Grilled Tuna Steak with Lemon Dressing

Grilled tuna is so firm that you can eat it like a steak. And it’s also the only steak we eat rare. We have a simple recipe for a delicious grilled tuna steak that you can prepare in just a few minutes.

Since grilling tuna is a task that requires your full attention, it’s best to make the lemon dressing in advance. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, and mustard and whisk until smooth. Then, season it with a bit of salt and pepper.

Make sure the tuna is at least 2 cm thick. This helps you grill it to the perfect doneness, which is rare. Because of this, you’ll want the best quality tuna. Officially, this means sashimi-grade tuna, which means it has been processed in a way that makes it safe to eat raw.

Once the grill is scorching hot, pat the tuna dry with paper towels. The drier the surface, the faster the Maillard reaction kicks in, giving you those beautiful grill marks.

We need a blazing hot grill since we want the tuna to stay primarily raw. So we dump a full chimney starter of charcoal into the grill and place the grates. This gives it time to heat up and burn off any residue. If you have a cast iron grill grate, this is the moment to use it.

Give the grate a good brush before placing the tuna on it. Then, remove any last bits of residue with a little olive oil. This oil will burn off instantly, so it won’t stop the fish from sticking. And yes, it will stick. Immediately.

The tuna will release on its own as soon as the grill has left some nice sear marks. This only takes a few minutes. Don’t focus too much on the time. Once you see grill marks forming, flip the tuna and grill the other side.

You can also tell when it’s time to flip by looking at the sides of the steak. It’s time to turn it over when the deep pink colour shifts to a light grey hue.

Let the tuna rest before slicing, just like any other steak. Don’t worry about it cooling down too much because tuna tastes fantastic at room temperature.

We serve our grilled tuna steak with seaweed salad because its fresh, umami flavours pair perfectly with the grilled tuna.

Are you making this tuna steak? Let us know in the comments below. Or better yet, snap a photo and share it on social media. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see what you’ve made.