It's one of the easiest ways to get a dynamite seafood dish on the table in a hurry - this Blackened Tuna Recipe takes literally seconds, and produces a restaurant quality meal you'll be proud to serve.
These blackened tuna steaks get their flavor from a combination of a thin layer of honey, followed by a generous roll in Cajun seasoning. Any store-bought brand will do, or you can make it from scratch using this homemade blackening season we used for our blackened grouper earlier this year.
The honey provides a subtle balance to the big flavors in the blackened seasoning, and promotes the charring process.
For an Italian version of this rare tuna experience, try out my Italian Tuna Crudo!
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Step by step instructions for this recipe:
1. Prep tuna
To begin, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the stove. Using paper towels, dry your tuna fillets very well.
Pour two tablespoons Cajun seasoning (store bought Cajun spices or homemade using this blackening seasoning blend). Using a pastry brush or knife, lightly coat each tuna steak in honey, then dip into the Cajun seasoning, ensuring the top and bottom of each fillet is fully coated in the seasoning mix.
You can cover the sides of the tuna in the spice mixture, as well, but I prefer to keep the edges clean. This also helps me see how quickly the fish is cooking, as I can see the cooked, white edge of the fish move as it cooks through.
2. Sear tuna
Add two tablespoons of neutral oil (such as canola oil or avocado oil) to the hot skillet. Gently place steaks coated in spicy dry rub into the pan when oil is hot. Leave the steaks, undisturbed in the large skillet, for about 30-45 seconds to get a quick sear. Using a thin spatula, flip each tuna steak to the opposite side, allowing it to form a spicy crust for about another 45 seconds.
If you prefer a more medium experience with a pink center, that will take about 1 minute per side - depending on the thickness of the tuna. Transfer the seared tuna steaks to a cutting board and let the tuna rest while you prepare the remainder of your meal.
3. Serve and enjoy
When ready to serve, slice the tuna using a very sharp knife. Serve over a salad, in a taco, or as an entree with a squeeze of lemon juice, roasted vegetables and a baked potato.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
My favorite way to serve it these days is over an Asian salad with Vietnamese Peanut Sauce and a few slices of the rare tuna. But I'm also a huge fan of serving this blackened tuna in a corn tortilla for tuna tacos with Mango Salsa. Check out all my favorite Sides for Tuna Steak.
We've touched on this before, but sushi grade tuna is a marketing term, not a regulatory term. I buy it when I can find it. But I trust the fishmonger to tell me what is freshest that day. Ahi tuna steak, yellowfin tuna, and even tuna loin would all work well in this recipe.
Either one works well! If using frozen, thaw and dry thoroughly before seasoning and cooking.
You sure can! Sometimes I'll create an Asian-inspired spice rub with garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger and sesame seeds and serve the dish with wonton chips and spicy soy sauce. Or you could use a sweet-spicy BBQ dry rub and throw the steaks on the grill, for that outdoorsy charred flavor.
To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Pan-Seared Blackened Tuna Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
2 6-ounce tuna steaks
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons cajun blackening seasoning
2 tablespoons neutral oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To begin, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Using paper towels, dry your two fish fillets very well. Pour two tablespoons cajun seasoning (store bought or homemade using this blackening seasoning blend recipe). Using a pastry brush or knife, lightly coat each tuna steak in honey, then dip into the cajun seasoning, ensuring the top and bottom of each fillet is fully coated in the seasoning mix.
- You can cover the sides of the tuna in the spice mixture, as well, but I prefer to keep the edges clean (This also helps me see how quickly the fish is cooking, as I can see the cooked, white edge of the fish move as it cooks through).
- Add two tablespoons of neutral oil to the hot skillet. Gently lower the spice-crusted tuna steaks into the pan. Leave the steaks, undisturbed in the frying pan, for about 30 - 45 seconds to get a quick sear. Using a thin spatula, flip each piece of meat to the opposite side, allowing it to form a spicy crust for about another 30 seconds.
- Transfer the seared tuna steaks to a cutting board and let the tuna rest while you prepare the rest of your meal.
- When ready to serve, slice the tuna using a very sharp knife. Serve over a salad, in a taco, or as an entree with roasted vegetables and a baked potato.
Notes
I have found some cajun seasonings to be quite salty, and others require the addition of salt. If using store-bought spices, test your seasoning to determine if you need to add ½ teaspoon of salt to the seasoning mix before rolling your tuna into the spices.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
Leave a Reply