Cooked around the edges with a perfectly soft, pinkish center, these air fryer tuna steaks with herby lemon caper sauce are super easy to make and guarantee a flavor explosion in every bite.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It's quick and easy. Tuna steaks cook incredibly fast so it’s a great recipe for weeknight dinners. You can make the sauce ahead of time or while the tuna steaks are air frying and resting.
- The salsa-like sauce is tangy, herby, salty, and a little sharp, featuring parsley, capers, red onion, and lemon, with lashings of olive oil. It’s the perfect condiment for subtle tuna meat. Reserve leftovers for a gorgeous salad dressing or to drizzle over roast vegetables.
- Air frying less oil than traditional frying methods, offering a healthier alternative without sacrificing taste.
- Healthy and nutritious, tuna is a fantastic source of protein, healthy fats, minerals, and vitamins while being low in calories.
- Perfect alongside roast or air-fried potatoes, rice, quinoa, or over a bed of fresh salad. Leftovers are great in a sandwich.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Tuna steaks
- I used two large yellowfin tuna steaks, about 7 oz each, which I served pre-sliced. This would be sufficient if you’re serving tuna with other sides like roast potatoes or rice and salad or veggies. The Instant Pot air fryer can easily fit 3-4 tuna steaks, so feel free to make more; cooking time will remain the same and there is enough sauce, too.
- You can use ahi tuna, which has a deeper red color, a higher fat content, and a richer flavor. It’s typically more expensive.
- Sauce
- Parsley, red onion (or white), baby capers (marinated, not salted), caper juice from the jar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar (a little bit to balance out the acidity and salt), and olive oil.
- You are welcome to replace parsley with basil or cilantro for a slightly different profile or to combine different herbs. You could add chili or garlic as well.
Step by Step
1. Season the tuna steaks: Rub tuna steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, on each side. Set aside.
2. Air fry
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for about 3-4 minutes. Place the seasoned tuna steaks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between them for even cooking.
- Cook the tuna steaks in the air fryer for 4 minutes, flipping over halfway through. This will give you medium-rare results (cooked edges and pinkish in the middle). For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of about 125-130°F (52-55°C).
- For a rare result (barely seared and quite pink in the middle), go for 3 minutes. The time might differ depending on the thickness of the steaks. It's always better to undercook the steaks and throw them in for a little longer than to overcook.
3. Slice and serve: Once cooked, carefully remove the tuna steaks from the air fryer and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain.
Check out this video for how to slice tuna steaks.
Herby Lemon Caper Sauce
To make the sauce, finely chop fresh parsley, capers, and onion and combine with olive oil, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
Drizzle the herby lemon caper sauce over the sliced tuna steaks just before serving, allowing the flavors to enhance the dish.
Check out: Thin Steak Recipes here.
Video Instructions
Expert Tips
- Make sure to preheat the air fryer so you can get that browning color in the short time it takes to just cook the outside of the steak.
- Size matters: Tuna steaks come in different sizes, and thickness will affect the cooking time. As a general guideline, for medium-rare to medium, cook for about 4 minutes (turning halfway). For rare, cook for 3 minutes (turning after 2 minutes). For more well-done, cook for 5 minutes.
- Don’t overcook: If the tuna steaks are smaller or thicker than I have pictured above and you’re not sure, it’s always better to undercook than overcook, as you can always throw the steaks back in for another minute or so. It’s often hard to tell how well they are cooked on the side, so using a digital food thermometer would be useful. For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of about 125-130°F (52-55°C). Remember, that the steaks will finish cooking while they are resting outside of the air fryer.
- Tuna steaks can be served whole, drizzled with the sauce on top. I love them with air-fried or roasted potatoes on the side, which go well with the herby lemon sauce as well.
FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen tuna steaks, but it's recommended to thaw them first for even cooking. It’s okay to use them very cold (especially if you like them very rare in the middle). Pat them dry with paper towels before seasoning and placing them in the air fryer.
Absolutely! Marinating the tuna steaks in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs for about 30 minutes to an hour can enhance their flavor.
It's not necessary to flip the tuna steaks while cooking in the air fryer. However, flipping them halfway through is good for more even browning.
Air fryer tuna steaks pair well with a variety of sides, such as roasted vegetables, steamed rice, quinoa, or a fresh salad. Did I mention, they are delicious served with the herby lemon caper sauce mentioned in this recipe? Other sauces like Asian ginger sesame sauce, chimichurri, salsa verde, Romesco, or dill sauce are also good with tuna.
Feel free to experiment with different seasonings, such as garlic powder, paprika, or dried herbs, to customize the flavor of your tuna steaks according to your preference.
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Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
Ingredients
For tuna steaks
- 2 tuna steaks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- oil spray
Herby Lemon Caper Sauce
- ¼ red onion, chopped finely
- 3 tablespoon a handful of parsley, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon baby capers, marinated in brine, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon caper juice
- zest of ½ lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar (can be omitted)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Rub tuna steaks with olive oil and season with salt, and pepper, on each side. Set aside.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C), for about 3-4 minutes. Spray with a little oil to prevent sticking.
- Place the seasoned tuna steaks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between them for even cooking.
- Cook the tuna steaks in the air fryer for 4 minutes, flipping over halfway through. This will give you medium-rare results (cooked edges and pinkish in the middle). For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of about 125-130°F (52-55°C).
- For a rare result (barely seared and quite pink in the middle), go for 3 minutes. The time might differ depending on the thickness of the steaks. It's always better to undercook the steaks and throw them in for a little longer than to overcook.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the tuna steaks from the air fryer and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain. Check out this video for how to slice tuna steaks.
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