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Home Ā» Food Ā» Sicilian-Style Grilled Tuna Steaks

Sicilian-Style Grilled Tuna Steaks

May 18, 2016 by Kimberly Killebrew Ā· 51 Comments

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A mouthwatering Sicilian-style grilled tuna steaks recipe! Grilled to perfection and topped with the flavors of sun-kissed Sicily.Ā  It’s easy and delicious!

grilled tuna steaks recipe Sicilian style olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

A special thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post

From my early childhood trips to Italy’s beaches to my farewell tripĀ to Tuscany as an adult before leaving Europe for the U.S., Italy has always been very nostalgic to me and I have a lot of fond memories imprinted in my heart of Italy’s landscapes, culture, food and people.

Today we’re featuring a dish inspired by Sicily, an autonomous region of southern Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Ā With traces of human activity dating back as early as 12,000 BC, Sicily has a particularly rich and unique culture, especially with respect to its ancient architectural remnants like the Necropolis, Selinute and Valley of the Temples, as well as a long history of art, literature, music and food.

Sicily Italy

Sicily Italy

Sicily Italy

Sicily Italy

Sicily Italy

Sicily Italy

Another fascinating piece of Sicilian history, and yet another reason I’m captivated by the area, is that Sicily shares an important connection with Swabia, Germany. Ā Sicily came under the rule of theĀ Hohenstaufen family, a dynasty of German kings (several of whom were crowned Holy Roman Emperor) originating from Stauf castle in Gƶppingen, the suburb of Stuttgart I lived in when I was two years old before moving to other areas of Stuttgart. Ā It’s also where my grandparents lived for over 40 years. Ā Sicily became settled by the Swabians and many people from other regions of Germany in the late 12th century and was influenced by them in the areas of architecture, art, religion, music and cuisine.

“If the Normans brought Sicily back into the European orbit following centuries of Byzantine and Arab rule, the Swabians made it one of the most important regions of Europe” (Best of Sicily Magazine).

Now how about that!

But enough about the history, let’s talk FOOD!

Sicily’s savory cuisine is considered among the healthiest in Italy with a huge emphasis on seafood, particularly tuna and swordfish, and fresh vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, olives, citrus, capers, beans and artichokes. Ā We’re pulling in several of those flavors in today’s Sicilian-style Grilled Tuna Steaks.

 

 

grilled tuna steaks recipe Sicilian style olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

The sauce is my favorite part of the dish. Ā It’s awesome! Ā And if you’re not a seafood fan this sauce will also pair beautifully with grilled chicken.

We’re using fresh sun-ripened tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and juice, white wine, olives and capers. Ā  I love LindsayĀ products and am using their Sicilian-style pitted olives and capers (here’s a coupon for your next purchase).

This flavorful sauce will transport you to the sunny coasts of Sicily!

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-2

Have you cooked with capers before? Ā If not it’s time to give them a try.

Capers play a prominent role in Sicilian and Mediterranean cuisine at large, and have been used since the time of ancient Greece. Here’s a picturesque tourĀ of a caper farm in Sicily. Ā Capers come from a perennial plant that grows edible flower buds (aka capers) and berries. Ā  The flower buds and berries are both pickled in brine and added to a variety of dishes like meat, sauces, salads, eggs benedict, tapenade, pesto and pasta salads. Ā But it’s the flower buds, or capers, that we’re most familiar with.

After opening a jar to make this Sicilian-style Tuna you’ll still have some capers left. Ā If you need some more ideas for using them up, try ourĀ Chicken Piccata and Greek Lemon Chicken. Ā  Other classic dishes using capers include pastaĀ puttanesca and some French dishes like salade niƧoise.Ā Sicilian-Tuna-prep-4-edited-2

This recipe for grilled tuna steaks incorporates a variety of fresh, healthy and flavorful ingredients and comes together in just minutes!

You can even make the sauce ahead of time and then simply throw the tuna steaks on the grill and be ready to eat in just the few minutes’ time it takes to grill the tuna!

grilled tuna steaks recipe Sicilian style olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

Sicilian Style Grilled Tuna Steaks Recipe

Let’s get started!

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute or two.

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-3

Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes.

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-6

Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil for 2 minutes.

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-7

Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-8

Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat.

Set aside while you’re preparing the tuna.

Sicilian-Tuna-prep-10

The only preparation the tuna needs is a light coat of oil and some salt and freshly ground black pepper.

raw tuna steaks

Get your grill super hot and oil the cooking grates. Ā It’s important that your grill is really hot to sear the tuna the moments it’s placed on the grates. Ā The goal for properly cooking tuna is to sear it over high, direct heat and to leave the inside more or less rare, otherwise tuna gets dried out and tough very quickly and loses its silken texture.

grilled tuna steaks

For tuna steaks that are an inch thick you’ll sear both sides for 1-2 minutes. Ā To get the criss-cross grill marks turn the steaks counter-clockwise after about a minute, then sear for another minute. Ā Flip over the steaks and repeat.

grilled tuna steaks

slicing grilled tuna steaks grilled tuna steaks

Our tuna steaks are done and ready for this wonderful Sicilian-style topping.

Place the tuna steaks on individual plates and top with the sauce.

sicilian style grilled tuna steaks recipe olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

sicilian style grilled tuna steaks recipe olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

Serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

sicilian style grilled tuna steaks recipe olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

sicilian style grilled tuna steaks recipe olives capers tomatoes lemon wine sauce fish seafood

Sicilian-style Grilled Tuna Steaks

Kimberly Killebrew
Enjoy the flavors of Sicily with these delicious grilled tuna steaks!
Print Recipe
4.86 from 14 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings
Calories 374 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 tuna steaks ,about 6 ounces each and 1 inch thick (swordfish makes a great substitute)
  • Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2/3 cup sliced firm green olives (I used Lindsay Sicilian-style Olives)
  • 1/4 cup capers ,drained (I used Lindsay)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Brush the tuna with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the grill and brush the cooking grates with oil.
  • Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the wine and bring to a rapid boil for two minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat.
  • Sear the tuna steaks over high, direct heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. (For the best texture and to prevent becoming dried out tuna should be rare to medium rare on the inside.)
  • Serve the tuna steaks immediately topped with the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4490IU | Vitamin C: 18.4mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

 

Images of Sicily used with permission via cc licensing:Ā Isole Eolie,Ā Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho,Ā Dennis Jarvis,Ā Spencer Means,Ā Stefano La Rosa.

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51 Responses

  1. Betty O’Reilly says

    March 12, 2022 at 12:05 pm

    Super recipe, a true taste of Sicily. I found it did need a little tomato paste to thicken and sugar to balance the lemon and wine. I served it with sautĆ© potatoes and fennel thinly sliced and roasted in olive oil with grated Parmesan. It wasn’t scrummy!
    Betty

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 13, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks so much for the feedback, Betty, I’m happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. KIMBERLY W. says

    November 15, 2020 at 3:12 pm

    Excellent. Easy
    Omitted extra salt.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 15, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks so much, Kimberly, I’m happy you enjoyed it! :)

      Reply
  3. Diner Don says

    August 15, 2020 at 10:20 am

    Liked the recipe. Nick Stellino has one similar. Added some chopped sweet yellow pepper. Also added some tomato paste.
    Bit to acidic for me even rinsing vinegar from capers and olives and with lemon juice and wine so I added some sugar to balance the acidity.
    I taste as I go and this improved it IMHO. Will make it again this way for sure.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      August 15, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      Awesome, thanks so much for the feedback, Diner Don!

      Reply
    • Linda Stone says

      March 25, 2021 at 4:48 pm

      I agree I tasted as I went along and used only half of tge lemon juice and maybe a quarter of the wine. Way too much acid.

      Reply
  4. WW says

    June 17, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    We have made this several times and plan on making again tonight. One question, you reference 2tsp chopped parsley and later 1/4 cup parsley. But you never mention different uses for the parsley. Makes me wonder if it is an error. We omit the 2tsp when we make it.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 17, 2020 at 3:09 pm

      Hi WW, yes the 2 teaspoons is a typo, thanks for catching that. I’m so glad you enjoy these tuna steaks, thank you and happy grilling! :)

      Reply
  5. Atif says

    June 12, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!

    Reply
  6. CDHPL says

    May 20, 2019 at 4:13 am

    Thanks for sharing this grilled tuna steaks

    Reply
  7. Bill says

    October 20, 2018 at 4:14 pm

    Great version of a classic. I’ve been cooking a version of this for many years, but never with rosemary. How we make it usually depends on what we have around. We often add pine nuts and use two kinds of olives. It is fantastic with swordfish as well.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 20, 2018 at 4:34 pm

      Thanks, Bill! Swordfish is another good option and pine nuts are a great addition!

      Reply
  8. Jenn says

    May 2, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    I love the flavors and the idea, but personally, i thought the sauce overehelmed the tuna a bit. I have never tasted the Sicilian version, so i don’t know if that is how it is supposed to be. Maybe the olive/caper:tomato ratio is too high? Maybe the olives i used were too strong in flavor?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 2, 2017 at 11:25 pm

      Hi Jenn, thanks for the feedback – the olives are the boldest flavor in the sauce and will definitely differ in strength depending on the kind of olive and the brand.

      Reply
  9. Olivia says

    February 5, 2017 at 11:35 am

    Hi, this looks delicious! What sides or carbs would you eat with the tuna for a full meal? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 5, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      Thanks, Olivia! You can never go wrong with a delicate mixed leafy green salad. Additionally you could serve it with some grilled vegetables, whatever is in season (ie, Summer squash, zucchini, or a mixture of root vegetables) or just a simple serving of steamed French green beans with butter. For a carb you could go with mashed potatoes with butter (plain or garlic mashed), brown rice, something like a Parmesan risotto, or pasta. Happy cooking!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        February 6, 2017 at 4:45 am

        Hi Kimberly, thanks so much for your reply, some wonderful ideas there. We’ll be eating this tomorrow evening for sure! Thanks again.

        Reply
  10. GiGi Eats says

    June 7, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    THIS IS MY FAVORITEEEEEE WAY to eat tuna! OMG SOOO GOOD and olives kick BUTT!!!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 7, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      I couldn’t agree more, GiGi, thanks! :)

      Reply
  11. Adina says

    May 25, 2016 at 10:36 am

    Those steaks look amazing, even raw! I’ve never managed to see Sicily, even though is really not that far away from us… Hope to do it soon, es ist ein Paar mal in GesprƤch gewesen…. :)

    Reply
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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!Ā  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.Ā  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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