Tuna Tartare is an elegant dish made with fresh, sushi-grade tuna, often served as an appetizer or light main course in restaurants. While it may seem complicated, it’s surprisingly simple to make at home. If you’ve ever been excited to see it on a menu, you’ll be delighted to discover how easy it is to recreate this dish yourself.
This version of tuna tartare is versatile enough for entertaining guests or as a quick, satisfying dinner during a busy week. It’s also one of my favorites when I’m on vacation and have access to fresh seafood.
You can make many different versions of this recipe — skip the shallots or scallions, swap lime juice for lemon, or experiment with new ingredients like sesame seeds, cilantro, microgreens, or cucumber. The next time you spot tuna tartare on a menu, take note of the flavor combinations you’d like to try at home.
1 lb Ahi tuna, sushi grade
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
Wasabi paste to taste
Juice from one lime — or to taste.
3-4 tablespoons minced scallions
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 shallot
2 avocados
Combine soy sauce and a small amount of wasabi paste in a bowl. Start with a pearl-sized portion of wasabi, taste, and adjust until you reach your desired level of spiciness.
Add lime juice, minced scallions, sesame oil, and grated ginger to the soy-wasabi mixture. Stir to combine. A Microplane is a handy tool for grating ginger and garlic.
Peel and slice the shallots.
Lightly coat a sauté or frying pan with olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots to the warm pan and fry until crispy.
Dice the tuna into small cubes. Place the diced tuna in a bowl.
Peel the avocado and dice into small cubes, about the same size as the tuna. Place the diced avocado in a separate bowl from the tuna.
Add ¾ of the sauce to the tuna and the remaining ¼ of the sauce to the avocado and toss both well. The oil and lime juice will "cook" the tuna, so it is best to mix the tuna and the sauce right before serving.
Spoon a portion of avocado onto a plate and use your hands to shape it into a small circular layer.
Layer some tuna on top of the avocado and shape it over the avocado.
Garnish with fried shallots and serve.
To create a “restaurant look” to the tartare, use a small mold or a ramekin.
Tuna tartare made in a mold.
Tuna tartare, plated by hand.
Tuna tartare served with cucumbers.
