Tuna Crudo

Last year, I got into making ahi tuna crudo ... and kind of slept on putting this recipe out. Whoops!

Fixing that now!

This recipe has been a great, low effort meal. It’s packed with nutrition and takes only minutes to make - so it’s been perfect us over the busy months.

Italian crudo recipes - fish crudo, anyway - generally start with sushi grade salmon dressed with a seasoned olive oil of some type, usually a light vinaigrette. (Like my Salmon Crudo!)

From there, it’s usually topped with things like caper berries, lemon zest, and/or fresh herbs.

You can make a more Asian themed crudo, dressing it with ingredients like rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onions... but at that point, you’re getting pretty close to a Hawaiian poke, IMHO.

Toss it over some sushi rice, and you’re there.

Anyway, generally it takes just a few minutes to put a fish crudo plate together, and makes a nice light meal - or an appetizer.

This tuna crudo recipe is my take on it.

I’ve always loved the combo of tuna, mango, and avocado - I use it in recipes like my Tuna Mango Poke Bowls, Tuna Avocado and Mango Maki, and even my Ahi Tuna Nachos - YUM!

.... so that’s what I started with.

The dressing was designed with that in mind, and I garnish it with a bit of fresh jalapeno, just to spice it up a bit.

The resulting dish is quick enough for a random weekday meal, yet fancy enough for a dinner party

It’s also really pretty, healthy, naturally gluten free, and relatively low in carbs!

So, the next time you’re looking for a fun, tasty way to serve up some fresh tuna... consider giving it a try.

Let’s get to it.

Sashimi Grade Tuna

I want to clarify the terms “fresh fish”, “sushi grade tuna”, “Sashimi-grade tuna”, etc, as some of it can be confusing.

“Fresh tuna” can mean two different things:

1 - Recently caught tuna that hasn’t been frozen before sale.

2 - Tuna that hasn’t had the chance to go bad, regardless of whether or not it’s been previously frozen.

When it comes to sushi-grade fish / sashimi-grade fish, we’re talking about the second type.

In order to be safe to as raw fish, tuna NEEDS to be frozen to a certain temperature - and for a certain amount of time - in order to kill off potential parasites.

If you can even get fresh raw tuna - without having been frozen - you definitely wouldn’t want to serve it raw. Trust me, fish related foodborne illness is NOT fun.

So, use the freshest product you can find - in terms of how quickly it was frozen after catching, and how long it has been since its been thawed.

As far as the type of tuna goes, I like to use ahi tuna steaks for making tuna crudo. The flavor and texture are fantastic, and the color is the prettiest of the tuna varieties, IMHO.

I use fresh ahi tuna steaks, in the sense that I defrost them and use them right away - they are not allowed to just hang out in my fridge for more than half a day or so, after thawing.

That said, ask your local fishmonger about what they have on hand. You might find yourself preferring bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, or an albacore tuna loin.

Fresh Produce

I like to add a lot of produce ingredients to this, so it’s almost a salad. I love having a variety of flavours, textures, and colours in whatever I make, whenever possible.

So, I like a crunchy base of English cucumber slices.

On top of the dressed tuna slices, I like to use mango, avocado, red onion, and jalapeno.

The flavors all go SO well with the tuna, and make for a pretty presentation.

Citrus Juice

Generally speaking, I like to make my ahi tuna crudo dressing with calalamsi juice as the acid.

It’s a type of lime from the Phillippines, and I am OBSESSED. It’s got a fantastic tropical taste to it, and it works beautifully with the other ingredients in this recipe.

That said, you can use a good squeeze of lemon juice to make a nice lemon vinaigrette... or lime juice. Even Yuzu juice is fantastic in this dressing.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Extra virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Optionally, you can use a fancy salt - like a Flaky Sea Salt.

If you want a bit more heat, feel free to add a bit of Red Pepper Flakes to the dressing when you mix it up.

How to Make Ahi Tuna Crudo

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here’s a visual walk through:

In a small bowl, whisk together the juice, extra-virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt. Set aside.

(If you’re making this ahead of time, just keep it in a sealable container in your fridge.)

Use a sharp knife or mandoline to slice your cucumber into thin slices, slice and chop the mango, avocado, red onion, and jalapeno.

Note: I love my Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline Slicer! 10/10, highly recommend!

Arrange the cucumber slices on your serving plate.

You can do this as individual servings - arranging a portion of the slices on top of each plate - or family style, on one large serving platter.

Pat the thawed tuna dry with a paper towel, thinly slice the tuna - about ¼" thick.

Arrange the tuna slices on your serving platter.

Cutting Tips

Freezing the tuna for 10-15 minutes or so makes it easier to cut cleanly and evenly.

Use a the thinnest, sharpest knife you have to cut the tuna. If possible, a Sushi Knife. (Link goes to the one I use).

Don’t use a sawing motion when cutting the tuna - Make each cut in one motion, either towards or away from you, sliding the knife across and gently downward as you go.

Drizzle with the dressing.

Garnish with mango, avocado, red onion, and jalapeno slices.

Serve immediately.

This isn’t really a dish to make ahead, or to keep leftovers of. The acid in the vinaigrette will “cook” the fish if it sits on it too long.

Which is fine, but then you’ll basically have a ceviche, rather than a crudo!

More Gluten Free Seafood & Fish Recipes

Looking for more tasty, gluten-free recipes for seafood? I've got you covered!

Gluten Free Crab Cakes
Gluten-Free Fish Fingers & Custard
Gluten Free Seafood Crepes
Gluten Free Fish & Chips
Salmon Crudo
Honey Ginger Shrimp salad
Gluten Free Tempura
Gluten Free Cod Au Gratin
Keto Cod au Gratin
Ahi Tuna Nachos
Basic Seafood Risotto
Sushi Bake
Low Country Boil
Cashew Crusted Halibut with Mango Salsa
Almond Crusted Halibut with Lemon Dill Sauce
Curried Shrimp Spring Rolls
Spicy Tuna Maki Rolls
Pepper Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce
Seafood Mousse
Tuna Mango Poke
Chicken, Shrimp, & Sausage Jambalaya
Keto Jambalaya
Keto Fish Cakes
Seared Tuna Salad
Smoked Salmon Canapes
Chirashi Bowls
Spinach Feta Salmon Pinwheels
Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Keto Coconut Shrimp
Gluten Free Coconut Shrimp

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