Tuna is one of our favorite fish, perhaps because of its versatility; for its pleasant taste and texture, which make it a fish that is usually liked by everyone; or because of the properties and benefits it provides. And, besides being a super versatile fish, which can be prepared in a thousand different ways, we also find with it dishes as simple and quick as grilled tuna. One of the best options for when we do not know what to make for dinner. Well, we will have it ready in a few minutes, it is a healthy dish and, I assure you, it will please everyone. Join us to see this simple and delicious grilled tuna recipe.
Although it is a very simple recipe, and it might seem that it is enough to turn on the grill or put the pan and cook the tuna on both sides; we can elaborate a little more this recipe to provide much more flavor and make a dish as complete but without complicating it too much. Because the great taste of tuna does not need great elaborations to enjoy it to the maximum. In fact, many times, less is more. And simplifying our dishes makes us enjoy 100% of many ingredients. And tuna deserves it. But, before we begin, if you like tuna as much as we do, don’t miss these other recipes with tuna, such as Tuna Carpaccio, Tuna and Avocado Tartar or Tuna Tataki. Three dishes that, although very simple, are very attractive. Ideal for any meal or even for a celebration or special occasion.
Why cook tuna on the grill?
Cooking grilled tuna, besides being one of the easiest and quickest options to make with this fish; and that allows us to enjoy all its flavor to the maximum; it also has other benefits for our health. Since by not overcooking the tuna and cooking it with a little (or even no) oil, it becomes a very healthy recipe; and with which the tuna does not lose any of its properties. Let’s see some of them:
- Grilled tuna is a low-fat dish. That is why it is a perfect recipe for all those who want to take care of their figure.
- It is an important source of high quality proteins. And, by cooking it grilled, these nutrients are perfectly preserved and our body absorbs them better than if it were stewed or cooked in any other way.
- Tuna is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, so important for our health. They help us to reduce the risk of suffering from heart diseases, and at the same time they are a great ally for our brain. And by grilling tuna, these fatty acids are not eliminated and do not lose their properties.
- Finally, grilling also helps to maintain the amount of minerals and vitamins that tuna provides, such as vitamin D, B12, selenium, iron…
But, in addition to all of the above, it is a recipe that allows us to enjoy the flavor of tuna to the maximum, without masking it with other ingredients. So if we have a quality tuna, it is the best way to prepare it. Not to mention that it is a recipe as healthy as it is fast, and we will have it ready in a matter of minutes, without any complications.
How to make Grilled Tuna
To prepare this dish, as we said, we do not need anything more than the tuna, in fillets, a dash of oil and salt. But, like everything else, we can improve the recipe a little bit, for example, by simply adding a dash of lemon juice. You will see that it adds a delicious touch to our tuna.
In addition, we can take into account some other details, which we will see later.
To begin with, we are going to see the most basic grilled tuna recipe that we can make. And, later on, we will give you some options if we want to give it an extra touch of flavor or make a slightly different dish.
To make a simple grilled tuna we are going to use some tuna steaks, more or less of about 200 grams each. One fillet per person will be enough, as we will also prepare a very healthy garnish simply with some grilled asparagus, which will complement our dish.
In addition to the tuna, we will use a little oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice, which I personally love with this recipe. The preparation itself is very simple. Using a griddle or a frying pan (where the fillets fit), we will add a drop of oil that we will distribute well on the griddle and, when it is hot, we will cook the tuna fillets previously seasoned on both sides. When they are ready, before serving, sprinkle with a little lemon juice and serve with the asparagus, also previously cooked on the griddle.
We will have ready a great and healthy recipe of the simplest.
Grilled Tuna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tuna Fillets
- 1 Bunch Green Asparagus
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 Lemon juice
Instructions
- Before the tuna we can go with the garnish. We have opted for asparagus because they are also made in a matter of minutes and combine perfectly with the tuna. But you can choose the garnish that you like the most, because it admits all kinds of accompaniments. We are going to remove a couple of centimeters of the lower part of the stalk of the asparagus, and we cook them in a frying pan with a drop of oil for a few minutes, until they are to our liking.
- When they are ready, continue with the tuna. In the same frying pan, or on a griddle, add a little oil and spread it well. When it is very hot, put the tuna fillets, previously seasoned on both sides. Cook between 3 and 5 minutes, on each side, over medium heat so that they are also cooked on the inside (depending on the thickness of our fillets and how we like them).
- Once they are ready on both sides, serve with the asparagus, sprinkling with a little lemon juice. And now we have a great grilled tuna ready.
Other versions of the recipe
As we were saying, grilled tuna is a very versatile dish. That is to say, thanks to the fact that it is a very simple dish, it admits many modifications, so that starting from this recipe as a base we can elaborate many different dishes. But in all of them the protagonist is the grilled tuna.
- Grilled tuna Asian style. Soy sauce goes well with most dishes. And that it also goes perfectly with tuna is no secret. So if you want to add an Asian touch to your grilled tuna, marinate the fillets half an hour before cooking, with soy sauce, a little grated ginger and other spices of your choice.
- When cooked, before finishing the recipe, add a little more soy sauce on top before serving, and garnish with some sesame seeds.
- A good garnish for this dish is some sautéed spring onions.
- Grilled tuna Mediterranean version. We will prepare it as in the recipe we have seen, but, instead of sprinkling with lemon juice before serving, we will sprinkle on both sides a mixture of Provencal herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary…).
- Grilled tuna with pepper sauce. Another way to give a different touch to this recipe is to accompany it with a sauce that we like. And, one that will combine perfectly with the tuna is the pepper sauce. We elaborate the sauce with a little cream, pepper and chopped onion, and we serve our grilled tuna with this sauce.
These are just a few options. Well, if you decide to marinate the tuna before cooking it, you have a multitude of options to make all kinds of marinades. The same as with spices and sauces.
Garnishes to complete our Grilled Tuna Recipe
We have opted for some simple grilled asparagus because they are done in a jiffy. And, as it is such a quick recipe to prepare, we did not want to complicate it with a more elaborate garnish. For part of the fun of this dish is the minimal effort and time it requires. But, as we said, grilled tuna can be served with all kinds of garnishes.
- Grilled vegetables. If we want to take advantage of the griddle, since we have to use it for the tuna, as we cooked some asparagus on it, we can make a much more complete grill of vegetables to accompany our tuna: onion or spring onion, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers… All the vegetables that you like will be very good grilled.
- Salads. A classic for any fish. Salads are the most used garnish: it is healthy, simple, light and combines with everything. Try this simple but delicious arugula and crushed tomato salad to accompany your grilled tuna, it will be spectacular!
- With potatoes. A classic. Fried potatoes, baked potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes… Potatoes are also a classic side dish and will go very well with tuna.
- With rice. If we prepare grilled tuna to eat, we can accompany it with a handful of white rice. And, if we want to elaborate our recipe even more, try combining the white rice with hot grilled tuna and a delicious guacamole. Both the contrast of flavors and temperatures will make you get a dish of ten.
Tips and Tricks to get a ten-rate grilled tuna fish
As we were saying, even for the simplest recipes we have some tricks to make sure they always turn out well. And surely it has happened to you that, even dishes as easy as this grilled tuna, have not turned out as we expected. Well, to avoid this, we are going to see some tricks and tips for our tuna is always juicy, in its point and with an unparalleled flavor.
- As in any other recipe, the first thing is to take into account the quality of our tuna. Moreover, if it is fresh tuna, all the better. It will also influence the cut we choose, being the most recommended for this preparation the loin. Since it is a lean pate, with a firm texture, and that will always give us a good result in this elaboration.
- Do not put the tuna on the griddle or frying pan until it is hot. In this way we will get a good sealing, being well cooked on the outside but juicy inside. At the same time we will prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Cook the tuna over medium-high heat, and just the right amount of time. If we overcook it, it will be too dry inside and the result will not be as expected.
And with these tips we finish our simple recipe to make a healthy and easy grilled tuna. If you liked it, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, tips… We love to read them! And don’t forget to follow us on social networks to keep up to date with all our publications. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
