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.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This sounds so good, Sarah! I’ve never actually made ahi tuna before, but I do love it. Sounds so delicious with the cilantro lime flavors! And I absolutely love the pretty colors, too!
Fernanda says
This recipe sounds great!
What can be a side dish for this grilled tuna?
Sarah says
Roasted potatoes or pasta are a great side dish, Fernanda!
MARIA says
Great recipe, I´ll try this today!
Todd says
Oh and I have some fresh cilantro that needs to be picked and used this week…hmmm…what a great recipe to use it on! 🙂
Leelee says
Loooooove love love this recipe. I also make the salsa and use it as a salad topper! So yummy!
Mike says
Thanks for a great recipe. My wife and I loved it. The smoky flavor from the grill mingles well with the cilantro and creamy avocado. Cucumber adds a crunch!
Kristina says
Can these cook in the oven? I don’t have a gill.
Sarah says
As an alternative, you could pan-fry this tuna, Kristina! About 3-4 minutes per side in a pan over medium-high heat with a little bit of oil.
Claudine Rollin says
This is absolutely delicious. Fresh and tasty and easy to do. I will definitely do it again.
Thanks
Ichi Tokyo says
I´ll try this today! Thanks for recipe!
Lauren says
This recipe is amazing! It’s a go to for me when making Tuna!! LOVE IT!!
Carmen says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was delicious!. My husband loved it too!. It is perfect for summer because it is very refreshing.
It is a perfect dish to make during a vacation at the beach because it is very easy to make.
I will definitely make this recipe again!
Cat says
OMG OMG this was soooooooo good!!!
This is simply FAILPROOF!!
Case in point: I read part of the recipe for the salsa wrong and added lemon juice instead of lime juice. I added garlic and green onions, and wow. Smothered the crap out of the fish with it. Freakin amazing!!
I also don’t own a grill (apartment life) so I pan seared the tuna steaks with the marinade (also let the tuna sit in the marinade for an hour in the fridge).
Damn if this was not the best dish I’ve made in a hot minute. My boyfriend almost fell out of his chair. This was so good. I’m keeping this in rotation.