Aahi Tuna Taco Recipe

Prepare marinade

In a shallow bowl or container, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic and black pepper until combined.

Marinate tuna

Trim the ahi tuna of any sinew and pat dry. Cut into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes if serving as poke-style taco filling or into 1/4" dice for a more delicate bite. Place tuna in the marinade and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate 10–20 minutes — do not marinate longer than 30 minutes to avoid changing texture. Reserve marinade for brushing if desired.

Finish tuna before serving

Right before assembly, remove tuna from marinade and gently pat excess liquid off with paper towel. Optionally, quickly sear cubes in a very hot skillet (15–30 seconds per side) for a contrast of texture, or serve fully raw as marinated sashimi-style. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over tuna.

Peel and dice the mango into small 1/4" pieces. Dice the avocado into similar-sized pieces and toss immediately with the lime juice to prevent browning.

In a medium bowl combine diced mango, avocado, diced tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro and minced jalapeño. Season with lime juice, salt and black pepper. Gently fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep chilled until assembly.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, orange juice, sriracha, honey, minced garlic, salt and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or citrus balance. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl and refrigerate until ready to plate.

Make wonton taco shells

Heat neutral oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep skillet or saucepan (about 1/2"–1" oil depth) or preheat an air fryer for a lighter option. To form shells: lightly oil both sides of a wonton wrapper or use as-is. Fry 2–3 wrappers at a time, holding with tongs and pressing gently into an inverted small metal ladle or the tines of a utensil to form a taco shape, frying ~30–45 seconds per side until golden and crisp. Remove to a paper towel–lined plate and season immediately with kosher salt. If baking, brush wrappers with oil and drape over a rack at 350°F (175°C) for 6–8 minutes per side until golden and crisp.

Warm the aioli briefly at room temperature and ensure tuna and pico are chilled or at cool room temp. Arrange microgreens or shredded cabbage in each shell to create a bed for filling.

Assemble tacos: place 2–3 tablespoons of mango-avocado pico in each wonton shell, top with 2–3 tablespoons of marinated tuna pieces. Drizzle 1/2–1 teaspoon of spicy citrus aioli over the top (adjust to taste). Garnish with additional sesame seeds and a small sprig of cilantro or microgreens. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Note on timing: Fry shells close to service so they stay crisp. If searing tuna, do it moments before plating.