Air Fryer Tuna Steak: Frozen or Fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks Air Fryer Recipe (2024)

Can you air fry tuna steaks? You bet! Learn how to air fry tuna steak with this easy ahi tuna air fryer recipe. You’ll love this fresh or frozen ahi tuna recipe that cooks in under 10 minutes. Get the air fryer tuna steaks cooking time, temp, nutrition information, and more! Try it an see why this is the best way to cook a tuna steak.

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This sesame crusted tuna steak air fryer recipe is fast, easy, delicious, and healthy. You don’t even have to remember to defrost the tuna, as I’ve got frozen tuna steaks air fryer directions too!

This ahi tuna air fryer recipe came about after finding some nice tuna steaks at Super Walmart. I don’t make tuna often, but they were a great price, so I could not resist.

Before we get into things though, let’s cover a very controversial topic when it comes to cooking tuna steaks...

How should a tuna steak be cooked? If you ask most chefs, tuna in air fryer (or cooked with other methods) should be pink in the middle. This will likely be rare or medium rare (though using the color of the fish isn’t the best way to check doneness).

For food safety, the FDA recommends cooking tuna and other fish to a minimum safe temp of 145F (63C). This cooking temperature will get you fish that is medium to medium-well done. The fish will likely be light gray to light pink in color, similar to canned tuna fish.

Which way should you cook ahi tuna? I’m going to give you air frying times for both ways, and leave it up to you.

⭐ What is ahi tuna?

Ahi tuna is the Hawaiian name for both yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna. Bigeye tuna is the one that is favored for sashimi sushi. This fish is similar in quality to bluefin tuna, but tends to cost less.

🤔 Why make tuna steak in air fryer?

Why make tuna steaks in the air fryer? Here are a few benefits of this recipe:

• Fast: You can air fry tuna steaks in only about 10 minutes. It’s great for a quick weeknight dinner entrée.
• Simple: You only need three ingredients for the basic recipe (well, plus salt). No making a trip to special stores or trying to remember a long grocery list for this one!
• Lean protein: Tuna is not a fatty fish, so it’s not one of the fish highest in omega-3s. What you’re getting instead is a high protein fish by calories (AKA a protein dense food).
• Special diet friendly: This ahi tuna recipe is naturally keto, low carb, gluten free, pescatarian, and dairy free.
• Nutritious: Aside from being high in protein, tuna is also rich in an assortment of B vitamins.
• Delicious: When cooked properly, tuna steaks are quite tasty and feel like a special meal. They’re a great choice for when you’re serving company, and for everyday family dinners.

🍲 Ahi Tuna Air Fryer Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make tuna steak in an air fryer:

• 2 tuna steaks (about 1-inch thick and 4 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or another neutral cooking oil, like canola oil)
• Sliced green onions and lime wedges (optional for serving)

To make the dipping sauce, you’ll also need 3 tablespoons of flavored mayo (chipotle or sriracha) plus 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil.

The thickness and weight of your tuna steaks can dramatically alter the cooking time. You will most likely need to modify the cooking time for smaller or larger steaks.

I make tuna steak in a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. However, you can make Ninja Foodi tuna steaks or use another air fryer instead. This includes the Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and others.

Keep in mind that the cooking times are not consistent between air fryer brands like they are with ovens. You may need to make adjustments to the cooking time depending on your air fryer. Always check the food early when trying any new air fryer recipe so you don’t overcook anything.

The other piece of kitchen equipment I recommend for cooking tuna steaks is a meat thermometer. This is the best way to check the doneness of your fish.

❓ Is raw tuna safe?

Raw tuna is sometimes used in sushi, but can carry a higher risk of foodborne illness than cooked tuna. If you’ll be undercooking the tuna in this recipe, I recommend you use high-quality sushi grade tuna steak. Those who are immunocompromised or in other high-risk groups should not consume raw fish.

🍊 Tuna Steak Marinade (Air Fryer)

You do not have to marinate air fryer tuna steaks! The sesame coating in this recipe provides a protective layer to keep the fish from drying out. If you’d prefer to marinate tuna instead, here are some ideas:

• Teriyaki sauce (soy sauce and rice vinegar or mirin-based marinade)
• Citrus based marinade (with lime juice and orange juice)
• Garlic herb marinade
• Honey mustard marinade

🔪 How to Cook Frozen Tuna Steaks

Let’s cook tuna steaks from frozen! Here are the steps:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes.

2. Put the frozen tuna steaks in the hot air fryer basket or tray and air fry for 4 minutes to thaw. (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)

3. Carefully press the sesame seeds and salt into both sides of the defrosted tuna. Flip the tuna and drizzle with oil.

4. Place the tuna back in the air fryer and air fry for 4-8 minutes at 375F (190C). My tuna took 6 minutes to reach medium-rare.

5. Check the tuna with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached the desired doneness (more on this below). Let the fish rest several minutes after air frying.

6. To serve, make a dipping sauce by whisking together the chipotle mayo and toasted sesame oil. Thinly slice the fish, garnish with lime wedges and sliced scallions, and serve with the sauce.

🔥 How to Make Air Fryer Ahi Tuna

You can also make air fried tuna steak that is fresh. If the tuna was frozen, thaw it in the fridge for 24-48 hours before making the recipe. Here are the directions for air fryer tuna steaks:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes.

2. Carefully press the sesame seeds and salt into both sides of the tuna. Place the tuna steaks in the hot air fryer basket or air fryer tray, and drizzle with oil.

3. Air fry for 8-12 minutes at 375F (190C) on the top rack of the air fryer oven. 12 minutes of air frying got me tuna that reached the food safe temp of 145F. (Note: if you’re using thinner tuna steaks than I am using, they may only take 4 minutes to cook.)

4. Check the tuna with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached the desired doneness (more on this below). Let the fish rest several minutes after air frying.

5. To serve, make a dipping sauce by whisking together the chipotle mayo and toasted sesame oil. Thinly slice the fish, garnish with lime wedges and sliced scallions, and serve with the sauce.

️⏲️ Air Fry Tuna Steak Time

How long should I air fry tuna steak? What's the tuna steak air fryer temp? Air fry fresh tuna steak for a total of 8-12 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).

🐟 Air Fryer Tuna Steak Medium Rare

If you want tuna steak with a bright pink middle, I recommend cooking it to 130F, or medium rare. Use a meat thermometer to figure out how done your tuna steak is. Here is a guide for tuna steak temperatures:

• Rare: 120-125F (49-52C)
• Medium rare: 130-135F (54-57C)
• (Food safe temp) Medium: 140-145F (60-63C)
• Medium well: 150F (66C)
• Well done: 160F (71C)

Some sources recommend cooking tuna steaks to 115F (46C), but I found this too raw for my taste. The recommended minimum safe internal temperature for tuna steak is 145F (63C), which is medium to medium-well.

️️🌡️ How to Reheat Tuna Steak

Leftover tuna steak will last up to 1-2 days in a covered food-safe container in the fridge. It's easy to overcook tuna steaks with reheating, so I recommend avoiding it when possible. Try to only make what you’ll eat so you won’t have to freeze or refrigerate leftovers.

If you must reheat ahi, you can try microwaving it on high for 30 seconds without the sauce.

💡 How to Use Leftover Tuna Steak

Use your leftover tuna steaks in sushi, wraps, or poke style tuna bowls. You could also put it on top of a salad that could use a protein boost.

🥦 What to Serve with Tuna Steaks

Need some side dishes for tuna steak? Here are some foods that go with tuna steak:

• Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
• Bok Choy
• Rice or Cauliflower Rice
• Snow Peas

📋 Tuna Steak Calories

One serving of air fryer tuna steak has 444 calories, 1 grams net carbs, and 29.6 grams protein. This is for an 4-ounce serving (113 grams) and includes the dipping sauce.

💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Tuna steaks are a lean protein but the mayo and sesame oil-based sauce adds over 200 calories per serving. To make low calorie tuna steaks, simply omit the sauce.

Now for the bad news: ahi (both yellowfin and bigeye) are considered fish in trouble. This means that they are not optimal if you’re looking for sustainable seafood choices.

Additionally, yellowfin is a high mercury fish while bigeye is a highest mercury fish. It is recommended that you limit your intake of yellowfin to 3 times per month or less. Since bigeye is one of the highest mercury fish, some sources recommend avoiding it entirely.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children should be especially diligent about avoiding the fish highest in mercury. Luckily, there are many fish in the sea to choose from that are low mercury choices. You can still include plenty of seafood in your diet if you make these low mercury fish your mainstays.

FAQs

Can you make air fryer yellowfin tuna steaks?

Yes, you can air fry both types of ahi (yellowfin tuna and bigeye) with this recipe. Make sure that the fillets you use are about 4 ounces (113 grams) and 1-inch thick (2.54 cm). If they are a different size, you may need to adjust the cooking time.

How to make blackened tuna steak in air fryer?

Instead of making sesame-crusted ahi, you can experiment with making air fryer blackened tuna steaks with Cajun spice. Some other good seasonings for tuna steaks include Everything bagel seasoning, lemon pepper, and Old Bay.

Can you get sick from undercooked tuna steak?

Yes, there is always a risk from undercooking meat and seafood. The FDA cooking temperature guidelines are there for a reason! The risk of food poisoning from eating undercooked ahi may be small. However, I would still recommend thoroughly cooking your tuna steak if you are immunocompromised, pregnant, or part of another high-risk group.

👩🏻‍🍳 Other Air Fryer Seafood Recipes

Craving more? Here are some other seafood recipes for the air fryer:

• Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
• Seapak Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Halibut
• Trader Joe’s Fish Nuggets in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Scallops

Don’t forget to check out the entire collection of Air Fryer Recipes while you’re here!

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