Smoked Tuna
Smoked Tuna – These tasty brined tuna steaks, smoked to perfection, are a great place to start if you are new to smoking seafood. It’s a super simple melt-in-your-mouth recipe that turns out delicious every time!
If you’ve been hesitant to throw some seafood in your smoker, smoking tuna will build your confidence. Tuna steaks are meaty and easy to handle, and even if you don’t brine them, they’re not likely to dry out. Even if you’re new to smoking, this recipe is fool-proof.
Another great thing about smoking seafood is that it’s relatively quick compared to other kinds of meat. Just an hour or two in the brine and another hour or so on the smoker, and your tuna steaks are ready to devour. 😋
How to Use Smoked Tuna
The simplest way to use smoked tuna is as a main course. Add a side or two to your plates, and your meal is complete. That said, there are lots of other ways to use smoked tuna that are incredibly delicious.
Smoked tuna tastes amazing on sandwiches and salads, which makes it great for meal prepping. It also makes an insanely good smoked tuna dip. You can even toss smoked tuna with mayo, lemon juice, and some pasta for a quick, easy, and delightful meal. Honestly, this delicious smoked fish is exceptionally versatile.
Smoked Tuna Recipe Ingredients
- Tuna Steaks – Fresh tuna steaks (frozen and thawed) work great for this recipe. I like smoking two or three at a time so I can have leftovers. Albacore tuna is the most common, but they all taste great.
- Brine – Water, soy sauce, salt, green onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes deliver a brine for moist and flavorful tuna.
How to Make Smoked Tuna
Prepping
- Brine – In a large bowl, mix the water, soy sauce, kosher salt, green onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Stir well until the salt completely dissolves. It might take a few minutes. To save time, dissolve the salt in about a cup of hot water and let it cool completely before adding it to the brine. (Photo 1)
- Brine the Tuna – Add the tuna steaks to the brine, or put them in a large ziplock bag and pour in enough brine to fully submerge them. Add more brine as needed. (Photo 2)
- Wait – Seal the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the ziplock bag and refrigerate for 1-3 hours, depending on the steak’s thickness. Avoid brining it for too long, as tuna is delicate.
- Dry the Tuna – Remove the tuna steaks from the brine, discard excess particles, and gently pat them dry with paper towels. If time permits, let the tuna air-dry in the refrigerator for an hour or two. That forms a pellicle (a thin film that develops when drying) to absorb the smoke better and keep the fish moist). (Photo 3)
- Preheat Smoker – Set up your smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and heat it to around 200-225°F (93-107°C).
Smoke the Tuna
- Start Smoking – Place the tuna steaks directly on the smoker grates. Optionally brush them with a bit of olive oil for extra moisture and flavor.
- Smoke the tuna steaks for 1-1½ hours or until their internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) and the fish flakes easily. Smoking time varies depending on the steaks’ thickness and the smoker’s temperature. (Photo 4)
- Serve – Once smoked to your desired level of doneness, remove the tuna from the smoker. Serve as is with vegetable sides or make smoked tuna dip, salads, and sandwiches.
Recipe Variations
- Mediterranean. Marinate the tuna steak with olive oil, lemon zest, oregano, garlic, and paprika for about an hour. Smoke the tuna per the recipe and serve with couscous and grilled vegetables drizzled with balsamic glaze.
- Spicy Cajun smoked tuna steak. Coat the tuna steak with Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and a little brown sugar for some sweetness. Smoke as directed and serve with a side of dirty rice and coleslaw for an authentic taste of the bayou.
- Sesame-crusted. Coat the tuna steaks with sesame seeds for a delicious crunch after brining. Then smoke as directed until the sesame seeds are toasted, and the tuna reaches the ideal internal temperature.
- Grilled tuna. Don’t miss out because you don’t have a smoker. Fire up the grill and add a little liquid smoke to the seasonings. It will be ready to enjoy in a few minutes (5-10, depending on your preferences).
Tips and Tricks
- Avoid brining the tuna steaks for too long. Tuna is delicate and can become overly salty and fall apart when smoking – no joke; it happened to me. 😬
- Tuna is lean and can dry out quickly. Keep a close eye on it and consider pulling it out of the smoker just before it hits the desired temperature. It will continue cooking slightly after you take it out of the smoker.
- If you use wood pellets to smoke your tuna, buy food-grade pellets made from 100% natural hardwood. Lower-quality pellets sometimes contain fillers, binders, or artificial flavors and negatively affect your smoked fish steak’s taste.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Smoke tuna a day or two ahead and store it in an airtight container. It will stay good for 3-5 days in the fridge or three months in the freezer, so you’ll have time to use it all week long. It’s perfect for your favorite pasta, dip, and fish cake recipes.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve smoked tuna steaks hot from the smoker with your favorite sides and garnishes.
Store leftover smoked tuna in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or 350℉ (175℃) oven until heated, but not until it dries out.
FAQs
Brining helps enhance the flavor, but it also keeps the fish nice and moist. That’s essential since nobody likes a dry piece of fish.
Tuna has a relatively robust flavor, so it pairs well with stronger woods such as hickory, mesquite, or oak. However, fruitwoods like apple or cherry can add a subtle, sweet flavor that compliments the fish as well.
Ah, an unbeatable appetizer. All the best smoked tuna dip recipes include smoked tuna, cream cheese, and mayo. Add spices like paprika, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and a good handful of chopped parsley! Open a bag of your favorite crackers or chips, and wow! 🤩
What Goes With Smoked Tuna
I love smoked tuna over a bed of steamy jasmine rice with grilled pineapple and onions. But you can make your whole meal in the smoker with smoked baked potatoes and smoked asparagus. 👌
More Mouthwatering Pellet Grill Recipes
- Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- Succulent 321 Ribs
- Crispy Brisket Burnt Ends
- Savory Smoked Cabbage
- Pellet Grilled Lobster Tail
Conclusion
Get ready to become an expert smoker with these easy and delicious smoked tuna steaks. Have you tried this recipe and loved it? If so, leave me a review in the comment section below. I appreciate you! 🫶
Smoked Tuna
Ingredients
- 2-3 tuna steaks (about 6-8 ounces each)
- 3-4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 green onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1-inch piece ginger, crushed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- wood chips or pellets for smoking (hickory, mesquite, applewood, etc.)
Instructions
Brining
- Mix the water, soy sauce, kosher salt, green onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Stir well until the salt completely dissolves. It might take a few minutes. To save time, dissolve the salt in about a cup of hot water and let it cool completely before adding it to the brine.
- Add tuna steaks to the brine, or put them in a large ziplock bag and pour the brine over them until fully submerged. Add more brine as needed.
- Seal the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the ziplock bag and refrigerate for 1-3 hours, depending on the steak's thickness. Avoid brining for too long as tuna is delicate and can get overly salty and fall apart when smoking.
- Remove the tuna steaks from the brine, discard excess particles, and gently pat them dry with paper towels. If time permits, let the tuna air-dry in the refrigerator for an hour or two to form a pellicle (a film that absorbs the smoke better and keeps the fish moist).
Smoking
- Set up your pellet grill according to the manufacturer's instructions and preheat it to around 200-225°F (93-107°C).
- Place the tuna steaks directly on the smoker grates. Optionally brush them with a bit of olive oil for extra moisture and flavor.
- Smoke the tuna steaks for 1-1½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) and the fish flakes easily. Smoking times will vary depending on the steaks' thickness and the smoker's temperature.
- Once smoked to your desired level of doneness, remove the tuna from the smoker.
- Allow the smoked tuna steaks to rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve as is with vegetable sides or make smoked tuna dip, salads, and sandwiches.
Notes
- Avoid brining the tuna steaks for too long. Tuna is delicate and can become overly salty and fall apart when smoking.
- Tuna is lean and can dry out quickly. Keep a close eye on it and consider pulling it out of the smoker just before it hits the desired temperature. It will continue cooking slightly after you take it out of the smoker.
- If you use wood pellets to smoke your tuna, buy food-grade pellets made from 100% natural hardwood. Lower-quality pellets sometimes contain fillers, binders, or artificial flavors and negatively affect your smoked fish steak’s taste.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
