Learn how to make Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos that are loaded with sesame-crusted tuna slices, Mango Salsa, shredded green cabbage and topped with freshly squeezed lime juice.
A quick and easy meal that will be ready in less than 30 minutes and result in melt-in-your-mouth ahi tuna!
Why It's Yummy
- Crispy sesame-seared tuna slices just melt in your mouth!
- Flavorful and nutritious - these fish tacos are a great alternative to sushi/sashimi and traditional Mexican tacos!
- If you don’t eat fish at least 2 times a week it is a great recipe to start doing it!
- I highly recommend enjoying seared ahi tuna tacos with Mango Salsa, this is hands down, the most PERFECT salsa for seafood!
- If you like more taco recipes be sure to try these next: chicken tacos, sweet potato tacos, and taco board.
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Tuna Tacos Ingredients
- Seared Ahi Tuna - ahi tuna (yellowfin tuna) is usually sold either fresh or frozen at the market or grocery stores. It is ideally served medium rare, lightly seared outside over high heat. If you don’t feel comfortable eating raw fish then you can cook it until medium. But I don't recommend anything more than that as it will easily become dry and resemble canned tuna but without the excessive oil that makes the canned tuna soft.
- Ask the seller if it is sushi-grade tuna then it means that it is the highest quality fish they offer and they believe it is safe to consume raw. But actually, there is no such thing as ‘’sushi grade’’.
- The bacteria that sits on the fish or any meat steak is usually outside and we eliminate it by searing the surface over high heat. It is also a reason we need to cook the ground meat until deep golden brown!
- Sesame seeds - are optional but give a nice golden exterior and crunch to the fish tacos. If using sesame seeds be careful not to burn all the seeds over high heat, you may need to regulate the heat and turn the tuna more often on the pan.
- Tortillas - either homemade, corn tortillas, or any other type with a GF label on it.
- Cabbage (for fish taco assembly) - To save time use a pre-shredded bagged cabbage mix that you can find in most grocery stores. Alternatively, a nice and easy cabbage salad will work here too. Your next options would be Lettuce – Fresh crispy Romaine, iceberg lettuce, or other favorite leafy lettuce.
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Tuna Tacos With Mango Salsa
Wash and pat dry tuna with a kitchen towel/paper.
Prepare two medium bowls: one with soy sauce, and sesame oil and the other with sesame seeds.
Add the tuna to the marinade first, and make sure it is coated on all sides. Dip the tuna into sesame seeds until all the sides are covered.
You may need to press the seeds into the tuna to make sure they stick nicely.
Place a pan over medium heat and add enough oil.
Once the oil is hot add tuna steak and sear for 2 minutes on one side. Flip the tuna and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Important to note that the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the tuna steak. Mine was about 1 ½ inches thick.
Place a good nonstick skillet/pan over medium heat and add enough oil.
For more traditional 4-6 ounces and 1 ½ inches thick tuna steak. Sear for 1 ½ minutes on one side, flip, and sear another 1 - 1 ½ minutes. Orr use a thermometer to register 118-120 Fahrenheit in the center for medium-rare (that's what i did).
Allow to rest on a plate for 1-2 minutes. Once it's cooled more it will be easier to cut it into even slices. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Ahi tuna is ideally served medium-rare but if you prefer your tuna more cooked, add another 1-2 minutes per side. Just make sure not to overcook it, it should still be pink inside.
If not sure, take it off the pan, cut in the middle, and see if it is cooked to your liking, if not just sear it for a couple of minutes longer. You only need a minute or two here for a medium-rare tuna steak.
If all the pink is disappeared, the tuna is still edible but will be more on the dryer side.
Note: different burners will give different results but use your best judgment and always aim for ''not overcooking'' the tuna steak. In this case, you can still fix the situation.
Once you start cutting it up into slices and see that the steak seems too raw for you, just pop it back into the hot pan and cook for a minute or so.
But if overcooked there's nothing you can do anymore.
Meanwhile, warm up your tortillas on a hot dry pan until golden brown or heat in the oven. Or on the grill!
Assemble. In warmed taco shell add a handful of shredded cabbage, 1-2 tablespoons of Mango Habanero Salsa, and top with or two slices of fish.
Drizzle with fresh lime juice, fresh black cracked pepper, and sea salt flakes, and serve these mouthwatering seared ahi tuna tacos immediately.
🦐 Related recipe: Shrimp Salsa
How to Warm Tortillas
This is optional but does make a difference.
There are 3 ways to warm up the tortillas.
- In the oven - wrap the tortillas in foil and place on the middle rack in preheated oven to about 400F for 5-10 minutes until just warm.
- On the pan - preheat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and once hot dry fry them one by one on both sides until golden brown (it will happen very fast so don’t leave them unattended!).
- Grill them - Oil the grates and grill the tortillas briefly until lightly charred.
Tips
- Use a good nonstick skillet - As fish has a tendency to stick to the pan easily, I recommend using a nonstick skillet here or even a properly seasoned cast iron skillet. Also if the fish sticks to the pan don't flip it, it's not cooked yet.
- Preheated pan with oil - make sure your oil is heated enough. As the ahi tuna steak is ideally served medium rare we want to sear the outer side really quickly in a hot pan so all the bacteria will be killed. However since we are using sesame seeds here, we need to be careful and not to burn all the seeds with very high heat.
- But if you are really in doubt, cook the tuna to medium or even medium-plus. A good kitchen thermometer will be an advantage. For best flavor results avoid cooking tuna more than medium-rare.
- You can use both here, frozen or fresh tuna. If frozen, I like to thaw it in cold water until very soft (It is also recommended that the fish is in a zip lock bag submerged in water). It should thaw rather quickly, but do change the cold water out every 20-30 minutes (if needed). Do not use warm water (just like with any fish or meat produce) as this will help the bacteria to multiply rapidly!
- Buy tuna or any fish from a reputable seafood seller (or a restaurant) who’s knowledgeable about the origin and proper handling of seafood produce. Keep your fish cold or frozen (the colder the better!) and avoid cross-contamination. And don’t forget to wash your hands before and after handling uncooked tuna!
What To Serve With Tuna Tacos
If you're serving these seared ahi tuna tacos for dinner you will want to add more side dishes and salads to make it a wholesome dinner. My recommendations:
Salads
Other Condiments and Side Dishes
- Lime Cilantro Rice
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce - a little drizzle of spicy sauce goes a long the way!
- Simple Guacamole Recipe (3 ingredient)
- Easy Pico De Gallo
- Strawberry Salsa
- Cajun Corn On The Cob
Storing Instructions
Properly sealed, this seared ahi tuna will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
I wouldn't leave it to consume the next day but if you really need to, refrigerate it and reheat it in the oven at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit on a baking sheet or baking dish until just warm.
Tuna Tacos: FAQs
No, not all tuna is sushi grade. "Sushi grade" is a term used to indicate that the fish is safe to be eaten raw, which means it has been handled and processed under strict guidelines to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. Here are some key points:
You can cook tuna all the way through, but it will be overcooked and dry.
For the best taste, ahi tuna should be soft and pink in the center, like a medium-rare steak.
It’s best to eat raw ahi tuna the same day it’s defrosted and prepared. If handled properly, it’s safe to eat within 1-2 days.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge, which should be at 40°F or lower.
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Tuna Tacos
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INGREDIENTS
Ahi Tuna Steak
- 6-8 ounce ahi tuna steak (yellowfin tuna), about 1 ½ inches thick
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, gluten free
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free low sodium soy sauce , or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoon black sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking oil
Tacos
- 1 cup Shredded young green cabbage
- 4 mini tortillas or taco shells , gluten free or corn
- 1 recipe Mango Habanero Salsa, see notes
- Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash and pat dry tuna with kitchen towel/paper.
- Prepare two medium bowls: one with soy sauce, sesame oil and the other with mixed black and white sesame seeds.
- Add the tuna to the marinade first, make sure it is coated on all sides. Let marinate for 10-20 minutes. Dip the tuna into sesame seeds until all the sides are covered. You may need to press the seeds into the tuna to make sure they stick nicely.
- Place a pan over medium heat and add enough oil.
- Once the oil is hot add tuna steak and sear for 2 minutes on one side. Flip the tuna and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Important to note that the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the tuna steak. Mine was about 1 ½ inches thick. Place a good nonstick skillet/pan over medium heat and add enough oil.
- For more traditional 4-6 ounces and 1 ½ inches thick tuna steak. Sear for 1 ½ minutes on one side, flip and sear another 1 - 1 ½ minutes. Orr use a thermometer to register 118-120 Fahrenheit in the center for medium-rare (that's what i did).
- Allow resting on a plate for 1-2 minutes. Once it's cooled more it will be easier to cut it into even slices. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Ahi tuna is ideally served medium-rare but if you prefer your tuna more cooked, add another 1-2 minutes per side. Just make sure not to overcook it, it should still be pink inside.
- If not sure, take it off the pan, cut in the middle, and see if it is cooked to your liking, if not just sear it for a couple of minutes longer. You only need a minute or two here for a medium-rare tuna steak. If all the pink is disappeared, the tuna is still edible but will be more on the dryer side.
- Important to note here: different burners will give different results but use your best judgment and always aim for ''not overcooking'' the tuna steak. In this case, you can still fix the situation.
- Once you start cutting it up into slices and see that the steak seems too raw for you, just pop it back into the hot pan and cook for a minute or so. But if overcooked there's nothing you can do anymore.
- Meanwhile, warm up your tortillas on a hot dry pan until golden brown or heat in the oven. Or on the grill!
- Assemble. In warmed taco shell add a handful of shredded cabbage, 1-2 tablespoons of Mango Habanero Salsa, and top with or two slices of fish.
- Drizzle with fresh lime juice, fresh black cracked pepper, and sea salt flakes, and serve these mouthwatering seared ahi tuna tacos immediately.
VIDEO
NOTES
- Mango Habanero Salsa
- Ahi tuna is ideally served medium-rare but if you prefer your tuna more cooked, add another 1-2 minutes per side. Just make sure not to overcook it, it should still be pink inside.
- Important to note here: different burners will give different results but use your best judgment and always aim for ''not overcooking'' the tuna steak. In this case, you can still fix the situation. Once you start cutting it up into slices and see that the steak seems too raw for you, just pop it back to the hot pan and cook for a minute or so. But if overcooked there's nothing you can do anymore.
- Tuna - you can use any part of the tuna for the steak. I recommend using at least 1 ½ inches thick steak, mine was a different one and was about 8+ oz and at least 2 ½ inches thick. The frying time will greatly depend on the thickness but a good rule of thumb is that about 1 ½ inch thick steak will take about 1 - ½ minutes to sear (medium-rare) on one side.
- My other important tip is to buy tuna or any fish really from a reputable seafood seller (or a restaurant) who’s knowledgeable about the origin and proper handling of seafood produce. Keep your fish cold or frozen (the colder the better!) and avoid cross-contamination. And don’t forget to wash your hands before and after handling uncooked tuna!
- Warm the tortillas! - this is optional but does make a difference.
- Nutrition - is per 1 taco without the mango salsa.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Shouko
I made this but did a chili lime cucumber base instead of cabbage and as a side served watermelon mint salad and it was a hit!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
this makes me so hungry right now, delicious! Thank you Shouko!
gunjan
so flavorful and so delicious with easy instructions. We loved it.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much Gunjan!
Tara
Oooh, these look so good. You had me at sesame-crusted tuna slices. Sounds amazing paired with the mango salsa.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Tara!
Shashi
This is so yummy - definitely a recipe that will be remade often!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thanks Shashi!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing! I can't wait to try it soon!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Shadi
julia
If you haven't tried ahi tuna yet this recipe is a good start!