giving you similar results!
For this dish, the special ingredients you would need are Ponzu, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Togarashi and Toasted Sesame Seeds. All these can be picked up on Amazon or a local Asian Supermarket.
Note – for the Ponzu, we actually recommend using Mizkan Ponzu but the ones on Amazon are way over priced. So if you can, just pick it up at a local Asian supermarket for a much more reasonable price.
Now, what are you waiting for? Let’s get BBQing!
Prepping Time 5M
Cooking Time 5M
Total Time 10M
Net Carb/Serving ~2g
Servings 2
Ingredients
Tuna
- 12oz Yellowfin Tuna (about 2 steak fillets)
- 1 Stalk Green Onions
- 1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed (optional)
Sauce
- 1/2 Inch Ginger
- 3 tbsp Ponzu
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1/8 tsp Togarashi (substitute with Cayenne Pepper, but use 1/8 tsp instead)
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice can
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) Finely chop green onions and set aside.
3) Grind ginger down with a grinder or a garter and set aside.
4) In a small mixing bowl, add grated ginger, Ponzu, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Togarashi and Lemon Juice. Mix together and set aside.
5) Pat both sides of the tuna steak dry with a paper towel and set aside.
6) Preheat grill to 400F+ (up to 500F if your grill can handle it). Once the grill is preheated, place tuna steaks on the grill and cover. Grill for 30-45 seconds per side just to sear the outside. Inside should have sashimi like texture. Note – make sure you don’t overcook the steaks, otherwise it’s going to be extreme tough and rubbery.
7) Transfer grilled steak and let it rest until room temperature (about 1-2 minutes). Once cooled, pour sauce to liking, followed by chopped green onions and Toasted Sesame Seed. Enjoy!
Hope you enjoy your low-carb/keto Seared Yellowfin Tuna – Tataki!
If you’re looking for other recipe ideas, be sure to check out our growing Recipe Index full of Asian inspired recipes!
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Seared Yellowfin Tuna - Tataki
Ingredients
Tuna
- 12 oz Yellowfin Tuna about 2 steak fillets
- 1 Green Onions
- 1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed optional
Sauce
- 1/2 Inch Ginger
- 3 tbsp Ponzu
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1/8 tsp Togarashi substitute with Cayenne Pepper, but use 1/8 tsp instead
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice can
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Finely chop green onions and set aside.
- Grind ginger down with a grinder or a garter and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add grated ginger, Ponzu, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Togarashi and Lemon Juice. Mix together and set aside.
- Pat both sides of the tuna steak dry with a paper towel and set aside.
- Preheat grill to 400F+ (up to 500F if your grill can handle it). Once the grill is preheated, place tuna steaks on the grill and cover. Grill for 30-45 seconds per side just to sear the outside. Inside should have sashimi like texture. Note - make sure you don't overcook the steaks, otherwise it's going to be extreme tough and rubbery.
- Transfer grilled steak and let it rest until room temperature (about 1-2 minutes). Once cooled, pour sauce to liking, followed by chopped green onions and Toasted Sesame Seed. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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