Grilled tuna steak and roasted veg on a plate

How to cook tuna

Tuna dries out quite quickly and turns crumbly, so it should be cooked very briefly over a high heat in a frying pan, on a griddle or over a barbecue; or cooked under oil (confit), sous vide or simmered in a sauce. Tuna can be served cooked to rare, or cooked to a crust on the outside and raw in the centre, known as tataki in Japan. Pan-frying or griddling make this easier to control.

Because tuna has a fairly robust flavour, you can easily add herbs, spices and flavours to it without worrying about overwhelming the taste. Marinating tuna steaks will add flavour to the surface, but won’t make it any juicier – keeping a close eye on your steak while cooking is the only way to make sure it won’t dry out.

Tuna steak with sesame seeds and Asian slaw, on a black plate

Pan-fried tuna steaks recipe

Serves 2

2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing

Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, and season.
Put the tuna steaks into a heated frying pan over a high heat and allow to cook for 1-2 mins, depending on how thick the tuna steaks are.
Turn the tuna over and cook for 1-2 mins on the other side. Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat. Rest for a couple of mins before serving.

Griddled tuna steak with mashed potato and soy beans

Griddled tuna steaks recipe

Serves 2

2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing

Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil, and season.
Put the tuna steaks into a heated griddle pan over a high heat (the pan must be very hot) and allow to cook for 1-2 mins depending on how thick the tuna steaks are. If you want to make a crisscross pattern on the surface, rotate the tuna by 90 degrees halfway through.
Turn over carefully and cook in the same way for 1 min. Look at the side of the tuna to see how far through it is cooked, but remember it will keep cooking for a short while when taken off the heat. Cook for a little longer if you prefer. Rest for a couple of mins before serving.