Impress your special someone on Valentine’s Day with this easy, grilled ahi tuna recipe. Soy sauce, ginger and lime juice lend fantastic flavor and tang to the fish.
As much as I love going out to eat and trying new restaurants, there’s something about Valentine’s Day that makes me want to turn my back on every prix-fixe menu and hole up inside my house for a cozy meal with my family. There are only so many bacon-wrapped filets or chocolate lava cakes that one amorous couple can handle!
So, I set to work coming up with a Valentine’s menu that includes some of our favorite flavors. The appetizer? That’s not a hard one in our house. It’s a given that it will involve smoked salmon or Brie cheese.
And then the entree…what to do, what to do.
Since we like to keep things light around here, a simply prepared seafood dish with colorful veggies seemed to fit the bill. Ahi tuna is something I typically reserve for a “restaurant only” meal. But, come on! This is Valentine’s Day we’re talking about. And, if you like your tuna rare (all of you sushi lovers out there), this takes mere minutes to make.
All you need is 15 minutes of marinating time and about 3 minutes for cooking. You want to avoid marinating the fish for longer than 15 minutes, otherwise the lime juice in the marinade will “cook” the tuna, much like ceviche.
Either a Spicy Asian Slaw or Stir-Fried Bok Choy would be the perfect accompaniment for the tuna.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.
Grilled Soy-Ginger Ahi Tuna Recipe
This easy, beautiful ahi tuna for two would be perfect for a romantic meal any time of the year!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 (6 ounces each) fresh ahi tuna steaks, about 1-inch each
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the ginger slices.
- Season the ahi tuna steaks with pepper, transfer to the bag and seal the bag and marinate for 15 minutes. Take care not to marinate for any longer, otherwise the fish will start to "cook" in the marinade.
- Transfer the marinade to a medium glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
- Heat an oiled grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear the fish until the desired degree of doneness is reached, about 2 minutes per side.
- Thinly slice the ahi. Garnish with green onions and serve with the heated marinade.
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
I’m all over this tuna Dara! Just our kind of dish in our family.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Oh my goodness I’m drooling!! And I couldn’t agree more about staying home. We decided to go out this year only because staying home with a newborn and toddler doesn’t exactly add up to a peaceful meal BUT we made sure to find a restaurant offering their entire menu. 😉
Ali | Gimme Some Oven says
I love this Valentine’s menu! That ahi tuna looks stunning!
Kirsten says
Dara, I’m always happy to stay out of the restaurants around holidays. This looks like a terrific entree for Valentines day, and I like your appetizer suggestions!
I could make meals out of apps.
Paula – bell’alimento says
This sounds like my kind of Valentine’s dinner! I love how easy this is to make! Beautiful!
Amy @Very Culinary says
This looks amazing, Dara.
Vicky says
Yes yes yes love my tuna rare! If only I could find some tuna here in Malaysia where I’m renting an apartment for a month I would be making this immediately! Guess I’ll have to wait until next month when I hop over to Europe! Yum!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
It sounds as though you’re doing some serious jet-setting. Enjoy your adventures!
Jeanette says
I am trying this recipe tonight. Thanks for sharing!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I loooove anything with Ahi!
Jennifer Blake says
Love the short marinating time! That is always something that trips me up when I have a longer marinating time with a recipe.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
The soy and ginger is the perfect pairing for this tuna!
Meseidy Rivera says
I love soy and ginger marinades!
Carolyn says
I love easy seared tuna like this!