Seared Tuna with Avocado

Sushi-grade tuna steaks, pan seared, served with slices of avocado and a ginger, soy, cilantro, lime, garlic sauce.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 29, 2022
Elise Bauer
Seared Tuna with Avocado
Elise Bauer

One of the benefits of having your own cooking website is that your friends and relatives start sending you recipes to try. The basis for this recipe comes by way of my cousin Laurie in Maryland (thanks Laurie!) and we've played with it a little.

It's hard to go wrong when the ingredients include cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, lime, garlic, and sushi-grade tuna. The recipe calls for lightly searing raw tuna on each side and then serving. I love tuna done this way, but the tuna has to be very high quality.

My parents, on the other hand, have no intention of ever eating raw fish, sushi-grade or not. They cook their fish all the way through, so it is a little translucent in the middle, but definitely cooked. They loved it.

Seared Tuna with Avocado

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 6 mins
Total Time 16 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded, de-ribbed, minced (if very hot, use only 1 chile)

  • 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 to 4 limes, depending on how juicy your limes are)

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if you need to avoid gluten)

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

  • 4 (6 ounce) blocks sashimi-quality tuna

  • 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced

Method

  1. Make the sauce:

    In a bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil and olive oil. If you want, you can purée the sauce in a blender or food processor.

  2. Sear the tuna steaks:

    Heat a large skillet on high heat for one minute. Coat the pan with the canola oil or EVOO and let heat up for 30 to 45 seconds. Sprinkle the tuna pieces with salt. Sear the tuna for a minute on each side.

  3. Serve the tuna with sauce and avocado:

    Transfer the seared tuna to a bowl and coat with some of the sauce. Pour some sauce on the plates, top with the tuna and serve with the sliced avocado and a wedge of lime.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
517 Calories
45g Fat
24g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 517
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g 58%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 1286mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 11g 39%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 26mg 130%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 997mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.