Easy Sesame Tuna
Pan-seared tuna, glazed with a sweet and salty blend of soy, sesame, and honey, and dotted with toasted bits of garlic, onion, and sesame seeds. This super-easy, gluten-free, ultra-healthy, jaw-dropping meal is made with just 6 ingredients, and one of them may surprise you.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What’s the secret ingredient ingredient in this easy sesame tuna? Everything bagel seasoning! There’s so much flavor in one bottle – sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, salt, and black pepper – making it a one-stop-shop for flavor and texture on this tuna. If you don’t have everything bagel seasoning, you can substitute sesame seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
This easy sesame tuna is super simple to make. Here’s the quick process:
- Whisk together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and everything bagel seasoning.
- Add tuna steaks and marinate for 20 to 60 minutes.
- Sear the tuna in a hot pan (in about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Serve with green onions sprinkled over top.
Looks and tastes gourmet, but this dish is about as easy as it gets. Add some vegetables on the side (and your favorite grain if desired) and dinner is served.Does this dish work with other seafood besides tuna? Definitely. Any firm-fleshed fish will work, including salmon, halibut, cod, flounder, haddock, and Chilean sea bass. Choose your favorite (or what’s on sale). One caveat, tuna is best served pink, but make sure to fully cook white fish fillets. A meat thermometer should register 145 degrees.
How long should you cook your tuna? Ideally, for the most buttery fish, sear the tuna just enough so the outside is cooked and the inside is pink. How much pink is really a personal choice. Just remember this – for the most tender piece of tuna, leave some pink. Fully cooked tuna is often dry and crumbly (great for tuna salad sandwiches); and that’s not what we’re going for here.
Easy Sesame Tuna
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning or toasted sesame seeds*
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or coconut oil
- Chopped green onions for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, everything bagel seasoning, and vinegar. Pat the tuna steaks dry and add them to the dish. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 60 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the tuna from the marinade and discard the marinade. Add the tuna to the hot pan and sear on the first side for 2 minutes. Flip, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until your reach your desired level of doneness. Remember, the tuna will continue to cook once you take it off the heat, so stop before you reach your goal.
- Transfer the tuna to a plate, top with green onions (if using) and serve.
- *You can find toasted sesame seeds in the spice aisle, right next to the raw sesame seeds. If you already have raw seeds and want to toast them yourself, place the seeds in a dry skillet and set the pan over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, shaking the pan frequently to promote even cooking and to prevent scorching.