What US state do you associate with seafood? There’s Florida stone crabs, Louisiana shrimp, Alaskan salmon, and the list goes on with all the states by the ocean. I associate seafood with Oklahoma. It goes back to many years ago when my husband was there for training. Back then the only seafood I cared for was fried shrimp or canned tuna. That all changed when I visited him and we went out for dinner. What I had that evening flipped the seafood switch in my taste buds. I’ve re-created that meal many times and thought of it when I made Grilled Tuna with Mediterranean Yogurt Sauce.
What meal did I have at the restaurant? It was tuna steak with a creamy dill sauce. I ordered it because it was tuna. I knew it would be different than from a can. What I didn’t know was how much better it would taste over the canned stuff. The creamy dill sauce did it for me too. It was yet another thing I hadn’t experienced. The only dill anything I knew back then was pickles.
Fast forward 20+ years to today. I’ve decided this year is the one to tackle grilling food I haven’t grilled before. I crossed pizza off the list with Grilled Wine and Cheese Pizza. Next up was seafood other than shrimp. Tuna became my first choice because I have yet to get one of those seafood grilling baskets. It would hold together when flipping over.
The sauce is packed with Mediterranean flavors. Its base is tangy Greek yogurt. Then a fruity aspect comes in with olive oil plus citrus from lemon. There’s freshness of parsley, salty from Kalamata olives, earthy from red bell pepper and garlic, plus a hint of Greek seasoning. I’d use it for a dip, spread, or dressing too. I recommend making it a day in advance. Give those flavors some time to blend together while chilling overnight.
A note about grilling tuna. It can go from rare to well done in a matter of moments. It’s about two minutes per side to get medium-rare on a thick tuna steak (1 inch thick or more). Oh, and be sure to get top quality sushi-grade tuna if you want it rare or medium-rare. Food safety is extremely important.
What seafood do you grill? My next gadget will be one of those baskets. I want to try grilling sea bass, grouper, flounder, and more. Plus I want to find the right sauce for each one. It’s a tasty adventure waiting to happen. Stay tuned to find out where it leads.
Grilled Tuna with Mediterranean Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For the tuna:
- 4 fresh tuna steaks about 1-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
For the Mediterranean yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped kalamata olives
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
Instructions
For the tuna:
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Place tuna steaks on a plate or platter. Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Greek seasoning. Pour mixture over tuna and turn to coat both sides.
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Heat grill to medium-high (about 450°F).
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Grill tuna until desired doneness (about 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare).
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Serve with Mediterranean yogurt sauce.
For the sauce:
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Stir together all ingredients until combined.
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For maximum flavor, make sauce a day in advance and chill until serving.
Recipe Notes
Keep your kitchen cool and fire up the grill to make Grilled Tuna with Mediterranean Yogurt Sauce. The creamy sauce is packed with healthy ingredients.
Recipe adapted from one in the Publix Aprons magazine summer 2015 edition.
Brenda
Sunday 11th of October 2020
Simply amazing ahi tuna! I'm trying to eat healthier, and this was so tasty. I'm a 2nd stage breast cancer survivor and my Cleveland Clinic dietician recommended a Mediterranean diet while my vegan sister added organic to the mix. Aspargus with lemon and evoo and brown rice rounded out my meal Thank you for this recipe.!!
Lizzie in Boise
Thursday 2nd of July 2015
Regarding your proposed fish-grilling basket: GET the flexible fish basket from Crate & Barrel, absolutely positively the best of its type EVER. It'll set you back a whopping $16.95. It's spacious, it has a long handle, and it's easy to clean. Zummerafact, we're doing tuna with it tonight ….