Air Fryer Tuna Steak | The Best Way To Cook Tuna Steaks

This air fryer tuna steak has a slightly crisp exterior and a juicy, flaky interior. And it is coated in a sweet sauce with just the right amount of kick for an elevated flavor. The best part, it takes under 30 minutes to make this tuna steak recipe! 

 

THE BEST AIR FRYER TUNA STEAK

If you've been wondering how to cook tuna steak, this air fryer version is your answer. I know it may sound weird to cook fish in the air fryer, but I think it is the best way.

The tuna steak always comes out cooked evenly with the right amount of crispiness on the outside while keeping it tender and flaky on the inside. And the tuna marinade gives it a sweet and salty flavor that makes it taste as if it came out of a five-star restaurant's kitchen. 

Plus, this air fryer fish is very easy to make - the entire recipe takes under 30 minutes from start to finish to cook up two tuna steaks. And almost all of that time is just waiting for them to cook up in the air fryer itself. It's a super hands-off process!

By the way, while the tuna steaks are cooking, I highly recommend making some of this Instant Pot Sushi Rice as a side dish. It's super quick & easy to whip up and goes great with the tuna. 

Ingredients

So, all you need are some pretty basic ingredients to make this air fryer tuna steak.

And if you have the tuna steaks, odds are you'll have everything else you need.

Here are all of the ingredients: 

• 2 Tuna Fillets
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Chili Oil
• Salt And Pepper To Taste

If you don't have one of the ingredients for the sauce, make sure to pick it up because the flavor is so worth it. And you can use many of the sauce ingredients to make this General Tso shrimp recipe next!

By the way, if you want your tuna steak to have no spice, just leave out the chili oil. And if you want to kick up the heat, you can add in a little more!

Air Fryer Frozen Tuna Steak

Now, if you want to use frozen tuna steaks in the air fryer for this recipe, you totally can!

Here are some cook times you'll want to follow if using frozen tuna:

• Rare: Around 3 minutes per side
• Medium-rare: Around 4 minutes per side
• Medium: 6 minutes per side
• Well-done: 8-10 minutes per side

How To Defrost Frozen Tuna Steaks

Now, if you know you'll be making this air fryer tuna steak recipe the next day, just put the frozen tuna steaks in the fridge to thaw overnight.

But, if you forget to take the tuna steaks out of the freezer - or are making it on short notice - here is a quick and safe option to thaw it. First, transfer the tuna to a sealable plastic bag and fill a large bowl with cold water. Next, put the tuna in the bowl, leaving the top of the bag out of the water. Then, leave it in the water until it is fully thawed, changing the cold water every 30 minutes.

How to cook tuna steak

As I mentioned, making this tuna steak is super easy to do, and takes just a few minutes of work. 

And, in under 30 minutes, you'll have a main dish that everyone is sure to love!

So get out your ingredients, and let's get cooking!

Step 1: Prep Work

First, preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).

Then combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili oil in a small bowl, mix it all up, and set it aside for later.

Next, pour the olive oil into the air fryer basket, season the fish with salt & pepper, and place the tuna steaks in it.

By the way, make sure the tuna steaks are not touching each other and are lying flat - if you're making more than two, you might need to cook them in batches.

Step 2: Cooking the tuna steak

Now cook the tuna steaks for about 5 minutes, then flip them, and cook for about 3 minutes - or more - depending on how rare or well-done you want it, and the size of your fillet.

Once it cooks on both sides, remove the tuna steaks from the air fryer, and cover them with sauce

Then when it is done, serve with some more of the sauce on top and enjoy!

What to serve with air fryer tuna steak

These air fryer tuna steaks are absolutely delicious, but every delicious meal can use an equally good side.

So, if you want some sides to go with the tuna steak, here are a few of my favorites:

• Keto French Fries
• 5 Ingredient Biscuits
• Cheesy Spinach Casserole
• Asparagus Casserole
• Garlic Bread

Honestly, you can eat this air fryer fish with anything you want - and I'm sure there are more sides that will pair well with it - but these are just some of my go-to recipes.

How to store tuna steak 

Since this recipe makes just 2 tuna steaks, odds are you won't have any leftovers.

But if you do have leftovers, you can put the tuna steaks in an airtight container, and you can store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Then, you can either eat it cold or heat it back up.

The best way to reheat this air fryer tuna is putting it back in the air fryer for a few minutes until warm. Or, you can sear it on a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat - just make sure to flip it halfway through reheating.

Oh, and by the way, I don't recommend reheating these tuna steaks in the microwave - it gives them a rubbery texture.

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

Well, that is the best way to cook tuna steak! Honestly, cooking tuna steak air fryer style is the only way we cook it in our house. It comes out perfectly cooked each and every time, and it's so flavorful too.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this tuna steak recipe as much as my family and I do.

If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out, I'd love to hear!

AIR FRYER RECIPES

Want some more delicious air fryer recipes?

If you do, we have a ton on the blog to try!

Check out these recipes:

• Fried Dough
• Baked Potato
• Pierogies
• Hush Puppies
• Chicken Nuggets

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