Smoked Tuna Steaks
Savory, rich, and moist smoked tuna steaks enjoy flavor enhancement from a smoker or pellet grill. Brining your steaks makes them even better. Plus, you’ll have great additions to dips and salads later.
Oh, the flaky, meaty, steak-like texture fresh tuna delivers is a delight. The tuna you find at the market for smoking is usually yellowfin with a lower fat content, so a brine works wonders. And since tuna is such a delicate meat, brining won’t take long at all. Maybe 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours for a thick steak.
And there are so many things we can use it for: dips, salads, appetizers, and charcuterie boards. Any recipe that calls for smoked salmon will work great with smoked tuna.
Which Tuna Is Best for Smoking
If you grew up only knowing canned tuna, you’re in for a treat because there’s nothing like fresh tuna steaks straight from the smoker or grill. Of course, the tuna you buy fresh is a different species from what comes in a can.
The bigeye tuna, sometimes called ahi, is more often consumed raw in sushi. The most prized of all is the bluefin for its incredibly high fat content and buttery texture. Due to overfishing, it also comes at a premium price. Not only that, smoking can overwhelm the mild flavor.
That leaves yellowfin, a lean tuna with a steak-like texture perfect for smoking. It’s also called ahi, so make sure you’re not paying extra for the bigeye.
How to Smoke Tuna
Mix the brine, brine the tuna steaks, drain and pat dry, season, and then smoke them.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- The best wood chips for tuna are applewood, alder, and cherrywood because their mildness won’t overwhelm the tuna. I would definitely avoid overly strong flavors such as hickory, mesquite, and oak.
- If you prefer a marinade to a brine, mix olive oil, lemon zest, oregano, garlic, and paprika, and marinate the tuna steaks for about 30 minutes. Drain, smoke as usual, and enjoy.
- Coat the brined tuna steaks with raw sesame seeds for a delightful crunch. Then smoke as directed; the sesame seeds will toast for an Asian twist.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
A whole brined and smoked tuna steak can last for 5-10 days in the fridge if stored tightly wrapped in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for 3-4 months.
Break up leftovers and make a smoked tuna dip, appetizer platter, and have it on bagels with cream cheese. You can also replace the canned tuna in any recipe with the smoked version: tuna macaroni salad, tuna noodle casserole, and a tuna melt are just a beginning.
Menu Suggestions for Smoked Tuna
My go-to sides for tuna steaks are a light Caribbean coleslaw or pineapple cucumber salad, basmati rice or roasted potatoes, and maybe a teriyaki sauce to dip in with spicy green beans.
More Smoking Good Recipes to Enjoy
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Flank Steak on a Pellet Grill
- Smoked Pineapple
- Pellet Grill Chicken
- Smoked Deviled Eggs
By Imma
Smoked Tuna Steaks
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups (710-945ml) water (½ cup warm to dissolve salt and sugar if desired)
- 2-3 tablespoons (35-50g) salt (adjust to taste)
- 2-3 tablespoons (25-35g) brown sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 1-inch piece ginger, smashed
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2-3 tuna steaks (6-8 ounces each)
- wood chips or pellets
Instructions
- Mix the water, salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl, and stir well until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, green onions, black pepper, and pepper flakes.
- Submerge the tuna steaks in the brine, or place them in a large ziplock bag and pour the brine over them until submerged. Add more brine if needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or close the seal on the ziplock bag and brine in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour. If the steak is especially thick, you could go up to 2 hours. Brining tuna for too long will make it extremely salty and mushy.
- Pull the tuna steaks from the brine, and gently pat them dry with paper towels. If you have time, let them air-dry in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to form film that will absorb the smoke better and keep the fish moist.
- Preheat the smoker or pellet grill to 175-225°F (80-107°C). The lower the temperature, the longer it will take, but the moister the meat will be.
- Place the tuna directly on the grates, and optionally brush them with olive oil. Smoke them until they reach the desired internal temperature.
- It usually takes 20-30 minutes to reach 115-120°F (45-50℃) for rare (sashimi). If smoking at 125-130°F (52-55℃), it may take 45-60 minutes. And for well-done (if you're using it for dips later), 1-1½ hours or an internal temperature of 140-145°F (60-62℃) works best. The fish flakes easily.
- Take the tuna steaks out of the smoker and enjoy them immediately with your chosen sides. There's no need to let them rest.
Tips & Notes:
- Avoid brining tuna steaks for more than 2 hours because the flesh is delicate and can absorb too much salt.
- Lean fish can dry out quickly, so consider pulling it from the smoker just before it hits the desired temperature.
- Please remember that the nutritional data is an estimate and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
OMG, I love smoking tuna!!! Thanks so much for the tips on buying the right tuna.