Pan-Fried Tomato & Tuna Steak
This is an easy tuna steak recipe with fresh tomatoes and parsley – it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! This simple dish does need a lot – the combination of the tomatoes and herbs is perfect with the tuna. It’s an easy weeknight dinner you can serve with salad and bread on the side.
Some of my most favorite recipes are almost not even recipes. They have so few ingredients I don’t even need to pull out the recipe to remember how to make them. This pan-fried tuna steak recipe is one of those dishes.
Just five ingredients and 25 minutes to make it – that’s it. The tuna cooks very fast and all you need to add are some fresh tomatoes and parsley. The tomatoes burst and release their juices as they cook creating a light sauce with the olive oil. The parsley adds lots of freshness. It really is a wonderful dish.
I especially love it when tomatoes are in season and the weather is still warm before fall arrives. It’s light and flavorful and once you try it you’ll have it memorized, too.
Ingredients
- Tuna steaks – mine were about an inch (2.5cm) thick
- Olive oil
- Minced garlic cloves
- Sliced grape tomatoes
- Finely chopped Italian parsley
How to Make It
Combine the oil, garlic, tomatoes, and half of the parsley in a large pan. Cook them for three to five minutes over medium-high heat.
Place the tuna steaks in the pan and cook them for two to three minutes on each side. To serve, place the steaks on plates and spoon the tomatoes and light sauce over the top. Garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley.
How rare should tuna steaks be?
You can cook them all the way through, but I think tuna steaks are best medium-rare or still a little pink in the center. They can dry out if they are overcooked.
recipe tips
- I don’t add salt to this dish because the tuna is a salty fish. If you feel like it needs salt, add a pinch or two at the end of the cooking time.
- You can use any kind of tomato for this recipe, but I like grape or cherry tomatoes because they are a little sweeter. If you use larger tomatoes you will need to cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- You can switch the parsley for another fresh herb like torn basil leaves, fresh thyme, or sliced chives.
Side Dish Ideas
- How about serving it with some homemade Italian bread? It’s great for soaking up the sauce.
- Or add a tossed green salad with my creamy Italian dressing.
- You can also add some roasted potatoes on the side.
- Or a side of your favorite pasta and toss with the tomato sauce.
More Easy Recipe with Tuna
It doesn’t get any easier than this simple tuna steak recipe. It’s always a favorite at our house – it will be at yours, too. Give it a try and be sure to let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
Pan Fried Tomato & Tuna Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tuna steaks (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm thick)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 10 grape tomatoes (sliced in half lengthwise)
- 1-1½ tablespoons fresh Italian parsley finely chopped (divided)
Instructions
- In a medium/large frying pan add the oil, garlic, tomatoes and half the parsley, cook 3-5 minutes on medium high heat, add the tuna steaks and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
This was delicious and so easy! Thank you! I sprinkled the fish with the a little lemon pepper while it cooked .Otherwise made it exactly as the recipe called for.
Hi Carolyn, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it, good idea with the lemon pepper. Take care and have a great weekend.
This was fabulous! I used fresh parsley from my garden. I also seared the tomatoes, garlic, parsley in my homemade lemon, garlic, basil oil instead of just straight olive oil. I didn’t have the cherry tomatoes so I used a Roma tomato diced up. I seasoned the tuna steak with a lemon pepper seasoning before adding to the pan… Then I served it all over a veggie noodle and topped with some grated parmigiana/ Romano cheese.
Hi Diane, thanks so much, that sounds delicious over a veggie noodle. Take care.