Name: Blackened Seared Tuna
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 Ahi tuna steaks; 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for pan); 6 flour tortillas (warmed); 4 tbsp Sweet paprika; 2 tbsp Chili powder; 1 tbsp Kosher salt; 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper (use 1/4 tsp if you like really spicy); 8-10 oz of green and purple cabbage mixed (Bagged shredded cabbage works great.); 1 lime; 1 tsp of cumin (plus more to taste); 2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 cup green onions (thinly sliced); 2 tbsp of sour cream (for a healthier coleslaw you can use greek yogurt.); 2 tbsp of mayonnaise; kosher salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 tsp of each)

This easy blackened seared tuna is loaded with delicious blackened spice flavor that is seared on to the tuna steaks until blackened perfection. We love slicing up blackened seared tuna for tacos but you can serve it just as is. This blackened tuna recipe makes juicy and delicious blackened ahi tuna steaks and the best fish tacos around.

About this blackened tuna steak

The deliciousness of this blackened tuna recipe all starts off with an amazing blackened seasoning that is seared on to the ahi tuna steaks making it taste so amazing. The best part is it only takes minutes to make.

We love slicing up our seared tuna steaks and making them into tacos because we love tacos AND it is a great way to stretch the budget when buying a premium cut of fish when you are feeding a family .

Once cooked, the blackened ahi tuna is placed into tortillas and topped with the easiest cumin lime coleslaw that is out of this world delicious. The recipe for this coleslaw is included below.

If you do not make the tacos, I suggest making this cumin lime slaw as a side!

blackened tuna tacos — Closeup of the seared blackened ahi tuna tacos.

Ingredients you will need:

Ahi tuna steaks. I will explain the different types of tuna below in case you cannot find these.
Flour tortillas.
Cumin and lime slaw (shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, sour cream, cumin, lime, kosher salt).
Blackened spice seasoning (chili powder, paprika, kosher salt, cayenne pepper).
Limes or lemons for serving. I love a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime on my fish tacos. This is optional.

The ingredients are so simple and the spices you probably already have in your pantry. For the cumin and lime coleslaw topping I use when I make this into tacos, I buy coleslaw mix to make it easy.

You can shred your own cabbage if you prefer. This is totally up to you!

How to make this blackened tuna:

Make your blackened spice seasoning. This is the same one I use on my blackened chicken and it is so good!
Press tuna steaks into the spice seasoning on a plate and make sure to coat all sides.
Cook tuna steak in pan (sear the tuna steaks) making sure to cook all sides.
Make the cumin and lime coleslaw.
Slice up the tuna into thin strips and place in warmed tortillas.
Top with cumin and lime slaw
Enjoy!

Making these blackened tuna steaks take no time at all. You just want to make sure you have a nice hot pan to give a good sear to the tuna. Tuna does not need long to cook.

Each side will take about a couple minutes to cook. This makes a great quick meal even though it looks like it came from a restaurant.

How to cook tuna steak in a pan:

ahi tuna steaks — 1. Place tuna steaks on a plate.

blackened seasoning on tuna — 1. Place tuna steaks on a plate.

To make delicious seared tuna steaks, you want to make sure you have a nice hot pan that is pre-heated and waiting for you. Once the tuna is placed in the pre-heated pan it will sear, forming a delicious blackened crust on the outside.

The inside will stay nice and pink and juicy. This is what you want when working with ahi tuna.

Sauce for Blackened Tuna

This blackened tuna recipe uses a creamy coleslaw in place of a sauce with the tuna. If you prefer a sauce instead of the coleslaw, here are some suggestions for sauce that goes well with blackened tuna.

Creamy sriracha sauce. This sauce will add a little more heat to the blackened tuna but it is really delicious and creamy.
Italian basil mayonnaise. This sauce is a creamy garlicky sauce made with. mayonnaise, basil, lemon and garlic.
Creamy cilantro dressing. Cilantro and blackened seasoning are delicious together. This cilantro sauce is creamy and the perfect pair with the tuna.
Poblano cream sauce. This is a roasted poblano sauce that is creamy and does not add any heat to the recipe.
You can also use a gochujang mayo. It adds a nice light heat much like the sriracha sauce.

Any of these sauces work great. It just depends on what what you prefer and what you have on hand.

You can also serve it as is with no sauce or topping and it will be just as delicious.

Variations and Types of Tuna for searing:

These blackened tuna tacos use ahi tuna as the fish because it is firm and holds up to a nice sear, making it a fast cooking fish. Ahi tuna is also called yellowfin or bigeye tuna.

This type of tuna is found in steak form which means it is a thick cut that is cooked to medium rare in the center and seared on the outside. If you cannot find ahi tuna then bluefin or yellowfin tuna will work great.

All of these types of tuna are perfect for searing and can be served with a pink center.

If you like blackened tuna, you may like:

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5 from 6 votes