Sicilian Grilled Tuna Steaks
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A mouthwatering Sicilian-style grilled tuna steaks recipe! Grilled to perfection and topped with the flavors of sun-kissed Sicily. It’s easy and delicious!
From my early childhood trips to Italy’s beaches to my farewell trip 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. More recently, we took our kids on a two-week vacation to Sicily where we explored the entire island and enjoyed many of its iconic foods.
Sicily is an autonomous region of southern Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. 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.
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, which is where I’m from. Sicily came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen family, a dynasty of German kings (several of whom were crowned Holy Roman Emperor) originating from Stauf castle in Göppingen, the suburb of Stuttgart I lived in when I was two years old before moving to other areas of Stuttgart. It’s also where my grandparents lived for over 40 years. 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. We’re pulling in several of those flavors in today’s Sicilian-style Grilled Tuna Steaks.
The sauce is my favorite part of the dish. It’s awesome! And if you’re not a seafood fan this sauce will also pair beautifully with grilled chicken.
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 tour of a caper farm in Sicily. Capers come from a perennial plant that grows edible flower buds (aka capers) and berries. 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. 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. If you need some more ideas for using them up, try our Chicken Piccata and Greek Lemon Chicken. Other classic dishes using capers include pasta puttanesca and some French dishes like salade niçoise.
These Grilled Tuna Steaks are very quick and easy to make. But to save even more time you can make the sauce in advance 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!
Sicilian 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.
Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil for 2 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat.
Set aside while you’re preparing the tuna.
The only preparation the tuna needs is a light coat of oil and some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Get your grill super hot and oil the cooking grates. It’s important that your grill is really hot to sear the tuna the moments it’s placed on the grates. 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.
For tuna steaks that are an inch thick you’ll sear both sides for 1-2 minutes. To get the criss-cross grill marks turn the steaks counter-clockwise after about a minute, then sear for another minute. Flip over the steaks and repeat.
For the best texture and to prevent becoming dried out tuna should be rare to medium rare on the inside. But feel free to grill it to your desired level of doneness.
Our tuna steaks are done and ready for this wonderful Sicilian-style topping that’s positively bursting with flavor!
Place the tuna steaks on individual plates and top with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Buon Appetito!
For more delicious seafood recipes be sure to try my:
- Shrimp Scampi
- Honey Orange Glazed Salmon
- Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Trout Almondine
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Fish and Chips
- Shrimp and Grits
- Salmon Risotto
- Cajun Catfish
- Smoked Salmon Spread
- Cullen Skink
- Grilled Salmon with Peach Salsa
- Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Bacon Fat Maple Glaze
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Sicilian Grilled Tuna Steaks
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
- 1/4 cup capers , drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teapoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the grill.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. Set aside while you grill the tuna.
- Brush the tuna with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the cooking grates with oil.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
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 18, 2016
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
My husband loves grilled tuna but typically prefers Asian recipes. The other Mediterranean recipes I have tried didn’t have much flavor. Your recipe is fantastic, simple but packed with flavor! We loved the combination of green olives, capers and tomatoes. I did add a tsp of sugar to tone down the acidity and a couple additional cloves of garlic. I just wish I had doubled the sauce because it was so look good! Thanks for sharing! Judy
Oh I’m so glad you guys enjoyed this, Judy, thank you so much!
Could you make sauce ahead of time and just heat it up when you grill the tuna?
Yes you can!
Excellent. After reading the reviews I opted to add a sweet white wine that I had in a small bottle (I don’t drink sweet wine). It was perfect! Second time I made it- tasted like we were in a fine dining restaurant!
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it, Lisa, and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
A really excellent recipe! I didn’t have any fresh rosemary – so dropped that. Made cauliflower mash as the side. Amy local fish market had a blue fin tuna – don’t see it too much – and it’s such a beautiful fish to grill. The sauce really took it to a new level!
That’s wonderful, Chris, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
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 sauté potatoes and fennel thinly sliced and roasted in olive oil with grated Parmesan. It wasn’t scrummy!
Betty
Thanks so much for the feedback, Betty, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Excellent. Easy
Omitted extra salt.
Thanks so much, Kimberly, I’m happy you enjoyed it! :)
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.
Awesome, thanks so much for the feedback, Diner Don!
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.
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.
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! :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
Thanks for sharing this grilled tuna steaks
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.
Thanks, Bill! Swordfish is another good option and pine nuts are a great addition!
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?
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.
Hi, this looks delicious! What sides or carbs would you eat with the tuna for a full meal? Thanks!
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!
Hi Kimberly, thanks so much for your reply, some wonderful ideas there. We’ll be eating this tomorrow evening for sure! Thanks again.
THIS IS MY FAVORITEEEEEE WAY to eat tuna! OMG SOOO GOOD and olives kick BUTT!!!
I couldn’t agree more, GiGi, thanks! :)
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 Gespräch gewesen…. :)