Are you ready to create a stunning, restaurant-quality seafood dinner in your own kitchen in under 10 minutes? This incredible, foolproof recipe for perfectly Seared Tuna Steaks, with a fresh and fragrant rosemary-thyme crust, is your ultimate guide to mastering this elegant, impressive, and surprisingly easy meal. Forget overcooked, dry, and gray tuna—we’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to achieving a beautiful, deeply browned and crusty exterior while keeping the center a perfect, luscious, melt-in-your-mouth rare.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a complete masterclass in the art of cooking high-quality tuna. We’ll demystify the process of selecting, seasoning, and searing tuna steaks so you can have the confidence to create a light, healthy, and unbelievably delicious meal that is perfect for a special weeknight or for impressing guests at a dinner party.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Restaurant-Quality Meal at Home
What makes this Seared Tuna Steak recipe so spectacular is its elegant simplicity and its focus on high-quality ingredients. The star of the show is a thick, beautiful tuna steak, which is coated in a simple, fresh, and fragrant rub of rosemary, thyme, and scallions. The secret to a perfect, restaurant-quality result lies in the technique: a quick, high-heat sear in a screaming hot skillet. This method creates a magnificent, flavorful crust on the outside of the tuna while leaving the inside tender, succulent, and beautifully rare.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 20 minutes (plus marinating time) |
| Active Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for Perfect Tuna Steaks
This recipe uses a handful of simple, fresh ingredients to let the beautiful flavor of the tuna shine.
- The Tuna (Sushi-Grade is Key!): The quality of your tuna is the single most important factor in this recipe.
- What to Buy: For a dish that is intended to be served rare or medium-rare, it is essential to use a high-quality, sushi-grade or sashimi-grade tuna. This indicates that the fish is of the highest quality and is safe to be consumed undercooked. Look for thick, center-cut steaks from Ahi (Yellowfin) or Bigeye tuna. The flesh should be a vibrant, deep, translucent red, and it should smell fresh and clean, like the ocean.
- The Fresh Herb Rub: This is the fragrant, savory crust.
- Fresh Herbs: It is absolutely crucial to use fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and fresh scallions. Their bright, fragrant essential oils will create a beautiful, aromatic crust. Dried herbs would unfortunately burn and become bitter in the high heat of the skillet.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil helps to turn the chopped herbs into a paste-like rub that will adhere beautifully to the surface of the fish.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Seared Tuna Steaks
This elegant meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Create the Fresh Herb Rub and Marinate the Tuna
Step 1: On a cutting board, coarsely chop the leaves from your 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, along with your 3 scallions.
Step 2: Transfer the chopped herbs to a small bowl and mix them with 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil.
Step 3: Pat your 2 1-pound tuna steaks completely dry with a paper towel. Season the tuna generously all over with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Step 4: Place the seasoned tuna in a shallow dish and coat both sides of the steaks with the prepared herb mixture. Cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 4 hours.
Step 2: The Secret to a Perfect Sear
Step 1: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet (a cast-iron skillet is perfect for this!) over high heat. You want the pan to be screaming hot.
Pro Tip: This is the most important secret to a perfect sear! A very hot pan will instantly sear the outside of the tuna, creating a beautiful crust, while leaving the inside cool and rare.
Step 2: Carefully add the marinated tuna steaks to the hot skillet. Let them sear, completely undisturbed, for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side for a perfect medium-rare.
Step 3: Flip the steaks and let them sear for another 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.
Pro Tip (How to Tell When It’s Done): For a classic seared tuna steak, you are looking for a beautiful, golden-brown crust on the top and bottom, while the sides of the steak are still a beautiful, deep red.
Step 3: Rest, Slice, and Serve
Immediately transfer the seared tuna steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes.
Crucial Pro Tip: Do not skip this step! Just like a beef steak, resting the tuna is essential. It allows the juices on the surface of the fish to relax and redistribute throughout the steak, which guarantees a moist and tender result.
After resting, use a very sharp knife to slice the tuna steaks, against the grain, into thick, 1/2-inch slices. You will see a beautiful, rare, ruby-red center.
Arrange the slices on a platter and serve immediately.
The Best Perfect Seared Tuna Steaks (10-Minute Recipe!)
A simple and elegant recipe for pan-seared, herb-crusted tuna steaks. The tuna is coated in a fresh herb paste made from coarsely chopped rosemary, thyme, and scallions mixed with olive oil. After marinating for at least an hour, the steaks are quickly seared in a hot skillet for just a few minutes per side to achieve a golden crust while keeping the inside a perfect medium-rare. The tuna rests for a few minutes before being sliced and served.
Ingredients
- 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped
- 6 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
- 3 scallions
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 (1-pound) center-cut tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, and scallions. Transfer them to a small bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to form an herb paste.
- Season the tuna steaks all over with salt and pepper and place them in a shallow dish.
- Coat both sides of the tuna steaks with the herb mixture. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Place the marinated tuna steaks in the hot skillet and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side for a medium-rare result.
- Transfer the cooked tuna to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Marinating the tuna for at least an hour is a key step to infuse it with the fresh herb flavors.
- Using a very hot skillet is important for getting a good sear on the outside of the tuna while keeping the inside tender and medium-rare.
- Letting the tuna rest for 5 minutes before slicing is crucial to allow the juices to redistribute, ensuring a moist and flavorful result.
What to Serve With Your Seared Tuna
This beautiful and elegant seared tuna is a fantastic centerpiece for a complete and healthy meal.
- A Simple Green Salad: A bed of fresh, peppery arugula with a bright and zesty lemon vinaigrette is the perfect, simple accompaniment.
- Roasted or Sautéed Vegetables: Serve the tuna alongside some simple, roasted asparagus, some garlicky sautéed green beans, or some wilted spinach.
- A Simple Starch: A side of fluffy white rice, nutty quinoa, or some simple roasted potatoes are all fantastic options.
- A Dipping Sauce: A simple soy-ginger dipping sauce or a creamy wasabi aioli are both wonderful accompaniments.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
A perfectly seared tuna steak is at its absolute best in the moments right after it has been cooked and rested.
- Make-Ahead: You can get a head start on this recipe by preparing the herb rub up to a day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also marinate the tuna for up to 4 hours.
- Storage: Store any leftover seared tuna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The leftovers are fantastic when served cold on top of a salad.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Classic Sesame Crust: For a classic, Japanese-inspired “Ahi Tuna” style preparation, you can add about 1/4 cup of both black and white sesame seeds to your herb rub. Press this mixture firmly onto the tuna to create a beautiful, crunchy crust.
- Make a Quick Pan Sauce: After you have seared your tuna and removed it from the pan, you can create a simple and delicious pan sauce. Simply deglaze the hot skillet with a splash of dry white wine or some soy sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Use a Different Herb Blend: If you’re not a fan of rosemary and thyme, you can easily substitute them with an equal amount of other fresh, finely chopped herbs, such as oregano, marjoram, or even fresh cilantro and mint.
Enjoy Your Restaurant-Quality Meal at Home!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh, and delicious flavors. This Seared Tuna Steak recipe is a testament to the power of a simple technique and high-quality ingredients to create a meal that is truly extraordinary. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new favorite for quick and impressive dinners.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” tuna, and do I really need it for this recipe?
“Sushi-grade” is a term used by fish markets to indicate that a piece of fish is of the absolute highest quality and is safe to be consumed raw or very rare, as it is in sushi or sashimi. For a recipe like this one, where the tuna is intentionally cooked to be rare or medium-rare on the inside, it is very highly recommended to purchase a sushi-grade tuna.
Q2: How do I know when my tuna steak is cooked to a perfect medium-rare?
A tuna steak cooks extremely fast! For a 1-inch thick steak, searing it for just 2 to 3 minutes per side over a high heat will give you a perfect medium-rare. A great visual cue is to look at the side of the steak as it is cooking. You will be able to see the color change and cook its way up the side of the fish.
Q3: Can I cook my tuna steak all the way through if I don’t like it rare?
You can, but it is not recommended for a high-quality, lean cut of tuna like this one. When a tuna steak is cooked all the way through, it can very easily become quite dry, tough, and have a texture that is very similar to canned tuna.
Q4: What is the best way to slice a seared tuna steak for that beautiful presentation?
The two most important secrets are to let it rest first and to use a very sharp knife. Letting the tuna rest for 5 minutes is crucial for keeping it juicy. Then, using your sharpest knife, slice the steak against the grain into thick, elegant, 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices.
Q5: Can I grill these tuna steaks instead of pan-searing them?
Yes, absolutely! An outdoor grill is a fantastic way to cook these tuna steaks. Simply get your grill very hot, make sure the grates are clean and well-oiled, and grill the marinated steaks for just 2-3 minutes per side for that perfect, smoky char and a rare center.