One of my absolute favorite fish varieties to cook and eat is yellowfin tuna. Unfortunately it is one of the more expensive fish types on the market, so we only eat it when it is on super sale.
This week the grocery gods were smiling and we snagged two tuna steaks for a (relatively) low price. My favorite way to eat tuna? Blackened on the grill!
Blackening seasoning can be used any number of ways, but typically it is put in a thick layer on a piece of meat and then that meat is seared to make a spicy and flavorful crust.
We choose to cook our tuna steaks on the grill. To achieve the same crust as searing in a pan, simply spray the seasoned steak with cooking spray before placing on the grill grates.
Blackening seasoning is available premixed at the super market and is easy and convenient. But since you need to put the seasoning on so thick to make the crust, it is east to plow through a $5 bottle of spice in two meals! Not good for the wallet.
Luckily, blackening seasoning is made up almost entirely of things you probably already have on your spice rack.
Store the seasoning in a shake-top bottle for easy coating the next time yellowfin tuna is on sale.
Blackening seasoning is great to kick-up the flavor of chicken or shrimp and I have my mind set on making a blackened portabella burger in the future.
Blackening Seasoning
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less depending on taste, 1 tsp. is medium spicy)
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Mix all ingredients well. Store in a shake-top bottle.
Grilled Blackened Tuna Steaks
Tuna steaks
Blackening Seasoning
Cooking Spray
Preheat grill to high. Coat all sides of tuna steaks in a thick coating of blackening seasoning, pressing into the flesh of the fish. Spray one side with cooking spray. Place sprayed side down on grill grates. Close lid and cook 1-2 minutes. Open lid, spray other side of fish and flip. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Tuna is finished when outside edges are cooked but middle is still rare.
Note : I know eating rare fish sounds scary, but tuna is a very, very lean fish and can dry out quickly. Cooking the fish through makes it dry and not good eats. If you are too scared to eat rare fish, then make sure to include some sort of sauce (tartar sauce, mustard sauce, etc.) with the tuna steaks to add moisture.
Looks amazing. And yes, yellowfin
tuna can be quite costly.
Have you ever tried this method
with salmon? With the its
strong flavor, I bet it would
work well with spices.
Cheers!
Reginald
That tuna looks great! I love cooking on the bbq. It’s our go to in the summer. Thanks for the ingredients for the blackening too… you are right how fast it can go!
Looks delish! I could have used that blackening seasoning recipe last month when I was attempting to make blackened wings with white sauce (in honor of “Black Swan” being nomiated for best pic!). I couldn’t find any of the seasoning at the store, so I ended up using a steak season blend that that I had on hand. Don’t know why I didn’t think of looking up what went into blackening seasoning…duh! Thank you so much for sharing it!
This sounds and looks incredibly delish! Wow! Bookmarked!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Thank you! This was exactly what I was looking for! We made the blackening season-amazing how inexpensive it can be – I had everything on hand!
Delicious!
You say spray it with a cooking spray. Is this something you buy? Or make? Can you give me an example of one you buy and one you make
Thank you
Hi! Cooking spray is just something you buy in the grocery store near the other cooking oils. Like PAM. 🙂
Looks like a great recipe. Thanks for the blackened seasoning recipe. My one concern is that you should never spray cooking spray near a lit grill. You are asking for a dangerous explosion or flare up if you do.
We used blackening seasoning we bought rather than the recipe. We like hot and spicy, but this was too much and overpowered the tuna. Maybe if it wasn’t coated on all sides?
Great recipe! But I never use a cooking spray such as Pam because it contains canola oil which is the worst oil you can put in your body. I only cook with organic coconut oil and since it’s solid when you buy it you can rub it on the grill with a paper towel.
I use coconut oil and avocado oil cooking sprays. 🙂
Garlic BLACKENED Grilled Tuna Steaks. Used this with fresh tuna steaks from Costco. Easy and flavorful. Thanks for the post.