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This easy seared albacore tuna is seasoned with sesame seeds and a ginger soy sauce marinade. This extra-quick main course is ready in 20 minutes!
I tasted seared tuna steaks for the very first time in 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I can still remember how wonderful each bite was.
Since then, I've been thrilled when I'm able to get ahold of some really high-quality, sustainably caught tuna.
For us, seared tuna usually means ahi tuna. I love making seared ahi tuna steaks and ahi tuna wraps.
Recently, though, my monthly Sitka Salmon Shares delivery included albacore tuna loins.
Do you have tuna in your freezer too?
This seared albacore tuna recipe is easy to prepare and makes a quick and delicious dinner!
Looking for more seafood ideas? Try this grouper Reuben, pan-seared rockfish, rockfish tacos, sablefish teriyaki, sweet chili sablefish and pan-seared halibut.
What's the Difference Between Ahi and Albacore Tuna?
They're different species of tuna.
You'll most often find albacore tuna in cans, but you can (occasionally) buy it in steaks or loins.
Albacore has a slightly stronger flavor than ahi tuna, and works well with complimentary strong flavors like the ginger soy sauce in this recipe.
I also like to use albacore tuna for spicy tuna poke and deconstructed sushi bowls.
Can I Use Ahi Tuna In This Recipe?
You sure can!
Ahi tuna is easier to find, so if that's what you've got on hand, use it.
Want your fish delivered? Checkout my tips on where to order seafood online.
How to Marinate the Tuna
Start by blending all the marinade ingredients up in a blender.
You'll need rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, wasabi, sugar and green onions.
Pour the blended marinade over the tuna and let it sit for about ten minutes.
How to Sear Albacore Tuna
Sprinkle some sesame seeds onto the fish.
Next, add oil to a heavy pan. I use this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.
Get the oil really hot and then set the tuna into the pan. Quickly sear the tuna on all sides.
Make the Pan Sauce
Remove the fish from the pan and set it aside.
Pour the marinade into the pan along with a little lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
Thinly slice the tuna. Serve the fish along with the ginger soy marinade, a warm mushroom salad and a little Instant Pot jasmine rice.
Seared Albacore Tuna with Ginger Soy Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounce albacore tuna loin or steak (~4oz per person)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari (use gluten-free certified if needed), use low-sodium soy sauce if desired
- 1 tablespoon shaved ginger (or ginger paste)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon wasabi OR 1 tsp horseradish
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 green onions, plus a handful of diced green onion tops for garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Blend vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, wasabi (or horseradish), sugar, and green onion. Taste sauce, adjust seasoning if necessary (adding more soy, sugar, ginger etc if preferred). Marinate tuna in blended sauce for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of tuna at end of marinade.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan (like a cast-iron pan) on high, until oil is very hot. Reserving marinade for later, sear tuna for 30-45 seconds per side, then remove from pan. (For tuna loins with 3 sides, sear all 3 sides for about 20 seconds each.)
- Reduce heat to medium and allow pan to cool slightly. Add marinade to pan with lemon juice, and stir with a wooden spoon. If sauce is too thick for your liking, add more lemon juice. Remove sauce from heat.For steaks: Slice tuna in thin strips. If desired, leave about ½" at one end of the tuna steak uncut, and serve fanned on a plate with ginger soy pan sauce and extra green onion to garnish.For loins: Thinly slice the tuna and serve fanned on a plate with ginger soy pan sauce and extra green onion to garnish.
Notes
- Sweeter Sauce: Add ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice to the sauce.
- Make it a Salad: Add 1 cup orange juice to the final pan sauce, and use the pan sauce as a warm salad dressing. Remove sauce from pan, and add about 4oz fresh spinach to the pan. Toss 30 seconds, until wilted. Serve tuna over the spinach with the warm dressing.
Marjorie
Wow! I had some fresh albacore tuna from Sitka and I needed something quick, your recipe was perfect! Little did I know that it would be one of the best things I've tasted very long time! Thank you, kudos for sure.✨🎄💜
Alisha Trenalone
That's wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it so much, and thanks for letting us know. Sitka is fantastic!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Mari-Beth DeLucia
Unfortunately, this ruined my Sitka Tuna Loin. Way too much soy sauce (salt). Could not taste the tuna at all. Followed directions to the tee.
Sarah Trenalone
Oh I'm so sorry! I definitely recommend using a low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer less of a salty flavor.
Dan
This was my first time trying albacore tuna and it was fantastic! We loved it, thanks for the recipe!
Sarah Trenalone
Yay, so glad you loved it!
Dawn
Wow, I can’t wait to try this! Seared tuna is a restaurant fave, and homemade is even better!
Karin
This is my go to recipe with Sitka salmon’s albacore tuna
Alisha Trenalone
That's great! We love doing this with Sitka's albacore too!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Kelly
Overpowering tastes in the marinade. Mine came out nearly black, not at all like the photos. Could not taste the lovely albacore except in the center of the thick parts.
Alisha Trenalone
Hi Kelly! I’m so sorry it didn’t work out! That’s odd that the sauce was so dark and overpowering- is it possible you used a dark soy sauce? (That would explain both problems.) We’ve tested this with regular soy sauce, low sodium, tamari and coconut aminos, but not dark soy sauce.
If that wasn’t the case we’d be happy to help troubleshoot!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Rose
This is my favorite albacore recipe! We’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit.
Sarah Trenalone
Glad you enjoyed!
Sherri Lloyd
Excellent! I was also looking for a recipe for Sitka’s albacore tuna. The first time we had Sitka’s tuna, I cooked it to almost done - not so good, thus looking for a better option. When I saw your reference to Sitka Salmon, I knew I had come to the right place! I made the recipe as written, and we loved it! Will never make this tuna any other way! Thank you for restoring my faith in albacore tuna!
Alisha Trenalone
Fantastic! Thanks for letting us know 😁
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Liam
It was very good! The marinade was a little too vinegary but I think that was a fault on my end. AMAZING!
Alisha Trenalone
So glad you enjoyed! Maybe you can tinker with the marinade proportions next time to better suit your taste 😀
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Janet
This was pretty good. I made it with full salt soy and I like the combination of the sour lemon and salty. We used the Sitka tuna too.
Alisha Trenalone
Glad you liked the flavors! Thanks for letting us know.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Corinne
I’m a rookie when it comes to tuna loins and searing like this. I followed recipe but had no rice vinegar so used apple cider, but s bit less than called for. I love the end result! I will make this again and use all the right ingredients so I can note the difference. We used fresh caught Pacific Albacore from the northern CA coast. It was yummy! I need to practice the searing part so I will definitely be trying this one again!
Alisha Trenalone
Yay, we're so glad it was a winner for you!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes