Sesame Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Whipped Cream might sound like an item you would only want to order at a fancy Asian restaurant, but to be honest, it is super easy, super-fast, and one of my go-to weeknight meal recipes.
Sesame Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Whipped Cream is an easy and healthy meal that comes together in 15 minutes.
I buy tuna steaks at a very reasonable price in individually sealed, frozen packages at Costco. This makes it super convenient to take out only what I need for the number of people I am cooking for. Scale the recipe from one to 4 if friends are coming over easily.
Tuna steaks are much like regular steaks. They can be served rare to well done. For this recipe, rare is the way to go.
I find that people are generally a little skittish when it comes to cooking tuna steaks at home or at the very least serving them rare.
Don’t fret. If you are getting great quality fish, there is nothing to worry about. It will be so easy you will wonder why you hadn’t done it sooner.
The truth is that using a frozen tuna steak actually kills some bacteria that grow and cause illness. I can’t claim that it gets rid of everything, but it does a good job with a good bit of them. You can easily use non-frozen tuna steaks for this recipe as well.
There also seems to be an assumption that if fish is in the seafood case that it is fresh. Don’t fall into that trap. For most seafood case fish, it was previously frozen or flash frozen and is now sitting in front of you thawed.
How long it may have been there is anyone’s guess. That said there are some things that will help you determine a great piece of tuna. Look for tuna that is still in the loin vs. cut into steak form.
If it is already cut into steaks, look for meat that is moist, but not wet or weeping. It should almost be shiny. It should be relatively uniform in color and firm. Dry, flaky, or brown tuna is a sign that it is past its prime.
For this recipe, I gently pressed each steak into a blend of regular and black sesame seeds to add to visual, flavor, and textural appeal. Each seed has it’s own unique flavor.
In my humble opinion, no tuna steak should ever be without some sort of wasabi. I choose to whip mine into frothy whipped cream. It makes it that much more luxurious and will make your friends think you have a culinary degree.
Ta-da: Sesame Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Whipped Cream.
If you want to learn more about tuna, check out my Japanese tuna sushi guide!
If you like this fish recipe, you might also enjoy these:
- Maple Citrus Salmon with Orange-Avocado Salsa
- Lobster Stuffed Baked Cod
- Baked Halibut
- Lemon Chimichurri Mahi Mahi
Sesame Crusted Tuna Recipe with Wasabi Whipped Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
For tuna:
- 2 8-ounce tuna steaks
- 2 tablespoons yellow sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For Wasabi Whipped Cream:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon wasabi powder
- Dash of fine sea salt
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Start with wasabi whipped cream, as it will actually take longer than the tuna steaks. In a medium mixing bowl, whip heavy whipping cream using a hand mixer until stiff and bodied, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add wasabi powder and salt, continuing to whip. Set aside.
- Combine both types of sesame seeds in a shallow plate, dredge and press both sides of tuna steak into seeds.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sear both sides of each tuna steak, approximately 2-3 minutes for rare.
- Remove and top with wasabi whipped cream.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
Can you make wasabi cream ahead and refrigerate?
Sure can!
Can I use wasabi paste vs powder?
Paste comes in a tube and is just powder already mixed with water. You can make your own paste from powder.
I made the wasabi cream and it never got creamy. It got lumpy. Do you have any idea why that happened. It tasted so good but sure didn’t look like yours.
If you over whip it, it can get a little lumpy. It also might be the brand of wasabi you used.
I’m glad it still tasted good!
My husband and i live this recipe!
I make this using everything bagel seasoning as a sub for plain sesame seeds, after a marinade of fresh ginger and garlic, lemon zest and juice, amino acid, toasted sesame oil, and salt. . The Wasabi crema is what kills it! Straight murder! This dish is to die for!
Thank you! So glad you loved it and what a nice idea to use everything bagel seasoning, I love that stuff!
First time making fresh tuna at home. Loved the flavors. I am not sure how I felt about the wasabi cream but my husband really liked it.
Thanks for coming back to let us know! Wasabi cream is certianly a more unusual way of eating wasabi, but it will grow on you. Also try our teriyaki tuna with volcano sauce! https://www.savoryexperiments.com/teriyaki-tuna-with-volcano-sauce/
Tuna is a restaurant favorite for my husband. This is just as good and so much cheaper!
This is such an elegant and easy meal! The tips in this post are so helpful too!