Seared Tuna Steaks with Lemon Butter
Restaurant-quality seared tuna with a crispy crust and rare center, finished with a simple lemon butter sauce. Ready in 10 minutes.
Instructions
Instructions
1. Prepare the Tuna
Pat the tuna steaks completely dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Let them come to room temperature for 5 minutes while you heat the pan.
2. Sear
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the avocado oil and swirl to coat.
Place the tuna steaks in the pan and sear for 60–90 seconds per side for rare (cool red center) or 2 minutes per side for medium-rare (warm pink center). Do not move them while searing — you want a deep golden crust.
Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 1 minute.
3. Make the Lemon Butter
Reduce heat to medium. Add the butter to the same pan. Once it foams, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. The residual heat will bring everything together.
4. Serve
Slice the tuna steaks against the grain into 1 cm (½ inch) thick slices. Fan them out on plates and spoon the lemon butter over the top.
Tips
- Don’t overcook. Tuna dries out quickly past medium-rare. The centre should still be pink or red.
- Dry surface = better crust. Patting thoroughly with paper towels is the most important step.
- Use sushi-grade tuna if you prefer it rare — ask your fishmonger.
- Avocado oil matters here because of its high smoke point. Butter alone would burn at these temperatures.