Prep Time: 10 minutes – overnight
Tuna Cook Time: 6 – 10 minutes
Veggie Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Click Here to jump to the recipe.
I LOVE fresh tuna steaks cooked to a medium / medium-well finish. This is mostly due to me prepping and reheating for lunches. When reheating medium to medium-well tuna steaks, the microwave won’t overcook them.
If you love spicy food, but suffer from heartburn and other gut issues, try black and/or white pepper. Add your desired amount to any dish, in place of hot sauces & acidic peppers. With my IBS and sensitive stomach, I tend to get heartburn from tomato and pepper sauces/seasonings. The only exception has been black and white pepper. These are the two ingredients that give this recipe a nice and spicy kick!
For this recipe, although you can cook immediately after seasoning, I recommend marinating as long as possible (at least 2 hours). This allows enough time for the meat to absorb the flavors, ensuring that the tuna taste doesn’t overpower the overall flavor of the dish. Remember, this is a SPICY dish. If you like a little (or a lot) less kick, adjust your paprika and pepper measurements to your liking.
After you read through the recipe, be sure to stick around and read about its origin.
Ingredients
Meat & Swet and Spicy Marinade
- Fresh, raw, tuna steaks
- 1/2 TSP ginger
- 1 heaping TSP garlic powder
- 1 heaping TSP onion powder
- 1 heaping TSP ground mustard
- 1 heaping TSP black pepper
- 1/8 TSP white pepper (optional, but kicks up the spice)
- 1 heaping TSP paprika – your favorite kind (smoked, fancy, etc.)
- 1/2 heaping TSP kosher salt
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP honey or substitute
- 2 TSP soy sauce
- 2 TSP cooking oil
- 1/2 TSP sesame seed oil
If you don’t have sesame seed oil, you can purchase the smallest, cheapest option at the store or on the market. You don’t need much for any recipe. - sesame seeds
Veggies and Spicy Lemon Pepper Marinade
- Assortment of desired fresh fry-friendly vegetables – I used onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery & cucumber – cucumbers absorb flavor & taste wonderful when lightly cooked
I use enough to fill 2 cups of cut up veggies. - 1/2 fresh lemon
- 1/4 TSP white pepper
- 1 heaping TSP black pepper
- 1/2 TSP garlic powder
- 1/2 TSP onion powder
- 1/2 TSP ground mustard
- 2 TSP cooking oil
Instructions
Tuna
Leave the sesame seeds out. These will be added before cooking.
Add all other dry and wet seasoning ingredients together in a bowl or cup and blend together evenly.
Place the raw tuna steaks into a sealable container or bag and pour in your marinade (the seasonings you have blended).
Make sure that you completely saturate every inch of your steaks.
Allow the steaks to marinate for as long as possible. You can cook it right away, but for this recipe to taste authentic, you’ll want to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Lemon Pepper Veggies
After prepping the tuna, go straight into your veggie prep.
Mix all dry and wet seasoning ingredients in a bowl or cup, ensuring an even blend.
Squeeze the 1/2 lemon’s juices into the mix and blend again.
I use a sieve to sift out the seeds.
Now, place your cut up veggies into a sealable container or bag and add your seasoning blend.
Be sure to stir or shake and soak each vegetable cut evenly in marinade.
If you are letting your tuna steaks marinate for a couple hours, place your veggies right next to them and let them marinate as well!
Time to Cook
Take your tuna steaks out of the refrigerator and out of the bag or container they have been marinating in.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on each side of your steaks; add as many or as little as you’d like. I also coat each side of the steak with remaining marinade before sprinkling the seeds on. Place the steaks into your air fryer basket, on a baking sheet, or on the grill.
Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 6-10 minutes, depending on your desired finish. If you’re not sure, start at 6, cut a steak in half, and cook longer if desired (2 minutes at a time). I cook mine for 8 minutes to achieve a medium-well finish.
If your air fryer vents properly, you won’t need to flip them. Otherwise, be sure to flip them over halfway through.
You can also cook these on the stovetop. I use medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
FOR OVEN BAKING – Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and cook for 6-10 minutes.
Grill for 6-10 minutes (longer if smoking).
When your steaks are finished, there shouldn’t be much seasoning cooked onto the air fryer. It should be clean enough to toss the veggies in (I’ve never had an issue doing it this way).
Toss your marinated veggies into the air fryer basket next and cook for 10 minutes. You can also bake, grill, or stir fry your veggies.
That’s it; enjoy some tuna steak cuts with your lemon pepper veggies!
About This Recipe
Before creating this recipe, I never really knew what to do with fresh tuna. I am not a fan of canned tuna and pasta salads. I also dislike mayonnaise, which a lot of people tend to pair with tuna. When I attempted fresh tuna for the first time, I just piled on the seasonings and cooked each steak as I would with any fish filet. While it wasn’t bad, I wasn’t impressed. I noticed that this cut of meat was dense and didn’t absorb enough flavor while cooking. This is when I thought to create a marinade, consisting of dry and wet seasoning.
When it comes to seafood in general, I like to add some kick and spice. When it comes to tuna, I MUST have it spicy. The fish itself has such a strong taste; I need something mighty to match it. Being that I get heartburn easily, I also must watch how I spice up my food and what I’m using to give it that kick. I can’t say for sure, whether my methods and hacks will work for you, but I have an EXTREMELY sensitive stomach and they work perfectly for me.
I call myself a “FLAVOMETER.” I know, it’s lame, but I am a genius at finding & combining the perfect symphony of herbs and spices. This recipe started with no direction nor cuisine in mind. I mostly thought about my love for anything sweet and spicy sesame flavored!
Questions or comments? Let’s Talk!
All topics and questions will be addressed by me.
ENTER DISCUSSION FORUM HERE.