Wild Caught Ahi Tuna Steak Recipe

Prepare and marinate

Pat the tuna steaks dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, olive oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until combined.

Place the tuna steaks in the dish and turn to coat both sides in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes (no more than 30 minutes to avoid 'cooking' the tuna with acid). If you prefer minimal marination, 10 minutes at room temperature is fine.

Coat with sesame seeds

While the tuna marinates, spread the toasted sesame seeds on a plate. Remove the steaks from the marinade and let excess drip off for 30 seconds. Press both long sides of each steak firmly into the sesame seeds (and cracked pepper if using) to form an even crust; do not press the top/bottom unless you want full-enclosure crust.

Preheat pan

Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over high heat until very hot, about 2–4 minutes. Add the neutral high-heat oil and swirl to coat. The oil should shimmer but not smoke heavily.

Sear the tuna

Place the tuna steaks in the pan, sesame-crusted side down. Sear undisturbed for 45–60 seconds to form a deep brown crust. Flip and sear the opposite side for 30–45 seconds for rare (bright pink center). For medium-rare sear 60–75 seconds on the second side. If you like, add the butter for the last 15–20 seconds and spoon the melted butter over the steaks to baste.

Rest and slice

Transfer the seared tuna to a cutting board and let rest for 2 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1/4–1/2-inch slices against the grain to showcase the rare center. Arrange on a platter or atop rice/greens.

Garnish with thinly sliced scallions, microgreens or cilantro, pickled ginger, and sliced avocado if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over the fish.

To make a composed plate: spoon a bed of warm sushi rice or mixed greens, fan sliced avocado, place the sliced tuna on top, drizzle any reserved marinade reduced briefly in a pan (optional) or a little extra soy/lime, and finish with microgreens and lime wedge.

Leftovers: store sliced or whole seared tuna in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. Best served chilled or gently warmed; avoid prolonged reheating to preserve texture.