Go Back
A plate of sesame-crusted tuna steak with chopsticks resting over it, beside roasted potatoes and seaweed salad

Sesame-Crusted Seared Yellowfin Tuna

Thick yellowfin (ahi) steaks in a 15-minute soy-ginger marinade, pressed in sesame seeds and seared about a minute a side for a warm, rare center.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 yellowfin (ahi) tuna steaks about 1½ inches thick, 6 oz (170 g) each
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds white and black mixed
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon neutral high-heat oil for the pan

Method
 

  1. Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and honey; marinate the steaks 15 minutes, flipping once. Reserve the marinade.
  2. Pat the steaks completely dry and press all sides into the sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until just smoking; add the oil.
  4. Sear 45–60 seconds per side, plus 10 seconds on the edges, for rare.
  5. Rest 2 minutes. Boil the reserved marinade 1 minute in the hot pan to reduce it.
  6. Slice ¼-inch thick against the grain, fan over rice or greens, and drizzle with the warm marinade.

Notes

Doneness guide: 110–115°F rare; up to 125°F medium-rare. Past 130°F the fish dries out.
Buy sushi-grade fish for serving rare, and never marinate longer than 30 minutes.
Dry fish sears, wet fish steams — pat the steaks thoroughly before crusting.
Leftovers keep 1–2 days refrigerated; serve cold, never reheated.