One of the key techniques in this grilled tuna steak recipe is to make sure the tuna doesn’t stick to the grill while cooking. To prevent this, fully prepare the grill by cleaning and oiling the grill grate. Drying and oiling the tuna also helps to stop the fish from sticking to the grill. If the fish does get stuck, use a thin metal spatula to gently ease it away.
When selecting your tuna steaks, look for thick cuts to aid the grilling process. Tuna is ideally served when the middle remains mostly rare, and thick cuts allow you to sear each side while keeping the center mainly untouched by the heat. If you’re not comfortable with serving tuna this rare, then it’s best to try an alternative method of preparation, such as poaching. Or you could opt for an entirely different style of tuna, such as canned tuna, and enjoy this in a delicious lunchtime sandwich with corn, or mixed into your favorite pasta dish.
During the preparation of the tuna steaks, don’t add the salt too early. Salt draws out a lot of moisture from fish, and after you’ve dried the steaks to prevent them from sticking to the grill, you don’t want to then moisten the surface of the tuna again.
Marinade and Seasoning Options
Lots of recipes for grilling tuna steaks will suggest marinating the fish prior to grilling. Marinating the steaks helps to tenderize the fish and infuse additional flavor into the fish. Try adding this to the steaks around 30 minutes prior to grilling, and leave no longer than two hours, to ensure the tuna steaks don’t start to “cook” in the acid of the marinade, as in ceviche recipes.
You could use a simple marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper with thyme for a starting point. Or, some chefs will introduce other more complex flavors with ingredients including soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and even honey.
How to Achieve Perfect Grill Marks
For the perfect sear marks on your tuna steaks you need to cook the steaks as quickly as possible. Ensure the grill is fully up to temperature before you add your steaks and follow our suggested steps of preparation to clean and oil the grill grate, along with drying the tuna steaks. Don’t be tempted to flip the steaks too early, once they’ve browned slightly and developed the appealing sear marks, they should release easily on their own.
Keep a close eye on the color of the steaks. As the tuna grills, it’ll turn light beige so you can quickly spot how far the heat has penetrated into the sides of the steak. As you notice the sides start to turn white from the deep purple color of the raw tuna, it’s time to flip to the other side. Limit each side to three minutes maximum for the ideal texture and searing on the side of the steaks.
