What Are Tuna steaks and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about tuna steaks and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 30 recipes to cook tonight.

Key Points

Thick loin cross-cuts of fresh tuna, usually ahi, dense and meaty like beef.
Sear hot and fast, about 1½ minutes a side, leaving the center rare.
Lean and fat-free inside, so cooked through it goes gray and cottony.
Marinate briefly in soy, ginger, or citrus; long acid soaks cure the surface.
Buy bright, glossy steaks and cook within a day, or freeze right away.

What are tuna steaks?

Tuna steaks are thick cross-section slices cut from the loin of a fresh tuna, usually yellowfin (ahi) or bigeye. They are deep red and dense, with a firm, meaty grain that has more in common with a beef steak than with flaky white fish.

That meatiness is the whole point. A good tuna steak takes high heat fast, browning on the outside while the middle stays cool and rare. Treat it like a fish to be cooked through and you will be disappointed.

How to cook them

Pat the steak dry and oil it lightly, then season it just before it hits the pan or grill. You want the surface dry so it sears instead of steaming.

Get the pan or grill grate properly hot. Lay the steak down and leave it alone for about a minute and a half per side for a 1-inch (2.5 cm) steak, so the outer few millimeters cook and the center stays ruby.

Rare to medium-rare is the target, an internal temperature around 110 to 125°F (43 to 52°C). Pull it before you think it is done, because it keeps cooking off the heat.

The mistake everyone makes

Tuna is very lean, so it has almost no fat to keep it moist. Push it to well-done and the proteins squeeze out the moisture, and the steak goes gray and cottony.

If your household wants tuna cooked through, switch to a saucy braise instead of a dry sear, the way Garlic Braised Tuna Steaks keeps the fish in liquid. A dry steak cooked past medium is just sad.

Marinades and flavors

Tuna's clean, almost neutral flesh takes boldly to marinades. Soy, ginger, sesame, lime, and garlic are naturals, which is why so many tuna steak recipes lean Asian.

Keep a soy or citrus marinade short, 15 to 30 minutes. The acid and salt start to cure and firm the surface if you leave it for hours.

The grill is tuna steak's best friend. Italian Grilled Tuna keeps things simple with oil and herbs, while Grilled Tuna Steak with Lemon-Caper Butter and a Spicy Tuna Steak rub show the two easy directions: bright and buttery, or hot and dry-spiced.

A finishing squeeze of lemon and a little flaky salt at the table beats any amount of overcooking.

Buying and storing

Look for steaks with a bright, glossy, almost translucent surface and a clean sea smell. Brown patches, a dull matte look, or any sour edge means it is past its best.

Buy tuna steaks the day you plan to cook them, or freeze them right away. In the coldest part of the fridge, wrapped tight, a fresh steak holds about a day, two at the outside. If you are searing rare, source sushi-grade or previously-frozen fish from a counter you trust.