Miso Tuna

This Miso Tuna is made with ahi tuna steaks, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, miso paste, white sesame seeds, and olive oil.

Sesame Seared Tuna is one of those dishes that never fails to impress, but it is extremely important to buy fresh, quality tuna. The tender fish is so flavorful and the sesame seeds add a perfect crunch the tuna needs. I have also included an amazing sauce that really brings the sesame seeds and the tuna together. Ahi Tuna refers to the yellowish tuna and it the most commonly found in American grocery stores. It is the only fish that maintains a body temperature higher than the water temperature which is why the have that flavorful taste. 

If you enjoy this recipe, feel free to try my HEALTHY SWEET AND SOUR SHRIMP and my ONE-POT SHRIMP ORZO WITH HARISSA AND TAHINI!

Jump to:

• What is the difference between ahi tuna and tuna in a can?
• What are good substitutes for Sesame Seeds?
• What wines go well with Sesame Seared Tuna?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Miso Tuna
• Food safety

What is the difference between ahi tuna and tuna in a can?

Ahi tuna is something you would get at a restaurant that needs to be high quality since you typically eat it raw or rare (seared). Tuna in a can is usually albacore tuna, also referred to as white meat tuna. 

What are good substitutes for Sesame Seeds?

I used everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joes but they usually have in other grocery stores. You can also just mix white sesame and black sesame seeds. 

What wines go well with Sesame Seared Tuna?

A light, dry white wine or rose would go very well with Ahi tuna. My favorite rose is Wolffer’s summer in a bottle rose!

Ingredients

• Ahi Tuna Steaks
• Everything but the Bagel Seasoning
• Vegetable oil
• Ginger
• Soy Sauce
• MIso Paste
• Sesame oil
• Lime
• Honey

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. If you are using a skillet, skip this step. 
2. Combine ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk. 
3. In a shallow dish, combing the sesame seeds and the everything but the bagel seasoning. 
4. With a cooking brush, brush the olive oil on each side of the tuna steaks. Season them with salt and pepper and both sides and dredge the steaks in the seeds, coating the tuna evenly. 
5. In a searing pan on medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil until smoking. Add the tuna in the pan or the grill and cook until the white sesame seeds turn golden, about 1 minute. If your tuna steaks are on the thicker side, you should probably sear for about 2 minutes on each side. 
6. Pour the sauce over the tuna steaks and enjoy!

Hint: Watch the tuna closely as it cooks fairly quickly.

Substitutions

Tuna: The tune is essential to making sesame seared ahi tuna steaks.

Everything but the bagel seasoning: You can use only EBTB seasoning or just sesame seeds - whatever your little heart desires.

Oil: you can substitute another neutral high-heat oil. Canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oils are all great choices.

Ginger: I love using fresh ginger for this recipe and can be found close to the garlic at your local grocery store.

Soy sauce: Some good substitutes for soy sauce are Tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and Coconut aminos.

Miso paste: You can opt out of using the miso paste but the miso gives the dish a great umami flavor.

Honey: You can either use honey or maple syrup.

Variations

Cooking is a great way to get creative! Feel free to modify to your liking.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - add seaweed snacks on the side for a great crunch.

See this White Wine Salmon with blistered tomatoes on my website.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This seared ahi tuna will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Feel free to modify this recipe to however YOU will like it. Check out the substitutions to see how you can achieve that.

Print

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.