Tender tuna
Cooking tuna can be tricky: undercooked it is unappetising, overcooked it dries out rapidly.
Here is a method which guarantees that your tuna will be perfectly cooked and tender.
Here is a method which guarantees that your tuna will be perfectly cooked and tender.
167 K 3.8/5 (88 reviews)
50 min.
Easy
12 people
6 IngredientsLast modified on: March 26th 2014
1 kg 500 g fresh tuna
9 tablespoons 
9 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons herbs of your choice
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 10 min.
Resting: 30 min.
Cooking: 9 min.
All in all: 50 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Prepare the marinade by mixing 9 tablespoons olive oil, 9 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 tablespoons herbs of your choice, salt and pepper.
Stage 3 - 30 min.
Put the tuna to marinate and leave for at least 30 minutes.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat without adding any fat. When hot, add the tuna. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then turn.
Stage 5 - 7 min.
For perfectly cooked fish, stick an electronic thermometer into the centre of the tuna and watch the temperature. The fish will be perfectly cooked when it reaches 158°F (70°C).
Turn off the heat immediately and leave the fish in the pan for a further 3 minutes to cook gently for a little longer.
Turn off the heat immediately and leave the fish in the pan for a further 3 minutes to cook gently for a little longer.
Stage 6
Serve immediately with whatever accompaniment you choose. Here it is served with a red cabbage and walnut salad.
Remarks
It is not easy (maybe impossible even?) to give a precise cooking time for tuna, as this will depend on your hob and the thickness of the fish. This is why a thermometer is particularly useful in this recipe.
Keeping: Should be eaten immediately after cooking.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 410 RDI=160 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 330 RDI=50 % | 4,640 RDI=230 % | 19,440 RDI: 230 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=8 % | 0 | 20 RDI=3 % | 250 RDI=10 % | 1,050 RDI: 10 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 1 RDI=0 % | 30 RDI=4 % | 390 RDI=20 % | 1,620 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 12 people : 39.45 €
- Per person : 3.30 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fresh tuna
Like these other recipes: Marinated tuna and cabbage, Seared tuna with lemon and lime, Quiche Bretonne, Marinated tuna with herbs, Spicy seafood plancha, ... See them all 6
Olive oil
Like these other recipes: Red mullet fillets in a quick marinade, Pumpkin and red-bean tortillas, Algerian brik rolls, Mushrooms on toast, French style, Eggs meurette, ... See them all 531
Lemon juice
Like these other recipes: Sautéed pears with custard and orange syrup , Cubed salad, Macarons (the original French macaroons) , Fillets of sole meunière, Algerian brik rolls, ... See them all 70
Herbs of your choice
Like these other recipes: Spring courgette and tuna salad, Crunchy salad, Avocado with gravlax, Douarnenez salad, Avocado with Tuna, ... See them all 57
Other recipes you may also like
Home-made terrine of foie gras
Preparing your own home-made foie gras from raw is immensively satisfying: good quality liver and a simply amazing flavour – much better than anything you can buy. This recipe is a bit tricky, but quite within everyone's grasp, as long as you follow the 3 most delicate stages carefully. These are,...December 16th 20245.27 M 64.2 4 days 15 hours 50 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot
Onions and shallots are widely used in the recipes on this site, generally finely chopped. Here is a method to do it quite easily with a simple knife.February 21th 2011187 K5 10 min.
Croque-monsieur complet
This is a "full Monty" version of the traditional French toasted sandwich: the bread is dipped in beaten egg with cream before cooking, rather like pain perdu, to make the fried bread rich and moist. The French term "complet" here means "with everything": egg, ham and cheese.June 14th 201582 K 14.1 25 min.
Smoked haddock and leek fondue tartines
These tartines are built up with layers of leek fondue, sliced raw mushrooms and smoked haddock, then popped in the oven for a few minutes.May 10th 202342 K 35 min.
Spaghetti with mussels and basil
Mussels and pasta cooked separately, then combined in a cream sauce made with the reduced mussel juices.September 14th 2011165 K4.1 1 hour 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-24)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 6 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.