Textual Chef Textual Chef

Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna

Restaurant-quality tuna steaks coated in a flavorful sesame crust and air-fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside while maintaining a tender, medium-rare center.

16 minMediumServes 2325 cal/serving

FusionDinnerAir FryerPescatarianHigh ProteinLow CarbDairy-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeNightshade-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 (12 oz) ahi tuna steaks (1-inch thick), patted dry
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup mixed white and black sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 clove garlic clove, minced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced
  • 1 tsp wasabi paste (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a shallow dish, combine 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, and 1 clove minced garlic clove.

  2. 2

    Pat 2 (12 oz) patted dry ahi tuna steaks (1-inch thick) dry with paper towels and place them in the marinade. Let them marinate for 5 minutes, turning once.

  3. 3

    Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C).

  4. 4

    Pour 1/4 cup mixed white and black sesame seeds onto a plate. Remove the tuna from the marinade and press each side into the sesame seeds to form a crust.

  5. 5

    Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Place the tuna steaks in the air fryer basket, making sure they don't overlap.

  6. 6

    Cook for 2-3 minutes for rare to medium-rare (recommended for ahi tuna), or 4-5 minutes for medium. Do not overcook as the tuna will become dry.

  7. 7

    While the tuna is cooking, arrange 1 sliced ripe avocado on serving plates.

  8. 8

    Remove the tuna from the air fryer and let it rest for 1 minute.

  9. 9

    Slice the tuna against the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices.

  10. 10

    Arrange the sliced tuna over the avocado, garnish with 2 thinly sliced scallions, and serve with 1 tsp wasabi paste (optional) on the side if desired.

  11. 11

    For food safety, ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 125°F (52°C) for rare, or your preferred doneness level.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Dairy-Free Dinners 30 recipes in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What internal temperature should Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna reach?

For Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna, the air fryer is set to 390 F (about 200 C) in step 3. The longest stretch at that heat is 1 minutes, in step 8. Air fryers run hot or cool by model, so check two minutes early the first time. The target internal temperature is 125 F (about 50 C), given in step 11. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

How long should Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna marinate?

Step 2 reads: "Let them marinate for 5 minutes, turning once." Follow the time in step 2. Shorter still seasons the surface. Much longer is not better with acidic marinades, which turn the outside of meat or fish mushy.

How hot is Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna?

Only mildly. The heat in Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna comes from 1 tsp wasabi paste (optional). For a milder plate, start with half the wasabi and add more to taste at the end; nothing else in the method changes. For more, add it at the table rather than in the pot, so everyone sets their own level.

Can I make Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna is 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce. Swap the soy-based sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Everything else proceeds as written.

Is Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna low-carb?

A serving of Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna carries 10 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of it fiber. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 50 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 10 percent.

Does Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna contain sesame?

Yes: 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 1/4 cup mixed white and black sesame seeds. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, soy, fish and sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

How many calories are in Air Fryer Sesame Crusted Tuna?

One serving (the recipe makes 2) is about 325 calories, with 38 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat, plus 1 g fiber and 320 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Fusion entries

All Fusion recipes · All Dinner recipes · All Tuna recipes