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What if I told you these Air Fryer tuna steaks take just 2 minutes to prep and get ready in just minutes?
They’re the perfect quick and simple weeknight meal, and that garlic-ginger-soy marinade is just out of the world! I tried to replicate the flavors of my favorite Air Fryer Teriyaki salmon bites here, and it turned out SO good!
If you’re one of those who thought the Air Fryer could be used only to cook veggies and chicken, this recipe is going to blow your mind away with its simplicity. The tuna steaks turn out melt-in-the-mouth delicious, and with barely any effort- just like my Air Fryer lobster tails.
If you’re a seafood lover, don’t forget to check out my collection of Air Fryer seafood recipes– packed with everything from shrimp and fish to scallops and crab.
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Savory and delicious!
⏱️ Prep time: 2 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 10 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 42 minutes (including 30 minutes of marinating time).
👥 Servings: 2 servings.
🥄 Tools: Air Fryer and Ziploc bag.
❄️ Freezer friendly: No.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Preheat the Air Fryer for 5 minutes before you add the steaks in. This helps create that beautiful crispy sear on the outside- just like with my Air Fryer Mahi Mahi.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With simple flavors and a delicious, slightly crispy texture, these air fried tuna steaks are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner- just like my Air Fryer catfish.
- The recipe is absolutely foolproof, and you can tweak it to your liking based on your flavor preference.
- It’s absolutely mess-free. Everything goes into a Ziploc bag and straight into the Air Fryer- no dishes to do later!
Recipe Ingredients
- Tuna steaks: I used boneless Ahi tuna steaks, each about 6 ounces.
- Oil: I like using sesame oil for that authentic Asian flavor- I used it for my Air Fryer tofu too!. You can use olive oil as well, if that’s what you have.
- Soy sauce: For that beautiful color and umami depth. Use coconut aminos or tamari if you want to make it gluten free.
- Ginger + garlic: Fresh, for that beautiful savory flavor.
- Honey: To balance the flavors with a bit of sweetness. You can also use brown sugar if you want to.
- Toppings: These are optional, but I love using sesame seeds and chopped green onions to garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Try using different seasonings and marinades depending on your preference. I like to use some of my homemade BBQ rub sometimes along with a dash of olive oil to marinate the steaks.
- You can also replicate the same marinade with another kind of fish that has sturdy fish filets- like salmon or swordfish. Just remember that you will need to adjust the cooking time slightly according to the kind of fish you’re using.
How to Make Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
- Combine soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and seasonings in a Ziploc bag. Add the raw tuna steaks into the bag and mix well to evenly coat both sides. Let tuna marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Grease the Air Fryer basket with a bit of olive oil spray. Remove the steaks from the marinade and transfer to the Air Fryer basket. Air fry at 380 F for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove from basket, season with salt and sprinkle steaks with sesame seeds before plating.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
For an authentic Asian experience, serve these tuna steaks on a bed of Jasmine rice or my Air Fryer fried rice along with a veggie side like Air Fryer peppers and onions or just some Air Fryer snap peas to make it more filling and nutritious.
These steaks can also be great served on a bed of salad greens with a light vinaigrette. You can also make them more filling by pairing the steaks with some Air Fryer roasted potatoes or quinoa and veggies like Air Fryer green beans or Air Fryer broccoli.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Flip the tuna steaks halfway through the cooking time. I like to do this whenever I make my Air Fryer pork chops or Air Fryer turkey breast or practically any meat- it helps get that golden brown caramelization on the outside.
- Allow the steaks to rest for a couple of minutes before you serve. This helps retain the juices inside and you’ll get the perfect moist mouthful.
- Make a little extra of the marinade and set it aside. This can be a beautiful dipping sauce to go with the steaks!
- Keep an eye on the Air Fryer basket at the 10 minute mark to make sure the tuna is cooked properly. Overcooking fish can make it tough and chewy, and you don’t want that- I realized this when I made my Air Fryer honey mustard salmon.
- You can also use frozen tuna steaks if you want to. Just make sure you defrost them completely and remove all the excess moisture before you marinate them.
Recipe FAQs
These air fried tuna steaks are best eaten fresh- however if you do have leftovers, they should be refrigerated immediately and can be stored for three to four days.
To reheat the leftovers, simply transfer them to your Air Fryer for three to five minutes. You can also refer to my post about how to reheat fish in the Air Fryer for specific details.
Although these two are often confused, Ahi is technically a smaller fish in the Yellowfin category.
It usually takes about 10 minutes for the tuna filets to be cooked to medium rare. If you like fully cooked tuna, add a couple of extra minutes of cooking time.
More Air Fryer Fish Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR ⭐️ RATING in the COMMENTS 📝 SECTION below.
Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 ahi tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
Instructions
- In a large sealable bag, combine ingredients to make the ginger soy marinade. Add tuna steaks into the mixture and coat both sides. Let tuna marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Prepare the air fryer basket by lightly spraying with an olive oil spray or other non stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Remove steaks from marinade and place into the prepared air fryer basket. Air fry at 380 degrees F from 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.
- Remove from basket, season with salt to taste and sprinkle steaks with sesame seeds before plating.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the wattages of your air fryer and thickness of tuna steaks. Keep an eye on food as it is cooking. You can add 2 -3 minutes cook time if necessary.
Notes
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature- your tuna steak should reach 125-130 degrees F for medium rare.
- The center of the tuna steak will still be slightly pink when it is done cooking. If you try to continue cooking to remove all the pink, it can dry out and be tough.
- Cooking time can depend on the wattages of your Air Fryer and thickness of tuna steaks. Keep an eye on food as it is cooking. You may need to add 2 -3 minutes cook time if necessary.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The recipe was easy to prepare and tastes delicious
In South Africa, our airfryers are calibrated in Celsius, and so, we set the temperature to 190C to bake the tuna steaks for 4 minutes on each side, after a brief conversion. As I tend to forget to flip the steaks midway, this method seems to work well for me. To enhance the flavor, I marinated the steaks in a bag overnight, resulting in extremely delicious tuna steaks!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Delicious!! So easy! Will definitely make again!
Thank you Lisa!