This Air Fryer Tuna Steak recipe is the easiest, fastest way to get a perfect sear on tuna—juicy inside, done in 5 minutes, and no guesswork!
Why You’re Going To Love These Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
- Quick and easy: This Air Fryer Tuna Steak recipe creates a perfect golden sear with a doneness however you like. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook tuna at home, and it’s ready in under 5 minutes.
- Tender and juicy:The high heat of the air fryer seals in the moisture and flavors, creating a perfectly cooked tuna steak every time. (Try these air fryer turkey burgers, next!)
- Restaurant-quality results: Cooking tuna steak in the air fryer can produce chef results with minimal effort. (Psst. here are some more of my favorite air fryer recipes).
If you’re just getting going with air frying, don’t miss Air Fryer 101: How to Choose and Use an Air Fryer to learn all you need to know for air fryer perfection.
Ingredients For Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
You can, of course, add your favorite spices but I like to keep my tuna steaks simple and add flavor with sauces. That way any leftover tuna steaks can be made into crispy tuna patties.
- Tuna steak: As for types of tuna, I love both albacore or ahi tuna steaks. You can purchase fresh tuna steaks or thaw from frozen. 1 1/4″ thick and keep it chilled in the fridge up until it’s ready to dive into the air fryer. No need to opt for sushi grade when you’re cooking medium-rare tuna.
- Oil: Pick the oil you prefer at home – I love using olive or avocado oil for this recipe.
- Salt: Use coarse salt in this recipe; your thick-cut tuna can take it!
- Black pepper: I love the kick some freshly cracked black peppercorns give to seared tuna. You could also use pink peppercorns for a pretty aesthetic.
How To Make Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
- Preheat the air fryer to 390ºF for 5 minutes while you prepare the tuna.
- Next, pat dry the tuna steaks using paper towel. Rub with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place the tuna steaks in the air fryer basket and air fry the tuna for 2 minutes, flip, then cook for 1-2 minutes more (check the color after 1 minute, the edges will be grey and not pink). This will give you rare tuna steaks and cook longer if you prefer medium-rare.
How to Tell When Tuna Steaks Are Done
The easiest way to check is by pressing the center. Rare tuna will feel soft with a bit of resistance. Medium-rare feels firmer but still has some give.
For more accuracy, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature:
- Rare: 110–115ºF
- Medium-rare: 125ºF
- Medium: 130–135ºF
Tuna can go from perfect to overcooked quickly, so check early if you’re not sure.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
If you’re making this recipe to eat cold, go ahead and cook it the day before if you like. You can It’s a 5-minute recipe, so there’s not much time to be saved.
- Refrigerate immediately: After cooking air fryer tuna steaks, let them cool to room temperature before storing them. Then, wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.
- Use within 2-3 days: Cooked tuna steaks should be consumed within 2-3 days of cooking for the best quality and freshness. Beyond that time, the texture and flavor may begin to deteriorate.
- Don’t freeze: While you can freeze raw tuna steaks, cooked tuna steaks do not freeze well and can become dry and rubbery when thawed. It’s best to avoid freezing cooked tuna steaks.
Variations
- Citrus and herb: Before air frying the tuna steaks, brush them with olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, and your favorite herbs such as cilantro and chives. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice for a fresh and zesty twist.
- Cajun spice: Add some Cajun seasoning and garlic powder to the oil, salt, and pepper mixture for a spicy steak.
- Soy sauce, honey and ginger: Mix soy sauce (or gluten free tamari), honey and minced ginger with the oil, salt, and pepper mixture and brush it onto the tuna steaks before air frying as a marinade.
- Sesame crust: Mix sesame seeds with the oil, salt, and pepper mixture and coat the tuna steaks with the mixture before air frying. This creates a crunchy and nutty crust that adds texture and flavor to the tuna.
Can You Air Fry Frozen Tuna Steaks?
You can air fry frozen tuna steaks but because the cooking time is so short, it’s best to partially thaw them.
- I do cook frozen chicken breasts in the air fryer and have a great frozen salmon air fryer recipe I make all the time!
You can do this by thawing them overnight in the fridge OR inside the vacuum-sealed package immersed in a bowl of cold water.
What Is The Difference Between Yellowfin and Ahi Tuna?
Ahi and yellowfin tuna are two different tuna species, although they are often used interchangeably in the culinary world. Here are some key differences:
- Species: Ahi tuna is also known as the bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), while yellowfin tuna is also known as the ahi tuna (Thunnus albacares).
- Appearance: Ahi tuna typically has a deeper red color and a higher fat content than yellowfin tuna. Yellowfin tuna is often lighter in color and has a more pronounced yellow stripe along its body.
- Flavor: Ahi tuna has a rich, buttery flavor and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, while yellowfin tuna has a milder flavor and a firmer texture.
- Availability: Ahi tuna is typically more expensive and less readily available than yellowfin tuna, which is more commonly found in grocery stores and seafood markets
FAQs
Can you air fry a tuna steak?
Yes, air frying is a great way to cook tuna steaks and will result in a tender, juicy piece of fish.
How to reheat tuna steaks?
You can reheat your tuna steaks in the air fryer by setting it to 380ºF and heating it for 3-5 minutes.
Pro Tips and Tricks
- Preheating the air fryer in advance ensures a bit of color in the short time it takes to cook just the outside of a tuna steak.
- If you want a truly rare middle, cook the tuna steak while it’s still cold or even partially frozen (it should be pliable, not frozen hard, but still very cold).
- Choose a good quality piece of tuna fish for this recipe – fresh is preferred over frozen but you can absolutely make this with thawed tuna too.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Tuna Steaks?
- As an Appetizer: Dice and serve on a dish drizzled with sesame oil, sprinkled with black pepper, and sliced green onion as an appetizer. Serve with wonton chips or tortilla chips on the side.
- As a Sushi Bowl: Spoon my easy sushi rice recipe into a bowl, top with tuna, and add lots of yummy toppings:
- Vegetables like edamame beans, steamed broccoli, fresh cucumber slices or ribbons and nori as part of a sushi bowl.
- As a Poke Bowl: I love to serve the tuna as a poke bowl with sesame mayo or spicy mayo for sushi, my creamy Asian dressing, and these toppings like:
- Sliced avocado, thawed frozen corn and sliced radishes
- Fresh tropical fruit (like sliced mango, lychee, or pineapple)
- Toasted sesame seeds and green onion.
- As a Salad Topper: You can also use it as a yummy protein (packed with omega-3 fatty acids) to top salads.
- As an Easy Dinner:
- Serve with a scoop of israeli couscous or quinoa.
- Add some air fryer veggies, like air fryer broccoli and/or air fryer eggplant.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Air Fryer Tuna Steak (Perfectly Cooked in Under 5 Minutes!)
This Air Fryer Tuna Steak recipe is the easiest, fastest way to get a perfect sear on tuna—juicy inside, done in 5 minutes, and no guesswork!
Video
Ingredients
- 7 oz tuna steak 1 1/4″ thick, cold from the fridge
- 2 tsp oil
- ¼ tsp coarse salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390ºF for 5 minutes while you prepare the tuna.
- Pat dry the tuna steaks. Rub with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- If your tuna steaks come frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge OR inside the vacuum-sealed package immersed in a bowl of COLD water.
- Air fry the tuna for 2 minutes, flip, then cook for 1-2 minutes more (check the color after 1 minute, the edges will be grey and not pink). This will give you rare tuna steaks, so cook them longer if you prefer medium-rare.
Notes
- Always preheat the air fryer. It helps develop a seared crust before the inside overcooks.
- You can scale up this recipe as desired but work in batches to keep the tuna steaks in a single layer in the air fryer. For most air fryers, you’ll only be able to fit 2 tuna steaks at a time.
- Pat the tuna dry before cooking so it sears instead of steaming.
- For best texture, don’t cook past medium unless you’re planning to flake it into something like tuna patties.
- Leftovers? Chill and slice for salads or poke bowls the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 4333IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment!
The golden sear on the outside and perfectly cooked tuna on the inside had me hooked. I served it in a poke bowl!
wow those Air Fryer Tuna Steak recipe turned out perfectly. I haven’t tried making ahi tuna in the air fryer like you! I can’t wait to try this week
I never thought of this one! A Tataki made in the Air Fryer! It makes sense; going to try it out this summer!
It’s so easy to dry out tuna steaks! Loved this simple fool-poof method!
Such a delicious way to enjoy tuna!
I always keep tuna steaks in the freezer for when we’re craving poke. This is one of our favourite treats so I was a bit nervous to use one for this recipe and cook it in the air fryer. I’m so glad I did! It’s our new favourite tuna recipe!
I always keep tuna steaks in the freezer for when we’re craving poke. This is one of our favourite treats so I was a bit nervous to use one for this recipe and cook it in the air fryer. I’m so glad I did! It’s our new favourite tuna recipe!
I am so excited to be able to make tuna steak in the air fryer!! I love seared tuna. This turned out perfectly for me, thank you.