Have dinner guests to impress and need a dramatic opener to the meal? Serve this tuna tartare, and you’ll immediately get their attention.
Tuna tartare is a surprisingly tender, eye-catching appetizer made with fresh-from-the-sea sushi-grade tuna tossed with a flavorful blend of Asian-inspired ingredients. Served chilled, it’s especially delightful paired with wonton crackers, which offer a crunchy contrast.
PAIR THIS WITH: Wonton crackers
Our tuna tartare is deliciously punctuated with fresh ginger and parsley, wasabi and serrano heat, cool cucumber, zesty lime, a subtly sweet rice vinegar, and lovely soy sauce umami. A delicate touch of sesame seed crunch rounds out this sensory delight.
Have fun with the flavors and presentation
Want less heat? Reduce the amount of wasabi, and seed the serrano—or replace it altogether with a sweet pepper. Swap out the lime for a lemon or half an orange. Brighten up the dish with fresh cilantro instead of parsley.
For something truly different that’ll get rave reviews all around, serve tuna tartare in avocado halves. As a gluten-free option, serve the tartare with gluten-free crackers or crunchy celery sticks.
Intimidated by serving or eating raw fish?
Don’t be scared! Visit your local fish market or supermarket fish counter the day before you plan to serve the tuna tartare. Ask for the freshest sushi-grade tuna steaks available. Keep the tuna chilled until you prepare it, and then after it’s all stirred up, chill it again until it’s time to dine.
If you’ve never eaten raw tuna, go ahead and try it. It’s probably nothing like what you imagine—not fishy or gamey, but melt-in-your-mouth tender and mildly-flavored.
Regardless of how you serve it, just make sure it is chilled and eaten immediately after leaving your fridge.
Mix all ingredients except tuna, black sesame seeds, chives, salt, and pepper
Prepare the rest of the mixture first before adding tuna.
Mix to combine for Tuna tartare
Be sure soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seeds, and cucumber are thoroughly mixed.
Add tuna, black sesame seeds, chives, salt, and pepper
Once mixture is complete, add fresh tuna and stir to combine.
How delicious does this Tuna tartare look?
Bright, fresh, and flavorful: You can’t go wrong with this appetizer!
The perfect party appetizer
Your guests won’t believe this was so simple to prepare!
Impressive and beautiful!
Guests will be asking you for the recipe.
Tuna tartare
Yield 4–6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste
- 2 teaspoons serrano chile, minced
- 1 cucumber, seeds removed, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup chives, minced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
- 1-1/2 pounds sushi-grade tuna steaks, bloodline removed, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- A few turns of freshly grated black pepper
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 2 teaspoons chives, minced (for garnish)
Instructions
- In large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except tuna, salt, black pepper, black sesame seeds and chives.
- Add tuna and stir gently to combine.
- Spoon tuna tartare onto tops of wonton crackers.
- Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
- Garnish with sprinkle of fresh chives.
- Keep very cold and serve immediately.
Notes
Make sure tuna is fresh; it should smell fresh, not fishy.
Keep tuna well chilled until ready to assemble and serve.
