Tuna steaks are marinated in cilantro and fresh lime, grilled until perfectly cooked, and topped with a fresh avocado cucumber salsa. – This cilantro lime grilled tuna will quickly become a grill staple!
If you’ve never tried tuna steaks on the grill before, you’re in for a real treat today! These beautiful steaks are deceivingly such a simple dinner to pull off.
These tuna steaks have all the summer vibes and are perfect for both novice and advanced grillers alike.
And just sayin’, they make a BANGER date night dinner! Pulled together in 30 minutes, mind you.
The secret? A quick lil marinade and LOTS of fresh avocado cucumber salsa piled generously on top.
Seriously, the amount of flavor we’re able to pack into these steaks in only 30 minutes is insane.
This Grilled Tuna features…
- Incredibly tender grilled tuna steaks marinated in flavorful cilantro and lime.
- A fresh avocado cucumber salsa piled generously on top.
- Only 9 ingredients needed and 30 minutes to make!
Making the Grilled Tuna
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ahi tuna steaks
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Lime juice
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Jalapeno
Buying Your Tuna
We recommend purchasing ahi tuna (also called yellowfin) for this recipe because this particular cut takes very well to grilling. It’s also fairly affordable in the meat deli section at most grocery stores!
You will need two tuna steaks for this recipe, each roughly between 6-8 oz. Be sure to ask your meat butcher for this specific weight.
Tips for Perfect Grilled Tuna
- Make salsa first – the tuna will cook very quickly and once it is done you will want to serve it immediately, so make sure you have salsa ready in advance.
- Use fresh ingredients in marinade – fresh garlic, lime juice, and cilantro are essential for getting the maximum flavor into the tuna.
- Don’t over-marinate salmon – the marinade is highly acidic from the lime, so it’s important that you only let the tuna marinate 10-15 minutes to prevent the acid from starting to cook the fish.
- Grease grill grates before preheating – this helps the tuna lift easily off the grill while cooking.
- Don’t overcook tuna – properly cooked tuna steaks are medium-rare, so you will only need to grill tuna 2-3 minutes on each side. Overcooking tuna will make it very dry, so don’t be tempted to leave it on the grill any longer than our recommended cook time.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is very easy to adapt to suit your preferences or use what you have on hand! Try these ideas…
- Change up the citrus – lemon juice works great in place of the lime juice.
- Try more herbs – fresh dill, basil, or parsley are great stand-ins for the cilantro.
- Use your favorite fresh salsa – you can skip the homemade salsa entirely and go for a pre-made pico de gallo or other fresh chunky-style salsa.
- Change the fish – this recipe will work great with salmon or cod. Be aware, cook time may vary slightly!
What to Serve with Tuna
This tuna is definitely filling enough to stand alone as a lighter main dish, but try these sides ideas if you’re looking for options!
- Roast potatoes
- Rice pilaf
- Crusty French bread
- Pasta with a pesto sauce
The flavors we’re packing into this grilled tuna is just off the charts. The marinade is perfectly herby and filled with punchy lime flavor, while the avocado cucumber salsa is sooo fresh-tasting and makes everything taste light, yet satisfying.
Watch this grilled tuna quickly become a summer staple in your house! It’s so perfect for a casual date night for two and very easy to double or triple for a crew.
Pro tip, just don’t skimp on the salsa!!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this tuna made step-by-step on Google web stories!
More grilled protein ideas to try next!
Cilantro-Lime Grilled Tuna with Avocado Cucumber Salsa
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Avocado Cucumber Salsa
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced into 1/4-in cubes
- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced into 1/4-in cubes
- 1 medium tomato, diced into 1/4-in cubes
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro Lime Grilled Tuna
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 (6-8 oz each) ahi tuna steaks (also called yellowfin)
Instructions
Avocado Cucumber Salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine all salsa ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate salsa until ready to use.
Cilantro Lime Grilled Tuna
- In a medium shallow bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Place tuna steaks in bowl, turning to coat both sides. Let tuna stand in marinade 10-15 minutes (don't marinate any longer than 15 minutes otherwise the marinade will start to cook the fish)
- Remove tuna from marinade and discard marinade. Pat tuna dry with paper towels.
- Lightly grease grill grates with a little oil and heat grill to medium-high heat. Once grill is heated, place tuna steaks on grill and grill 2-3 minutes on each side (tuna should still be raw in the center)
- Serve tuna steaks immediately with lots of salsa spooned on top. Enjoy!
For a step-by-step guide to making this recipe, check out the video!
Nutrition
This recipe was updated with new photos and recipe tips on 5/20/22.
Melissa says
So good! Your comments about not liking fish before grabbed my attention since I am definitely in that boat. But my husband loves it and had some fresh caught tuna from
a friend and I wanted to make it for him for a special occasion. He LOVED it and even I loved it! The salsa is just the best accompaniment, so delish and refreshing! Thanks for the great recipe! You converted me over to the fishy side, a little bit at least!
Sarah says
Yay!! Always so happy to hear that this recipe converted a non-fish lover! Thanks for letting me know, Melissa. 🙂
Leslie says
Made this last night and it was delicious. My husband had the tuna prepared as you said, but I opted for blackened snapper. We both had the avocado salsa on our respective fish. It was the best tasting summer salsa we have had in a long time. Definitely a keeper recipe. Thanks so much for posting it!
Sarah says
Love the sound of putting this salsa on blackened snapper! Sounds incredible. 🙂
Ramona P says
Great meal! Served with sauvignon blanc. Pure contentment!
Sarah says
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for letting me know, Ramona. 🙂
Jeff says
Serving size, 1g?!?
Sarah says
That was a typo – sorry about that!
Elizalight says
I was looking for a fresh, crunchy, sweet, salty, sour kind of salsa to serve with the fresh tuna that I’d bought, so I googled “tuna salsa recipes, and this is what turned up. So after scurrying down to the shops for some limes, I rummaged in my fridge and cobbled together the ingredients to make this…..and I’m so glad I did! This tuna and avocado-cucumber salsa is marvellous, fresh and delicious. I have a personal recipe book in which I record only the best recipes, and I don’t often say this, but I think this recipe just might make the grade! I know I will make this again when the summer comes around, and I think I’ll probably follow this tuna and salsa dish with another of my summer favourites: strawberry pavlova.,,,,, Seasonal bliss!
Sarah says
What an honor! I’m so thrilled to hear this recipe is a favorite, Elizalight. 🙂 Enjoy!
Debbie says
Simple, healthy and absolutely delicious! Very happy to discover this, thank you x
Rikki kangas says
im going to make this tomorrow night. i dont have a cucumber but i do have a mango! cant wait to try this recipe. i usually marinade in soy sauce and top with pico.
Sarah says
Mango sounds like an amazing addition! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!