How To Make Tuna Tartare (In 20 Minutes)

My tuna tartare recipe is easy to follow and results in a dish that’s cool, creamy, salty, and citrusy, perfect to serve as an appetizer or a main. It’s both tasty and beautiful and pair well with some simple sides for a quick and elegant meal. It’s one of my favorite tuna recipes!

Tuna tartare is a dish made of raw tuna that has been cut into small pieces and mixed with chopped onions and a citrus and soy sauce based dressing. My recipe is served on a bed of creamy chopped avocado and topped with some fragrant microgreens. The dish may look fancy but is actually very easy to make at home! I love its simplicity and wow effect, and the bright citrus taste I can never get enough of.

This is also a good dish to introduce to those who tend to choose canned spicy tuna rolls or a tuna sandwich over raw tuna. Because the fish is served with creamy avocado and crunchy cucumber, the textural aspect isn’t the main attraction of the dish. All the textures and flavors blend nicely and should be appealing to those who are new to raw fish.

Using Sushi Grade Fish For This Recipe

Sushi grade or sashimi grade fish is a term used to mean that the fish you are buying is safe to eat raw. It’s a term mostly used in North America since most Canadians and Americans only eat raw fish in the form of sushi or sashimi. It doesn’t meant that the quality of the fish has passed a rigorous test to be deemed safe to eat. It’s what you call an unregulated term.

The fish market or seller is the only one making the final decision about the quality of the fish. Therefore, it is not the safest way to go about eating raw fish unless you trust the establishment. It’s also worth noting that the safest fish to eat that are labeled sushi grade or sashimi grade are tuna and salmon.

I personally only purchase fish that are labeled sushi grade or sashimi grade, but I also only get my fish from Nijiya and Mitsuwa, which are two Japanese supermarkets that I trust. I wouldn’t feel comfortable buying fish to eat raw from general grocery stores chains unless it’s from somewhere like Whole Foods.

Ingredients

• Raw tuna: Find a good piece of raw ahi tuna (also called yellowfin tuna) that contains little sinew. Fresh raw tuna doesn’t have a strong fishy smell and has a pale pink to deep red color. The flesh should also feel firm.
• Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil as this will impart notes of herbs and fruit to the dish.
• Rice vinegar: Plain rice vinegar is what I like to use, but apple cider vinegar can also be an option.
• Lime juice: Lime juice adds a refreshing citrus taste to vinaigrette. You can also use yuzu juice or sudachi juice for a citrus flavor with a twist.
• Soy sauce: Only use Japanese soy sauce such as Yamasa or Kikkoman to make this tartare. The reason being that Japanese soy sauce is more complex in flavor instead of just being salty or sweet.
• Salt: A little salt helps to bring all the flavors of the vinaigrette together.
• Red onion: Finely chopped red onion infused the dish with a little sweetness and a hint of purple color.
• Celery: The celery adds crunch and a slight leafy taste to the tartare.
• Cucumber: I recommend using English or Kirby cucumber for their firm and crunchy texture.
• Avocado: Use a ripe avocado for this recipe as it will add a rich and creamy element to the dish.
• Microgreens: Microgreens are optional since they are more of a garnish, but do add a lovely refreshing taste. You can also use radish sprouts as a substitute.

How to Make This Tuna Tartare Recipe

Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the full recipe.

1. Place the tuna steak on a clean cutting board and using a sharp knife, chop into bite size pieces.
2. Make the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and salt.
3. Using a spoon, mix the tuna, red onion, celery, and vinaigrette.
4. Put the dish together by placing a round food mold on a plate and adding a layer of cucumber, followed by a layer of avocado, and a layer of the tuna mixture. Do the same for the remaining food molds.
5. Top the dish with microgreens, remove the food molds and serve.

What to Serve with It

Tuna tartare can be served as a main dish, an appetizer, or a side. This recipe makes enough for 2 mains or 4 small dishes.

If you are eating this as a main I recommend serving the tartare with small sides as it can be quite filling. The classic Japanese restaurant combination of miso soup and green salad with carrot ginger dressing should be plenty.

To serve as an appetizer or a side, I suggest pairing the clean and refreshing flavors of this tuna recipe with light dishes such as these ones:

• Edamame with soy and sesame sauce
• Agedashi tofu
• Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce
• Nasu dengaku (eggplant with miso glaze)
• Onigiri (Japanese rice balls)
• Gomae (Japanese spinach salad with sesame sauce)

Frequently Asked Questions

Did you try this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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