Seared Albacore Tuna with Ginger Soy Sauce

4.67 from 27 votes

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!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 309kcal

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)

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.

Recipe Variations:

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.