Fusion · main

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Sesame-Ginger Glaze

Name: Grilled Tuna Steaks with Sesame-Ginger Glaze
Prep time: 9 min
Total time: 11 min
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: tuna fish — 680 g; soybean soy sauce — 59 g; rice wine vinegar — 22 g; dark sesame oil — 27 g; light-brown sugar — 38 g; ginger — 15 g; garlic — 9 g; vegetable oil — 27 g; cornstarch — 15 g; water — 30 g; scallions — 200 g; ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Sesame-Ginger Glaze reads umami 7.5, richness 7.0 and salinity 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Fusion main, about 11 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.7 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
Rich & Fat — 8.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.5 · Richness 7.0 · Salinity 5.5 · Nutty 4.8 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Allium 3.8 · Sourness 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Sweetness 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Floral 1.2 · Earthy 0.9 · Bitterness 0.9 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (14)

tuna fish — 680 g
soybean soy sauce — 59 g
rice wine vinegar — 22 g
dark sesame oil — 27 g
light-brown sugar — 38 g
ginger — 15 g
garlic — 9 g
vegetable oil — 27 g
cornstarch — 15 g
water — 30 g
scallions — 200 g
ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g

Time & effort: about 11 min (9 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 135.5 kcal, 14.1 g protein, 6 g fat, 5.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Whisk the cornstarch into the water until smooth, then whisk this slurry into the simmering glaze; cook, whisking, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Spoon 1/3 cup of the glaze into a small bowl to use for basting the tuna as it cooks; set the rest aside for serving.
Pat the tuna steaks dry, rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil on a grill or in a cast iron skillet over high heat until just smoking.
Sear the tuna steaks until deeply browned and grill-marked on the first side, about 2 minutes.
Flip the steaks, brush the seared side with the reserved basting glaze, and sear the second side until browned on the outside and the center reaches 115F for rare (cook 1-2 minutes longer per side for medium), about 2 minutes, brushing the second side with more basting glaze in the final 30 seconds.
Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and rest 2 minutes.
Slice against the grain if desired, then plate, drizzle with the reserved glaze, and scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Salmon Teriyaki — Japanese
Salmon Teriyaki Bowl — Japanese
Sesame Ginger Salmon — Japanese
Shrimp Fried Rice — Chinese-American
Spinach and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.