Last week was National Margarita Day, which inspired me to share with you one of my favorite meals to have with an ice cold margarita: tuna tacos 😋. If you missed it, check out my Fresh Homemade Margaritas recipe. You won’t be sorry, I promise.
Let’s start with the avocado cilantro crema. This mini food processor is a life saver when it comes to making sauces or salad dressings. If you have one (or even a regular size food processor) all you have to do is throw all the ingredients in and hit go! If you don’t have one, no biggie, just mash the avocado as much as you can and chop the cilantro and jalapeño as finely as possible. Once all the ingredients are pureed and mixed, slowly stream in avocado oil through the little hole in the top of the lid, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Transfer the sauce to a covered container and put it in the fridge for at least an hour to let those flavors get all yummy together (trust me it’s worth it).
If you’ve never heard of avocado oil or aren’t familiar with using it in the kitchen, it’s a great healthy alternative for frying foods because of it’s high smoke point. I like to get this giant bottle from BJs, because if you become addicted to frying everything in it like I have, you’re going to need a lot.
Now it’s time to make the lime cabbage slaw! This is also very simple to make, especially if you cheat like I do and buy the cabbage already shredded.
Then all you have to do is chop the cilantro and slice the red onion. After I slice the red onion I like to put the slices in a small colander and run them under cold water, so that harsh onion-y flavor doesn’t take over. Make sure the onions are drained before you mix them with the rest of the ingredients.
Once you’ve combined all the ingredients and seasoned with salt & pepper, put the slaw in a covered container and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour as well.
Aaaand the final topping, pico de gallo! The hardest part about this step is dicing the tomatoes (which in my opinion can be very annoying). Having a super sharp knife definitely makes this task slightly less annoying. It’s important to make sure you use roma (sometimes called plum) tomatoes because they are very meaty and hold their shape well making them perfect for pico de gallo. Once you have mixed all the ingredients together, feel free to add more cilantro, salt, or pepper based on your personal preference. I definitely go heavy on the cilantro, it’s just too damn good. Also, if you like a little more heat, keep the seeds in the jalapeño. And once again, place in a covered container and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Once that hour flies by, it’s time to start cooking the tuna and assembling your tacos! I usually use frozen ahi tuna steaks, but it’s definitely nice to treat yourself and get a fresh one once in awhile! I like to coat my tuna steak in sesame seeds. All you have to do is pour a few tablespoons of avocado oil on a plate and once you’ve patted your tuna dry with a paper towel, coat it on all sides with the avocado oil. Then, using another plate, pour some sesame seeds on the plate and place the tuna steak down, pressing gently to coat all sides with sesame seeds. Cooking tuna steaks can definitely intimidate people, but it’s super easy. Just get a sauté pan with a few tablespoons of avocado oil really hot. Once the oil starts to ripple, place the tuna steak in the pan and sear for one minute on each side. If you like your tuna cooked more, feel free to cook it for two or three minutes per side. When the tuna is cooked to your desired doneness, take it out of the pan and let it cool on a cutting board for a few minutes.
When it’s cool enough to touch, slice the tuna with a sharp knife. Make sure to slice the tuna across the grain, and slice it thinly to make it easier to eat in the tacos.
When your tuna is all sliced and ready, it’s time to assemble tacos! I like to warm up the tortillas in a dry pan quickly on each side. Then, pile up your tuna and toppings, and finally, enjoy!
One more thing: what’s tacos and margs without guac?! Here’s my Fresh Homemade Guacamole! recipe to snack on while your cooking and sipping a marg (you’re welcome).
Ahi Tuna Tacos with Lime Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Cilantro Crema
Ingredients
- 10 oz. ahi tuna steak
- Sesame seeds
- Avocado oil
- Corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 of a jalapeno, chopped and seeded
- Salt
- Avocado oil
- 4 oz. coleslaw mix
- 4 oz. red cabbage, shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 3-4 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
- 2 cups roma tomatoes, diced (about 8 tomatoes)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Ahi Tuna Steak:
Avocado Cilantro Crema:
Lime Cabbage Slaw:
Pico de Gallo:
Directions
1. For the Avocado Cilantro Crema: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well-combined. Slowly stream in avocado oil until you have reached your desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. For the Lime Cabbage Slaw: Run the sliced red onion under cool water and drain to remove the harsh bite. Combine coleslaw mix, red cabbage, cilantro, and red onion in a mixing bowl. Pour lime juice and avocado oil over the top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
3. For the Pico De Gallo: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season with more kosher salt, lime, or cilantro to taste (if needed). Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days.
4. For the Ahi Tuna Steak: Pat the tuna steak dry with a paper towel, then coat all sides with avocado oil.
5. Pour some sesame seeds onto a plate and place the tuna steaks, pressing gently on all sides until the tuna steak is covered.
6. Heat a couple of tablespoons of avocado oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is rippling, add the tuna steak and cook for just a minute or two per side, depending on desired doneness.
7. Once done, remove from the pan and place on a cutting board. Slice the tuna steak across the grain into 1/8 of an inch slices.
8. Warm up/toast the tortillas one at a time in a sauté pan. Gather all your toppings and assemble tacos!
Fries Be4 Guys 