To sear tuna, use a high-quality, fresh cut and marinate if desired. Use a thick steak, bring to room temperature, pat dry, and generously oil the cooking surface. Cook over high heat for a short time for a rare center.
The best tips for searing tuna start with the fish itself — using a high-quality, fresh cut will go a long way in successfully searing your tuna. Once the fish is selected, there are numerous marinades or flavorings that can be added based on preference and all will work as long as the fish is properly prepared for cooking. Searing should be done on a well-oiled, very hot cooking surface for best results.
Tuna is a large fish that comes in several varieties. Ahi tuna and yellowfin tuna are popular choices for the sear, but regardless of which type you select it is of the utmost importance that it is very fresh and of excellent quality. Fish that has been frozen for shipping and then thawed for sale won’t be as high quality or have a nice texture as fresh, never frozen tuna. Also, since searing tuna generally results in a very rare or even raw center, it’s best to select steaks that have been very freshly cut from a freshly caught fish and then kept properly refrigerated.
The beast cut to searing tuna is a thick steak; definitely no thinner than 2.54 cm (1 inch), but preferably at least 3.18 cm (1¼ inch). Thickness matters because in order to get a nice brown crust on the outside of the tuna and still retain the rare center, the fish needs to be able to cook around the edges without overcooking in the center. Some people may prefer the marinade before searing the tuna, often with Asian-inspired flavors like soy sauce and ginger. A marinade isn’t necessary, however simple salt and pepper will still make for a tasty seared tuna.
Before searing tuna, it’s important to bring the fish to room temperature so it cooks evenly; searing tuna cold can result in warm edges and an unpleasantly cold center. The tuna should be patted gently to remove any water from the surface that could interfere with the sear, and the fish or cooking surface should be generously oiled to prevent sticking. Whether the surface you use is a grill or an indoor skillet, it needs to be very hot to sear the tuna—if the surface isn’t hot enough, the center of the steak will get hot before a brown crust can form on the outside.
Seared tuna is generally served somewhat rare in the center, often barely warmed to room temperature. This can be accomplished by cooking the steaks over high heat for a very short time, around 60 seconds per side, or slightly longer for thicker steaks. If a raw center isn’t appealing, steaks can be cooked longer to reduce rareness.
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