Dill and Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna with Pickled Red Onions and Creamy Dill Sauce

An impressive and colorful dish does NOT have to take hours to prepare! This easy dinner uses the fresh taste of dill and tangy flavor of pickled onion in a perfect springtime meal.

The motivation. My goal of this recipe was to utilize dill in a prominent way. That in itself brought a level of challenge, as I had only used dill as a supporting ingredient prior. Thinking about how to use this, I was reminded of a time many years ago, making a rubbed roast by simply chopping up a mess of fresh herbs and seasoning to pack around the meat (which turned out amazingly well by the way-good thought for a fall pork loin….oooo ideas are popping up-stay tuned). With enough fat to hold together any herbs and seasonings, many types of rubs are possible, and while this concept inspired the current recipe, I tried to take an approach with a bit less….clogged arteries.

The welcomed guest. While I think searing the dill diminished the flavor a bit, the added seasoning in the rub made up for it, and played really nicely with the tuna, giving a subtle bite to the fish. The creamy dill sauce brought the strength of the dill flavor to the plate, and added a nice balance to the dried onion from the rub. The surprising player here ended up being the pickled onion, which was actually an afterthought. I was looking for something to add acidity to the cream and fairly neutral protein, and having only my unfiltered apple cider vinegar (attempt at health to counter my love of food), I made this quick jar of pickled onion. Not knowing how it would turn out, and hindsight being 20/20, the apple cider vinegar was fantastic! I would intentionally do this again!

Check out other ways to use your dill!

Dill Soup with Spinach, Avocado and Feta Cheese

How have you used dill, especially as a main ingredient? I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories! Please share and check back for more recipes, posted frequently!

Dill and Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna with Pickled Red Onions and Creamy Dill Sauce

Hannah

A delicious way to showcase dill in a few different ways! A light yet flavorful meal great for any occasion and sure to impress.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 2

Equipment

• Skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen knife
• Saucepan

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 whole Half of a Red Onion
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Sour Cream
• 1/2 whole Juice of Half a Lemon
• 4 tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill
• 4 pieces Ahi Tuna Steaks
• 1 tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning Poppy and Sesame seeds, Dried minced Garlic and Onion, and Sea Salt if making from scratch
• 1 tsp Olive Oil

Instructions

 

Pickled Red Onions

• In a saucepan, combine vinegar, 1/4 cup water, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes, and heat until water is hot and salt is melted, although not needed to boil.
• While heating, thinly slice red onion making rings, and place in a small glass jar or similar container (ideally with lid able to contain smell, as the vinegar can be quite pungent).
• When liquid is ready, pour over onions, stir and make sure all onion is submerged (add a little water if not), and let sit for a few minutes until water temperature cools and starts to become pink in color. Place lid on and relocate to the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the dish.

Creamy Dill Sauce

• In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped dill and a little salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and set off to the side (or in refrigerator if making this ahead of time).

Seared Ahi Tuna

• On a large plate, combine chopped dill and Everything Bagel Seasoning, mixing well so all is evenly distributed.
• Taking washed tuna steak one at a time, place on above plate and pack mixture evenly on both sides, making sure to fully coat as best as possible.
• In a fairly hot skillet, warm olive oil, and once ready, place coated tuna steaks evenly distanced on skillet to sear. As most Ahi tuna is served rare or medium rare, a quick sear is desired on each side, without cooking through. Keep an eye on the steaks, as they should not take more than a minute or so on each side, depending on the size of fish you are using. Carefully with a metal spatula (I find these are a bit more precise, but plastic works too), flip steaks, holding top coating if needed.
• Remove steaks from skillet and place on cutting board, under aluminum foil to rest for another minutes. Using a sharp kitchen knife, slice each steak in thin slices and serve with pickled onions and creamy dill sauce.

  Serving suggestion: To make this a heartier meal, try serving over greens (baby beet greens shown), a vegetable side, and your favorite rice dish!

Keyword Ahi Tuna, Dill, Fresh, Healthy, Keto, Pickled Onions