It’s easy to make air fryer tuna steaks at home that are just as good, if not better than you’ve ever had in a restaurant!
“I saw this recipe today and something told me I had to try it. Well, I'm so glad I did! The recipe is flawless and so delicious - even my husband, who isn't the world's biggest fan of tuna, enjoyed it!”
Recipe Overview
This recipe for Tuna Steaks in the air fryer uses a simple Asian-inspired marinade packed with the delicious flavors of soy, honey, garlic, and lime.
You’ll have perfectly seared, medium-rare air fryer Tuna Steaks, in just a few minutes!
If you love Asian flavors, you should also try making Air Fryer Sticky Ginger Chicken!
List of ingredients
- Tuna Steaks: You should be able to comfortably fit two 6-ounce tuna steaks in your air fryer basket.
- Soy Sauce: The salty, umami base of our tuna marinade is soy sauce. Use regular or low sodium. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos if you prefer.
- Sesame Oil: I love the nutty, Asian-style flavor that this oil gives the tuna.
- Lime Juice: Get a tablespoon of fresh lime juice by juicing it yourself. Bottled lime juice is nice sometimes, but it’s just not as good as the real thing.
- Honey: To balance the sour and salty flavors in the marinade.
- Garlic: Just mince up one clove to toss into the tuna marinade.
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch makes this marinade extra flavorful. You can leave this out if you’re watching your sodium.
- Garnish: Top your cooked tuna steaks with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and some thinly sliced green onion.
How to make this Tuna
- Make the marinade for the tuna by combining soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the tuna steaks to the bowl and toss to cover with the marinade. Be sure to spoon some of the minced garlic onto the top of the steaks.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
- Place the marinated tuna steaks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Avoid letting the steaks touch each other, give them lots of room.
- Air Fry Tuna Steaks at 380°F/ 190°C as directed in the recipe below. Flip them over halfway through the cooking time so that they are seared on both sides. The cooking time will depend on how rare or well done you’d like your tuna steaks, so be sure to check the recipe card for the details.
- Rest the tuna steaks for 1-2 minutes before serving them, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with fresh lime wedges too!
How to tell when it’s done
Tuna steaks do not have to be fully cooked all the way through. Many restaurants and home cooks serve tuna steaks Medium Rare, which is an internal temperature of 125°F/ 52°C.
At this temperature, the inside will be pink and the outside of the tuna will be an opaque light orange color.
Look for these temperatures when considering doneness:
- Well Done Tuna Steak: no more than 150°F/ 65°C
- Medium Tuna Steak: 140°F/ 60°C
- Medium Rare Tuna Steak: at least 125°F/ 52°C
- Rare Tuna Steak: 115°F/ 46°C
Serving fish that is less than well done can be risky, as there may be certain parasites or bacteria in raw Tuna that can make you sick.
If you like to follow FDA guidelines, they recommend cooking all fish to an internal temperature of 145°F/ 63°C.
That being said, raw tuna is often served in sushi and other dishes, so it is generally considered safe to consume in moderation.
How to Serve Tuna Steaks
This air fryer fish has lots of Asian flair, so it will be most delicious with jasmine rice and steamed veggies, or my delicious Air Fryer Fried Rice.
You might also like to try Air Fryer Dumplings or some easy Air Fryer Egg Rolls.
Make a healthy salad! Use this grilled tuna salad recipe, but instead of grilling the fish, make it in the air fryer instead.
Recipe Substitutions
Instead of honey, you can use any sweetener that you enjoy. This recipe pairs honey, lime and soy together in a really delicious way, however, maple syrup or brown sugar will also work well.
To make this recipe gluten-free be sure to choose gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminios instead of traditional soy sauce.
How to thaw Tuna steaks
Buying tuna steaks frozen is often the most cost-effective option, especially if you don’t live very close to to ocean where fresh fish is readily available.
There are two ways to thaw frozen fish steaks or fillets:
- Place the frozen tuna steaks in the refrigerator and allow them to thaw for 6-8 hours, or overnight.
- Use a cold water bath. Place the frozen fish in a sealed bag, and place that bag in a large bowl of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep the temperature cold enough. Continue to do this until the fish is thawed.
Forgot to thaw them?
I always recommend that you allow frozen fish to thaw naturally, either in the refrigerator overnight or in a cold water bath for an hour or so.
Quickly thawing tuna will not give you the best texture, however, here’s how I suggest making this recipe if you don’t have time for a full thaw:
- Cook the Tuna steaks in a preheated 380°F/190°C air fryer for 3-4 minutes. This will thaw the steaks partially so that you can marinate them, but won’t cook them all the way through.
- Then follow this air fryer tuna steaks recipe to finish them. The marinating time in the fridge will thaw the fish the rest of the way.
FAQs
Both fish are a healthy protein option with lots of protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, Tuna steaks contain less fat than salmon fillets and provide more protein than salmon too.
Yellowfin Tuna has higher mercury levels than many types of salmon, so it’s suggested that you enjoy this fish no more than once per week. Pregnant women are generally told to avoid tuna steaks.
Ahi is the Hawaiian name for what is more commonly known as yellowfin tuna. Ahi or Yellowfin is a firm, meaty fish that can stand up to grilling or searing.
It’s also commonly used in sushi or other raw applications like these ahi tuna nachos.
You should marinate the tuna steaks in the honey-soy and lime mixture for at least 20 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour. After an hour, the acid from the lime will start to break down the fish too much and will give you a mushy final dish.
Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sliced green onions for garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Place the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add the tuna steaks to the bowl and toss until covered in the marinade.
- Let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Place the marinated tuna steaks in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 380°F/190°C for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tuna steaks reach an internal temperature of 125°F/52°C for medium rare tuna steaks. You can cook the tuna steaks for few minutes longer if you prefer your tuna to be medium or medium well done.
- Let sit and rest for 2 minutes before serving. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Instead of honey, you can use any sweetener that you enjoy. This recipe pairs honey, lime, and soy together in a really delicious way, however, maple syrup or brown sugar will also work well.
- To make this recipe gluten-free be sure to choose gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos instead of traditional soy sauce.
- I don’t recommend using frozen tuna steaks for this recipe. Be sure to safely defrost your tuna steaks. The best way is to allow the to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- You should marinate the tuna steaks in the honey soy and lime mixture for at least 20 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour. After an hour, the acid from the lime will start to break down the fish too much
- Tuna steaks do not have to be fully cooked all the way through. Many restaurants and home cooks serve tuna steaks Medium Rare, which is an internal temperature of 125°F/ 52°C.
- Pro Tip: Remember that all air fryers cook a bit differently. These times may be different for your model, so keep a close eye on the fish, especially the first time you make this recipe.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
Nutrition
I saw this recipe today and something told me I had to try it. Well, I’m so glad I did!
The recipe is flawless and so delicious – even my husband, who isn’t the world’s biggest fan of tuna, enjoyed it!
It would have been nice to have actual measurements for the marinade ingredients. The only one you provided was for the lime juice.!
Hi Samer! The specific measurements for the marinade ingredients are actually listed at the bottom of the page on the ingredient card.