8 Delicious Marinades to Elevate Your Tuna Steak

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It’s almost unfair to call tuna that comes in a can and a meaty tuna steak the same dish. But believe it or not, both hail from the same deep sea fish. Seared tuna steaks have a slightly lighter taste compared to beef or poultry, but still hit the savory note that distinguishes a great steak. When you take a deliciously meaty bite, you’ll be struggling to see any resemblance between the steak and what you’re used to mixing up with mayo in a tuna salad.

You can upgrade the flavor even more by marinading the fish for a few hours before you cook it up. A great marinade is easy to create using a few rules, combining ingredients that serve different purposes, ultimately creating plenty of flavor that infuses into the fish.

We talked to Richard LaMarita, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus about the best ways to build a marinade and must-try ingredients that work well for tuna steaks. Executive chef Carlos Fierro from Kachina Cantina also shared the unexpected ingredient that he pairs with tuna to add an earthy element to this popular fish.

Marinading your tuna steak is a great way to enjoy tasty flavor, whether it’s adding savory elements like soy sauce or extra herbiness. Here are some of the marinades made and recommended by top chefs that you can recreate at home.

A basic marinade has oil and acid, which is why it should be the first building block of any recipe that you use. Acids like citrus juice and vinegar are common because they are easy to find at the store, pair nicely with oil, and aren’t too expensive. Acids begin to break down the proteins, allowing the other flavors to get into the fish.

Oils help the rest of the ingredients get spread out on the steak, but also add flavor of their own. You can find various types, such as olive oil, at the store and they range from simple budget-friendly versions to ultra-exclusive gourmet bottles.

The two components work together to create a mixture that tastes great and helps tenderize the meat. You can keep things simple or incorporate different flavors in the marinade itself or after you mix them together.

“A classic marinade usually contains an oil, an acid, and flavorings,” said Richard LaMarita. “At its most fundamental, a basic tuna marinade could contain only olive oil and lemon.”

You can still introduce plenty of variety by trying different types of oil. Each one has a different flavor profile. LaMarita recommends trying grapeseed or toasted sesame oil for something different. If you like the Mediterranean flavors of olive oil, look for an infused version to boost the flavor without changing it dramatically.

If there’s one ingredient that makes a powerhouse marinade, it’s soy sauce. Made out of fermented soy beans, salt, and water, it adds a lot of umami flavor to the fish and creates a super rich dish in just a few hours.

“Soy sauce is often used as it imparts a salty, deep, umami element to the tuna,” said Richard LaMarita. You can jazz things up with extra flavor, but soy sauce can be a fantastic marinade all on its own.

If you do want to take things to the next level, add-ins like garlic, fresh ginger, and a hint of sriracha bring extra flavor plus a little bit of heat. Building your own marinade lets you customize the profile. LaMarita recommends sampling the marinade before you use it to see if you like the combination. “Taste your marinade before pouring it over the fish,” he said. “If you like it on its own, you will probably like it after it has worked its magic on that tuna steak.”

A great marinade should include acid and citrus juice fits the bill nicely. It adds flavor while also serving the purpose of denaturing the fish’s proteins to allow all of the ingredients to get in there. Squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon or orange juice for something simple or go with bolder flavors like lime or grapefruit.

While you can use citrus as a marinade for just about any fish or meat, this bright flavor works especially great with tuna. “Citrus goes particularly well as the acid contrasts with the fattiness of the fish,” said Richard LaMarita. Tuna is high in omega-3 fatty acids, making this type of fish known as a fattier option.

You can add the juice of your favorite citrus as well as the zest to your marinade base. The juice incorporates well with oil, vinegar, and other liquid ingredients, but the zest can provide a stronger flavor. Add just a little bit and be sure to avoid the white pith, which can be quite bitter.

Pineapple juice is an unexpected twist that adds a lot of flavor. LaMarita uses it in a Thai or Korean-inspired marinade along with soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger powder, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, lemongrass, dried garlic, dried shiitake mushrooms, and Korean chili paste.

If you want to change up the base of your tuna steak marinade, swap out olive or grapeseed oil for toasted sesame oil. This variety works especially well with soy sauce to create a nice, flavorful base of the marinade. It has a distinct taste thanks to the sesame seeds used, which is further enhanced during the production process. Toasted sesame seeds have a deeper flavor than their raw counterparts, which is noticeable when you use toasted sesame seed oil.

You don’t want to use it to cook your fish since it has a low smoke point. Options like olive oil and toasted sesame oil are the absolute worst oils for stir-frying, which is why letting the flavor infuse through a marinade is the perfect solution.

Toasted sesame oil is very popular in Asian-style marinades, where it’s often used along with ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. It’s a key ingredient in Richard LaMarita’s marinade that also uses other recommended elements like citrus juice. You can also use a similar marinade to make sticky soy steak bites, so stocking up on this oil is a good idea for those who like Asian-inspired flavors in their cooking.

Few ingredients add a smoky and savory kick to your cooking quite like chili paste. Add a little bit of heat to your marinade with a paste made of peppers. A little bit goes a long way, both with this spicy ingredient and the amount of time that you let your mixture do its work. Hot sauce and even spicy mustard can also be used for a similar kick.

“The right amount of time to marinate is key in the process or else the meat can become denatured,” said Richard LaMarita. “I would say one to two hours is maximum.” Letting the fish rest in the marinade longer allows the flavors to get into the flesh, while a shorter marinade time will have less intense results.

The amount of chili paste that you use will also impact just how spicy the marinade will be. Keep in mind that you’ll be removing most of the marinade before cooking your tuna steak, so you don’t need to worry about every chili-tastic bite ending up on your plate. Of course, it’s always a good idea to start with a little bit and add more, depending on the amount of spice that you like. This is another situation where sampling your marinade ahead of time can give you a good idea of how the flavors will meld together.

Infuse your marinade oil with lemongrass to add lemony, floral flavor. It is subtle compared to other marinades but adds a delicious taste to tuna steaks.

This ingredient is another popular component in Asian cooking and works well alongside flavors like ginger and soy sauce. Richard LaMarita uses it in a marinade along with Korean chili paste and dried shiitake mushrooms. “Don’t be afraid to try new combinations if you’re following the fundamental building blocks of a marinade,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the oil and acid base.

You can try cooking with lemongrass, adding small pieces to the marinade mixture. Only use the bottom white part of the stalk. To get the most flavor, smash the stalk to let out all of the oils before adding it to the marinade. But if that seems intimidating or if you can’t find fresh lemongrass, look for ground lemongrass powder instead. Add a small amount to your marinade base to suit your taste.

You might be surprised to find earthy matcha on our list of marinade ingredients, but this green-hued option is definitely having a moment right now. From lattes to teas, matcha is everywhere and we were intrigued by Carlos Fierro’s use of it with raw tuna steaks. He pairs it with avocado to add some creamy texture to the dish, then uses a ginger dressing over the top. You can incorporate both matcha and ginger into your marinade pretty easily to replicate these flavors at home.

Matcha comes in a green powder made from green tea leaves that you can use in everything from matcha almond overnight oats to matcha pistachio popsicles. As the powder grows in popularity, it’s become easier to find at the grocery store. But you can always order authentic Japanese matcha powder online to make things even easier.

It pairs well with raw tuna or you can sear the outside of your tuna briefly to develop a crust. Either way, the tuna is meaty enough to hold its own with this stronger ingredient without being overpowered.

If you want to bring some extra heat, you can turn to the condiments right in your fridge and add them to your marinade. The original sauce started in Thailand, so pair it with other Thai-style ingredients when building your marinade. It acts as a strong flavor rather than replacing the oil or acid in your mix.

Sriracha pairs well with the meatiness of tuna steaks, while it might be too much for a more delicate variety of fish. But tuna can stay strong even in the face of this chili pepper-rich spread. It also makes a nice addition to steak sauce, as a topping for ice cream, and mixed with mayo on sandwiches. This condiment will definitely earn its keep and be worthy of shelf space in your fridge.

Huy Fong sriracha is the most recognizable and you can pick up a bottle at the store, if you don’t already have one. But try other versions, each with a slightly different recipe. The main ingredients are peppers, garlic, sugar, salt, and vinegar but it’s the fermentation process that brings everything together. Sriracha brings the same spicy-sweet-tangy flavor blend to your tuna steak.