A grilled tuna steak is a real treat – red, meaty, and with a real depth of flavour. They are quick and easy to prepare but we have a few tips here that will make sure you get a really good result.
You will find the best when you visit our shops, neat and well trimmed, with firm, dense red or dark red flesh and typically they will have a meaty aroma. Do remember a thicker-cut tuna steak will stay juicier during the cooking process.
These tips are based on serving one or two people depending on the size of the tuna steak or how hungry you are!
Preparing a Tuna Steak
If you are not cooking your tuna steak right away put on a plate cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge. Tuna needs too be fresh for the best flavours and texture so eat within a 24 hours. Tuna steaks should not be washed before cooking – just pat them dry with some kitchen paper.
Cooking your Tuna Steak
Tuna steak can dry out quite quickly so one of the best ways to cook it it is quickly over a high heat.
Heat a non-stick chargrill pan over a medium heat. If you have griddle pan with raised ridges – that will be perfect and your tuna steak will have attractive stripes. Oil the pan lightly before you start.
Drizzle the tuna steaks with a little olive oil and season it well with salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
When the pan is hot – look for the oil to be just smoking. Add the steaks and cook for 45-50 seconds on both sides. Depending on the thickness of you steak you will see a pink strip in the middle showing you how far in it is cooked. Once the outsides of the steak are browned but the inside is still pink the tuna will be cooked. If you like it well done cook a little longer but not too much as it will tend to dry out. Alternatively take it off sooner if you want it to be pink in the middle.
Serve your tuna steak with a little salad and some new potatoes. You can try different variations seasoning the fish with crushed corriander seeds before cooking.
