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.
Watch How to Make Tuna Tataki
Pan-seared sashimi-grade tuna drizzled in a refreshing ginger ponzu sauce, sprinkle with white sesame seeds.
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!
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Tuna Tataki
Ingredients
- ½ lb sashimi-grade yellowfin/ahi tuna
- 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil
Tataki Sauce:
- 1 green onion/scallion (1 Tbsp chopped green onion)
- 1 knob ginger (1", 2.5 cm; 1 tsp grated)
- 3 Tbsp ponzu (for my homemade recipe, click here)
- 2 tsp roasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
Garnish:
- ½ lemon
- Korean chili thread
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Grate ginger and slice green onion thinly.
- Combine the tataki sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. When the oil is hot, sear the tuna 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 and serve.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day.
Nutrition
Our Recommendations for Buying Sashimi Online
When we have a sudden craving for sashimi we usually buy from our local Japanese supermarkets. If you don't have a reliable shop to purchase quality sashimi nearby, we would recommend buying from Catalina Offshore online.
They've been in business for over forty years and all the sashimi products we've tried from them are outstanding. Use J1COOK20 for 10% discount. Disclosure: We earn a small percentage commission from your purchase of products linked to Catalina Offshore.
