Teriyaki Ahi Tuna Steak Tacos

by Zachary Sarmoen

In my opinion, tuna steaks are one of the best—but most criminally underused and underrated—protein sources. While people may be familiar with tuna, or even dislike it for its associations (the polarizing tuna salad comes to mind), many people are not even aware of the more firm texture of tuna steak that I think sets it apart from most other fishes. Ahi tuna has a delicate yet fresh flavor profile that I prefer over most other fishes, and its firmer texture makes it a fantastic substitute for steak and pairs very well with a variety of flavors, making it the perfect vessel for my fusion tacos.

Tacos ready for assembly

Teriyaki tuna steak tacos are both a simple and relatively easy to make and elegant, light, and healthy dish, which can be used as a snack, appetizer, or entree. The dish highlights three main flavor profiles with sweetness from the teriyaki and vegetables, citrus from the orange and lime juice, and some spice from the incorporation of sriracha sauce. These three flavors complement the tuna perfectly to create a complex but not overwhelming bite, completed by crunchy and flaky textural elements from the slaw and crispy tortilla shell to contrast the firm but silky texture of the fish. The fish is best kept rare, searing just for a good crust, to maintain a tender interior, as tuna can easily get dry and chewy when overcooked. 

Below I have laid out recipes for each of the elements of my teriyaki ahi tuna steak tacos: teriyaki tuna steaks, a basic slaw, and a citrusy avocado and mayo-based sauce. Feel free to mix and match each of these items with other dishes. The steaks are also great on their own or served with rice and steamed vegetables. The slaw, as it is without a sauce, can pair well with essentially any dish with a meat and a bread to add freshness and a crisp textural element to the bite—just make sure to add a sauce that complements the meat! And the sauce, being spicy, tangy, and creamy is a great pairing with just about anything, but I specifically recommend it with a citrusy beef dish, any sushi fish, and even fries or fried cheese curds (don’t knock it until you try it). 

Ingredients/Materials:

Serves 4, marinate overnight, 20 minutes prep + cooking

Tuna Steaks

  • 2 (8 oz) Ahi Tuna Steaks

  • 1 cup of Teriyaki Sauce

  • ½ cup of Orange Juice

  • 1 ½ tbsp Sriracha Sauce

  • 1 tbsp (or 3 Cloves) Minced Garlic

  • 1 tbsp Minced Ginger

  • 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Slaw

  • ½ cup Shredded Carrots

  • ½ cup Shredded White Cabbage

  • ½ cup Shredded Red Cabbage

  • ¼ cup Shredded Cucumber

  • ¼ cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion

  • Juice of ½ Lime

  • Pinch of Salt

Sauce

  • ½ Cubed Avocado

  • Juice of 1 Lime

  • 4 tbsp Mayonnaise

  • ½ tbsp Sriracha Sauce

  • Pinch of Salt

Other

  • 8 Flour Tortillas

  • ½ Sliced Avocado

  • 1 ½ Limes

  • Aluminum Foil

Directions:

Tuna Steak

  1. Place the tuna steaks, teriyaki sauce, orange juice, sriracha sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame seeds together either in a sealed plastic bag or bowl/tupperware.

  2. Leave your steaks in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour but no longer than one night.

  3. Let the steaks and marinate sit out, but still sealed, for around 30 minutes to come to room temperature before cooking. The steaks should feel slightly soft, but firm enough to hold their shape when cut. 

  4. Heat a nonstick pan to high heat and then add the vegetable oil to form a thin layer over the pan. If the oil begins to burn, remove the pan from heat, turn it down, and add a fresh layer of oil. 

  5. Add the steaks to the pan and sear for anywhere from 40 seconds to 1 ½ minutes on each side, depending on how rare you prefer your tuna. I cooked mine for about 45 seconds on each side to form a crust but maintain a rare interior. You may see a bit of smoke when the tuna is cooking—this is the result of some of the sugar in the teriyaki sauce burning and won’t affect the taste/quality of the tuna steaks, as long as the burning is not extreme.

  6. Once finished cooking, remove the steaks to rest on a cutting board for about ten minutes while preparing the rest of the items. 

The perfect sear

Slaw

  1. Thinly cut or shred the carrots, white cabbage, red cabbage, cucumbers, and onions.

  2. Mix the vegetables together in a large bowl with the lime juice and a pinch of salt.

Sauce

  1. Mash the cubed avocado pieces in a medium-sized bowl until a creamy consistency is reached.

  2. Mix the mayonnaise with the avocado. 

  3. Add the lime juice, sriracha sauce, and salt to the mixture and mix until the sauce is consistent. Add additional lime juice if needed or desired to thin out the sauce and additional salt to taste. 

Taco Assembly

  1. Preheat an air fryer (or oven) to 370°.

  2. Use aluminum foil to form the mold of taco shells, then place your flour tortillas into the foil shells.

  3. Air fry (or bake) your tortillas in the molds for 2 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Let the taco shells cool for at least 2 minutes.

  4. Thinly slice your tuna steaks and assemble your tacos with the tuna steak, slaw, and sauce. Add lime juice and salt as desired.

Finished tacos

After plating your tacos, impress your friends and family with this elegant, light, delicious, easy-to-make dish (and help normalize the opinion that cooked tuna steak is better than cooked salmon), and enjoy!

Melanie WangComment