Tuna Tataki (Video) キハダ鮪のたたき

Pan-seared sashimi grade tuna drizzled in a refreshing ginger ponzu sauce and finish off with sesame seeds, this tuna tataki recipe is a delicious treat for seafood lovers. It’s easy to make at home too. Don’t forget to watch the video tutorial for the preparation process!

Tuna Tataki (キハダ鮪のたたき) is a yellowfin/ahi tuna lightly seared and served rare with a citrus-based soy sauce. It’s very easy and quick to prepare, and it is a light yet flavorful appetizer to start a meal.

You may wonder what “tataki (たたき)” means. The literal translation of tataki is “pounded” in Japanese which doesn’t really anything have to do with searing. There are a few theories for the origin of the name based on different ways of preparing fish (or meat) in Japanese cuisine.

The first one is when you lightly sear the fish over a hot flame or in a pan and briefly marinate in the citrus-based sauce, you would gently “pound” the fish with fingers with marinade.

The other theory says the word comes from the pounding of the fish with the knife when you sprinkle salt on the fish prior to cooking or pounding the fish with grated ginger or green onions to enhance the flavor.

For the sauce, there are several variations for the tuna tataki recipe. The most common sauce is simple citrus base soy sauce with choices of shiso leaves, green onion, and grated ginger/garlic/daikon. I hope you enjoy making Tuna Tataki!

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Tuna Tataki

4.78 from 58 votes

This Tuna Tataki recipe is a delicious treat for seafood lovers. We quickly pan-sear sashimi-grade tuna, then drizzle it with a refreshing ginger ponzu sauce. It‘s easy to make at home, too. Watch the video tutorial to learn the quick searing process.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Ginger Ponzu Sauce

• ▢ 1 green onion/scallion (1 Tbsp, chopped)
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)
• ▢ 3 Tbsp ponzu (you can make my Homemade Ponzu recipe)
• ▢ 2 tsp roasted sesame oil
• ▢ 1 tsp soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds

For the Tuna

• ▢ 2 Tbsp neutral oil
• ▢ ½ lb sashimi-grade yellowfin/ahi tuna

For the Garnish

• ▢ ½ lemon
• ▢ Korean chili thread (I used mild chili threads)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  
• Grate the ginger and collect 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice). Slice 1 green onion/scallion thinly and set aside.
  
• Combine the tataki sauce ingredients in a small bowl: the green onions, the grated ginger, 3 Tbsp ponzu, 2 tsp roasted sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. Set aside.
  
• Heat a nonstick frying pan. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil. When the oil is hot, add ½ lb sashimi-grade yellowfin/ahi tuna and sear it 30 seconds on each side.
  
• When all sides are seared, remove from the heat and let it cool. Slice the tuna into ¼-inch (6-mm) pieces. Pour the sauce on the Tuna Tataki and serve with ½ lemon and Korean chili thread.

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Tuna Tataki

Amount per Serving

Calories

255

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

15

g

23

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Cholesterol

 

43

mg

14

%

Sodium

 

381

mg

17

%

Potassium

 

325

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

 

2

g

1

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

27

g

54

%

Vitamin A

 

2536

IU

51

%

Vitamin C

 

4

mg

5

%

Calcium

 

20

mg

2

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Nami

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: tuna

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