Week 17 - Amazing Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos

kcarl94
Apr 24, 2018
3 min read

Updated: Apr 30, 2018

Do you ever get angry when you order Seared Ahi at a restaurant? It usually comes in slices. And it is never enough......

One particular day 3 yrs back I was tired of it and decided to buy some tuna steaks. It was scary. It seemed like a small fortune, but cheaper than what I would have paid at a restaurant. What did I have to lose besides $20? I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to sear these deep red beautiful morsels of meat.

When buying tuna for raw consumption please buy sushi or sashimi grade. I have known others that buy a bag of ahi tuna at their local warehouse club and prepare it seared. Please do not do this. Find a good fish monger who goes through large quantities of fish. And ask if it is sushi grade.

This recipe is very basic. It is just a starting point to get you experimenting with Seared Ahi Tuna. Experiment with other flavors. Add lots of salt. Whatever your fancy. I use sesame oil to help flavor this tuna. It has a very smokey, nutty flavor and can be overpowering. It is a signature flavor in Asian Cuisine and has an acquired taste. This recipe was very conservative in flavors to introduce you to a scary subject.....preparing raw fish.

My family loves it when I make these tacos. This time I decided to cut corners. Normally, I shred cabbage and make a mayo based sauce for my tacos. This time I bought cabbage based salad mix instead (Santa Fe style). It made this dish have minimal prep time which was great. You could also use an Asian flavored salad mix. The dressing provided with the kit would be the sauce for the tacos.

My husband and boys thought it still needed a little sauce. I disagreed. If they would have squeezed more lime juice on their tacos, I believe they would have been satisfied. But I will add some quick, easy sauces that will satisfy these folks......

One more thought. You don't have to have tacos. Put the seared tuna over salad, make a sandwich, or serve like you would a steak with a potato and veggies. (I would serve sliced though).

Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos

2 - 1 inch Sushi Grade Tuna Steaks

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 - 1 t sesame oil

1/2 t garlic powder

1 bottle of sesame seeds (any color, can be toasted, or flavored)

1 - 2 bags cabbage based Santa Fe salad mix

1 pkg corn tortillas (flour tortillas were not meant for fish!)

3 limes

1/2 bunch cilantro

Pour soy sauce, garlic powder and sesame oil into an 8x8 pan. Place steaks in sauce flipping them so all sides are covered in marinade. If it seems you need more soy sauce go ahead and add more. Let sit atleast 10 minute. You can let sit longer for more flavor.

While marinating, heat non stick pan on high.

Chop cilantro and slice limes and assemble salad.

Pour sesame seeds onto plate and dip steaks. Making sure all sides and edges are covered with seeds.

Place steaks onto hot pan and let cook for 1 minute. Flip and let cook for 1 minute longer. With tongs sear each of the edges of your tuna until all exposed sides and edges have been seared. Set aside (slice before serving)

(See video on secrets to properly heat up corn tortillas)

Assemble tacos making sure to put ample cilantro and lime juice on each one. If you need more sauce than what the salad mix provided the following easy recipe should help.