Ahi Tuna Tacos Recipe
Boston Bibb lettuce filled with seared tuna, soba noodles, cucumbers, carrots & sesame dressing
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Ingredients
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Seared Ahi Tuna
Soba Noodle Salad
Sesame Dressing & Finish
Method
Seared Ahi Tuna
Marinate tuna
Pat the ahi tuna dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbs lime juice, minced garlic and grated ginger. Add the tuna and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes (no more than 15).
Season
Remove tuna from marinade and pat lightly to remove excess. Season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sear tuna
Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is best) over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbs neutral oil and swirl. Place the tuna in the pan and sear 30–45 seconds per side for rare (longer if you prefer medium). Rotate to create even crust but avoid overcooking. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 2 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain into 1/4" slices.
Soba Noodle Salad
Cook soba
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add 6 oz soba noodles and cook according to package (typically 4–5 minutes) until just tender. Do not overcook. Reserve 2 tbs of the cooking water, then drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop cooking and remove starch. Toss with a drizzle (about 1 tsp) of sesame oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare vegetables
While noodles cook, julienne 1/2 cup cucumber and 1/2 cup carrot, and thinly slice scallions. Combine noodles, cucumber, carrot and scallions in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine.
Sesame Dressing & Assembly
Make dressing
In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbs tahini, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp sesame oil and 2 tbs warm water until smooth and pourable. If too thick, add extra warm water 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency. Stir in toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes if using.
Dress salad
Pour about half the dressing over the soba noodle salad and toss evenly. Taste and add more dressing as desired (reserve some dressing for drizzling on finished tacos).
Assemble tacos
Lay out 8 Boston Bibb lettuce leaves. Place about 2–3 tbsp of the dressed soba salad into each leaf. Top with 2–3 slices of seared ahi tuna per taco. Drizzle remaining dressing over the tuna and salad. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime.
Serve
Arrange tacos on a platter and serve immediately while tuna is still slightly warm in the center. Provide lime wedges on the side.