Made with a few simple ingredients, these tuna steaks cook quickly and easily in an air fryer, making for a delicious and effortless meal. It makes for the perfect weeknight meal as the steaks only require 10 minutes of marinating and less than 10 minutes in the air fryer.
They’re so easy to make that you wouldn’t think they would come out so creamy, tender, and flavorful. The tuna practically melts in your mouth. Also, I love how it’s a hands-off recipe, so I can prepare side dishes while the tuna practically cooks itself. If you want to make another healthy and delicious meal in the air fryer, try my air fryer salmon recipe or air fryer tilapia recipe.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Tuna steak — The most common types of tuna steaks you’ll find are albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, and bluefin tuna. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. Fresh or frozen steaks are fine, just be sure to thaw the fish beforehand. Just like salmon, tuna is a healthy source of protein and Omega-3s.
- Soy sauce — This gives the tuna rich umami and salty flavor. Use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer the steaks less salty. A gluten-free option is tamari sauce.
- Ginger and garlic — I highly recommend using fresh garlic and fresh ginger for the best flavor.
How to Make Air Fryer Tuna Steak
Step 1: Add the garlic and ginger to a large bowl or zip lock bag.
Step 2: Add soy sauce and sesame oil to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add the tuna steaks to the bowl and marinate for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Transfer the tuna to the air fryer basket.
Step 5: Air fry the tuna steaks for 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare, 5 to 6 minutes for medium, and 6 to 7 minutes for well-done.
Step 6: Slice the tuna steaks and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and serve with a side of soy sauce.
Tips For This Recipe
- As the tuna steaks do not require a long marinating time, leaving them at room temperature to marinate is fine. Leaving them out also prevents the tuna steaks from being too cold that the cooking time becomes uneven.
- Set a timer for the marinating step! If you leave it in the marinade for too long, it can cause the tuna to become overly salty.
- When slicing to serve the tuna steaks, slice them against the grain.
- Pat dry the tuna with a paper towel before marinating it for the best results.
- Try to get tuna steaks that are similar in size, so they cook evenly. If one is larger than the other, I recommend holding off adding the smaller steak to the air fryer basket for a minute or two, so the smaller one does not overcook.
- An easy way to peel ginger to grate is to use the back of a spoon to scrape off the outer layer.
- The loin of the fish is where you cut tuna steak from, so there is very little fat. Be careful not to overcook the steaks as the lack of fat will leave them dry if overcooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend cooking the tuna steaks from frozen as they will cook unevenly. You also risk the exterior of the fish being overcooked if they’re frozen to start.
Ideally, you should thaw them overnight in the fridge. If you’ve forgotten to thaw the steaks, you can quick thaw the steaks in a cold water bath in the sink. Switch out the water every 30 minutes until the fish thaws.
If you do not want to marinate the tuna, you can simply coat the steaks lightly in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
It’s best to enjoy the cooked tuna immediately as it is easy to overcook leftovers. If you have some leftover, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and gently reheat it in the air fryer the next day.
These tuna steaks go with a ton of different sides! My favorite side dishes to make alongside this recipe are mushroom rice, tomato salad, cauliflower steak, and mashed cauliflower.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Tuna Steaks Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 5-6 oz raw tuna steaks skin removed
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Garnish
- sliced green onions
- sesame seeds
- soy sauce
Instructions
- In a large zip lock bag, add the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and tuna steaks. Let the tuna marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Remove the tuna from the bag and place in the air fryer basket. Cook at 370 F for 4 - 5 minutes for medium rare, 5 - 6 minutes for medium, and 6 - 7 minutes for well-done.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and serve with a side of soy sauce.
Video
Notes
- As the tuna steaks do not require a long marinating time, leaving them at room temperature to marinate is fine. Leaving them out also prevents the tuna steaks from being too cold that the cooking time becomes uneven.
- Set a timer for the marinating step! If you leave it in the marinade for too long, it can cause the tuna to become overly salty.
- When slicing to serve the tuna steaks, slice them against the grain.
- Pat dry the tuna with a paper towel before marinating it for the best results.
- Try to get tuna steaks that are similar in size, so they cook evenly. If one is larger than the other, I recommend holding off adding the smaller steak to the air fryer basket for a minute or two, so the smaller one does not overcook.
- An easy way to peel ginger to grate is to use the back of a spoon to scrape off the outer layer.
- The loin of the fish is where you cut tuna steak from, so there is very little fat. Be careful not to overcook the steaks as the lack of fat will leave them dry if overcooked.
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