Cooking tuna steaks in the air fryer is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy this fish. To enhance the flavor, you can season the tuna steak with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, or any other seasonings you prefer before cooking. You can also lightly coat the tuna steak with oil to help it crisp up even more.
With great taste, it also provides a lot of nutrients that you get from seafood. If you are a fish lover, then you must try this tuna steak recipe at least once because I am sure you will wish to have it again and again.
You can make tuna steaks rare, medium-rare, medium, and even well-done. I will provide specific cooking time and temperature recommendations for each stage in this recipe. So, let’s get started.
What’s special about this recipe
For this recipe, you just need tuna steaks, olive oil, soy sauce, and a few spices. It gets ready within 30 minutes including the marination time.
It is a perfect option for a weeknight dinner. You can have it as is or pair it with a side such as crispy onion rings and green beans.
Cooking tuna steak in the air fryer is much better than deep frying. Air frying makes it more healthier and preserves the nutritional content. The air fryer uses hot circulating air to cook food, which not only produces a crispy exterior but maintains the inside moisture as well.
How to make air fryer tuna steaks?
Ingredients
2 tuna steaks
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger -Grated
½ tsp pink salt or kosher salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Everything bagel seasoning blend (Optional but preferred)
Step-By-Step- Cooking Guide
Take a medium glass bowl, add soy sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt and pepper. Then add olive oil and lemon juice crafting a delectable mixture that will infuse the tuna steaks with flavor. Mix well and set aside.
Coat the tuna steaks thoroughly in this marinade, and for an even richer taste, let them marinate for about 20 minutes.
After marination time, preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Place the marinated ahi tuna steaks in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes at 370°F.
With these simple steps, you’re on your way to savoring succulent and perfectly cooked Air Fryer Tuna Steaks.
Related Recipes
How to Air Fry Frozen Fish Fillets
How to Cook Mahi Mahi in Air Fryer?
How to thaw frozen tuna?
If you want to thaw frozen tuna, the best practice is to take it out overnight from the freezer and put it in the fridge.
The second method is to thaw it in cold water. Take tuna out from the freezer, put it in a plastic airtight bag, and dip it in cold water. This can take anywhere from 2-3 hours for tuna to be thawed completely.
Don’t thaw frozen tuna in hot water as this can lead to uneven thawing and it may create a temperature range in which harmful bacteria can multiply, which poses food safety risks.
Remember to cook the thawed tuna promptly to ensure its safety and maintain its quality.
And never refreeze tuna without cooking it first.
Tips & Notes
1- I like to eat well-done tuna steak, that’s why I cook it for 8 minutes. If you like to have half done or semi-cooked, you can simply reduce the time to half.
2- According to USDA, it’s safe to eat fish with an internal temperature of 145 F. So, you can check the temperature with a digital thermometer.
3- When the tuna steak has finished cooking, the middle will still be somewhat pink. It is natural color of tuna, so don’t overcook or else it may become dry and stiff.
Tuna Nutritional Facts
Just like any other seafood, tuna provides a lot of nutrients that our body requires. It contains several health-promoting nutrients that should be part of our body. It is a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B. It does not contain any carbohydrates, sugar, or fiber.
According to Very Well Fit, adding tuna to our diet plan brings plenty of benefits. It helps to support blood sugar levels, helps prevent anemia, promotes heart health, and reduces the risk of dementia.
But make sure to consume it moderately in specific circumstances such as during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Do you wash tuna steak before cooking?
Many experts recommend not washing fish or any poultry before cooking. According to safety guidelines by USDA, washing fish, meat, or poultry before cooking leads to the spreading of bacteria through cross-contamination. So, it’s better not to wash tuna before cooking.
When you buy fresh tuna steaks, they should be clean and ready to cook. However, you can pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before cooking. It is also important to handle the tuna steaks with clean hands and to use clean utensils and cooking surfaces to avoid contamination. Even if you are using frozen tuna, you can pat them dry using a paper towel.
How long to cook tuna steaks in air fryer?
Fresh tuna steaks are already at normal temperature so they will be cooked in less time as compared to frozen tuna steaks.
Similarly, frozen tuna steaks take some extra time to cook as they are already frozen. But it depends on the thickness of tuna steaks as well. The thicker it is, the more time it will take to cook.
Can I reheat tuna steaks?
Yes, you can reheat tuna steaks. But be careful as leftover tuna steaks can be easily overcooked. The speed and performance of your air fryer also impact how quickly you can reheat tuna steaks.
So, on the safe side, it’s better to keep checking how far your tuns steak is done.
Place the tuna steak in an air fryer basket, Set the temperature at 350 F, and check every 1 minute. You can take the tuna steaks out once it is reheated to your satisfaction.
Tuna cooking phases time and temperature
| Condition | Fresh Tuna Steaks | Frozen Tuna Steaks |
| Rare | 2 Minutes Each Side | 3 Minutes Each Side |
| Medium | 3 Minutes Each Side | 4 Minutes Each Side |
| Well Done | 5 Minutes Each Side | 6 Minutes Each Side |
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tuna Steaks
- 1 tbsp Pure Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Pink Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Bagel Seasoning Blend
- 1/2 tsp Minced Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Everything bagel seasoning blend (Optional but preferred)
Instructions
- Take a medium glass bowl. Add ingredients one by one. First add soy sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt, and pepper. Then add olive oil and lemon juice and mix all the ingredients well.
- Dip tuna steaks into the marinade and coat from all sides. It’s even better if you leave the tuna steaks in the marinade for 20 mins.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
- Place the ahi tuna steaks in the air fryer basket. Cook for 8 minutes at 370 F.
