Ahi Tuna Salad • Two Purple Figs

This Ahi Tuna Salad is a bright and tasty tuna salad recipe that uses fresh Ahi tuna seared with a sesame crust for a minute. After slicing the tuna, it’s served over a vibrant delicious salad with a luscious Goma sesame dressing to bring out the flavors..

We never miss a chance to make new Ahi tuna recipes. And today’s salad is just a bright fresh take on fresh Ahi tuna. We love a salad base of avocados, cucumbers, onions, scallions, crispy wontons, carrots and rounded up in a Goma sesame dressing. 

When buying fresh Ahi, make sure to try our popular Tuna Tartare! It’s a MUST make recipe that’s super fancy to order at restaurants, yet super simple to make at home! Tuna Ceviche is another simple yet tasty recipe, Tuna Carpaccio and Tuna Steak Recipe are another favorite.

If you want to ever make tuna salad using canned tuna, this Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing is the ONE to beat! A crowd pleaser and unique recipe to make! Or turn it into a Spicy Tuna Sandwich 🙂

Why You’ll Love Ahi Tuna Salad

• It’s a bright and refreshing salad with plenty of vibrant ingredients.
• Healthy and nutrient dense with fresh ahi tuna, colorful ingredients and a sesame dressing.
• Minimal cooking time is needed, basically a couple minutes to sear the fish and that’s it.
• Makes wonderful leftovers!
• This recipe is perfect for a crowd as you can make a large plate of it and it still wouldn’t take much more time to prepare.
• Super versatile salad–you can customize the ingredients to your taste and even the dressing. We’ve made this ahi tuna salad with a simple yet luscious Spicy Mayo for dressing and it was SO GOOD!

Ingredients You’ll Need

1. Ahi Tuna. Make sure to buy the freshest possible tuna as it will not cook through. The fish is usually seared for a minimal crust while the inside will remain uncooked, soft and juicy. Since tuna has a tendency of drying out, it’s best to undercook it rather than overcooking it at any point. This fish can be consumed raw or cured like this phenomenal Tuna Ceviche, Tuna Carpaccio, Poke Bowl and more!

These are the salad ingredients, which you can totally customize to your taste:

1. Greens (a blend of lettuces)
2. Scallions & red onions
3. Avocados
4. Shredded carrots
5. Cucumbers
6. Crispy wontons (or noodles)
7. jalapeno (optional)

Sesame Salad Dressing Ingredients

1. Toasted Sesame seeds. It’s crucial for flavor to toast the sesame seeds. To do, simply place the sesame seeds in a non stick skillet and toast it over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. You don’t need to add oil or anything to the skillet because the sesame seeds are quite rich in good fat.
2. Kewpie Mayo. If you can’t find this richer version Japanese Mayo, then you can definitely use regular mayo. 
3. Salt and Sugar. Seasoning.
4. Soy Sauce. For flavor and depth.
5. Rice Vinegar. To complete and emulsify the dressing.

How to Make Ahi Tuna Salad

1. The start to making this salad is by searing the tuna. You’ll need to season the fish with black and white sesame seeds on both sides, and drizzle it lightly with oil.
   
2. In a hot skillet or grill pan over medium high heat, add the ahi tuna to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until a crust forms. You’re not aiming to fully cook the fish, but simply searing the outer crust.
   
3. When you flip the fish it will have a lighter golden gray crust compared to the previous pink color flesh. Once the tuna is ready, you’ll let it rest for a couple minutes to cool down before slicing. 
   

Make the Sesame Dressing

1. Start by toasting the sesame seeds until golden as shown above. You want to toast them in a non stick skillet over medium heat until golden. You don’t need to add oil to the skillet as the seeds are quite rich in good oils.
   
2. Once the sesame seeds have toasted you will add all ingredients into a small blender or processor. You’re looking for a smooth silky dressing. 

Assemble the Salad

1. Place the salad ingredients now in a large bowl, and arrange them either separately or tossed up. Then pour the dressing generously over the salad and toss it lightly. 
   
2. Arranged the sliced ahi tuna over the salad and if you want, pour extra dressing over it, or keep it as is over the top only.

Ahi Tuna Salad Recipe Tips

1. Make sure to source fresh fish, as always when it comes to ahi tuna since it wouldn’t cook through.
2. The fish doesn’t require marinades or seasoning other than the sesame seeds.
3. When cooking the fish, make sure you sear it for just 1-2 minutes per side. You don’t need to cook it through, but simply create a crust on both sides.
4. Avoid overcooking the fish as it is a very dry fish.
5. For the dressing, toasting the sesame is crucial for flavor. Make sure to taost the seeds in a non stick skillet with no oil at all until golden in color. 
6. You can make your own wonton crisps by frying them or buying them ready at the store in the salad dressing or ethnic foods aisle.
7. The dressing can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in the fridge.

What is Ahi Tuna?

This delicacy of a fish aslo known as yellowfin tuna is found primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. Ahi tuna is a great source of lean protein as it contains minimal fat compared to other fish. That’s why it easily dries out when cooked well, and that’s why it’s primarily consumed raw in sushi recipes or cured. 

Can you eat Raw Tuna?

There will always be some of us who shouldn’t consume raw seafood. So it’s not for everyone, and if so you can opt to cook the tuna and get rid of parasites and reduce the risk of food borne illnesses. However for the majority of people, its is safe to eat fresh raw tuna–make sure it is sushi grade tuna. Most of the sushi grade tuna has been frozen at -30 degrees F as a way to remove parasites.

Is Ahi Tuna healthy?

The fish is super healthy and rich in lean protein, low in carbs and high in nutrients like vitamin B. It doesn’t however offer the same richness of omega-3 nutrients contained in most fish. 

How to Store Leftovers?

The leftover seared ahi tuna can be stored separately in the fridge for 3 days, the salad dressing is good for upto 7 days, and the veggies are subjective. Depending on the choice of veggies you choose, you may notice that lettuce wits within a day, while carrots and cucumbers may last up to 3 days. Overall 2 days is the average storing time for the salad. 

Can you Freeze Ahi tuna?

While it’s a great privilege to be able to eat fresh seafood, we can often find ourselves forced to change plans and freeze the fish for another day. It happens to all of us. In this case, wrap the tuna in a ziploc bag and freeze for a maximum of 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and enjoy the next day!