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5.0 from 21 votes

Tuna Tataki

This Tuna Tataki is a Japanese dish that you can make at home so easily. It's a wonderful combination of delicately seared tuna and a yuzu citrus ponzu sauce to dip in or drench it in. This tuna recipe is a great appetizer, a perfect bento box add on and a great way to satisfy your sushi cravings! 

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 303 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian , Japanese

Ingredients

Tuna
  • 2 Ahi Tuna steak Saku is best
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ponzu Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic grated
  • 1 Tablepsoon scallions minced
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon garpefuit juice or use more orange
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tabelsoons brown sugar or white
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
To serve
  • 2 avocados sliced
  • 1 cup greens

Notes

  • Use quality Ahi Tuna, sushi grade. If you can find the saku block like we did here, it's highly recommended! We used it in our Tuna Carpaccio, Tuna Crudo and it's the best cut if you can find it.
  • Yuzu is a Japanese citrus which blends orange, grapefruit and lemon all in one fruit. If you can't access fresh yuzu or fresh juice, then use a blend of those citruses to achieve the same taste. It's the citrus of choice for ponzu sauce.
  • Make the ponzu sauce up to 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge in an air tight container.
  • It's best to pour the sauce at the bottom of the serving plate or bowl and then arrange the fish right ontop. This helps the fish soak up some of that wonderful sauce. 
  • Feel free to add some spice to the sauce, we just used the classic ponzu style flavors. 
  • When cooking the tuna, always use a neutral oil with a high smoking point.
  • Prehet the skillet really well before adding in the fish, it needs to sear real quick on high heat.
  • Don't over cook the tuna! Undercook it if you should, but avoid overcooking.
  • Depending on the thickness of your fish, usually less than a minute is enough per side of searing.
  • The Tuna tatki once assembled, is best served within 2 hours. 
  • If you have leftovers, turn them into an Ahi Tuna Salad or a Sushi Bake or even Sushi Burrito.
  • Pat dry the tuna before searing it. Season it minimally using a dry spice. Then you'll need to have a preheated skillet with neutral tasting oil. Sear the fish for less than a minute per side. Avoid overcoking it. Let the tuna rest before slicing. Use a super sharp knife to easily slice the fish.