This Smoked Tuna Steaks on Pellet Grill is an easy recipe that will give you moist, tender, juicy tuna with a delicious smoky flavor. After a quick marinade, the steaks are smoked to perfection on your pellet grill.
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Smoked tuna steaks are one of my favorite things to smoke on a pellet smoker. Cooked low and slow, the tuna is incredibly moist and fall-apart tender.
This is the best smoked tuna recipe. You can use a Pit Boss pellet grill, Traeger grill, or an electric smoker (make sure to soak your wood chips first).
❤️ Tuna Steaks On Pellet Grill
- Fantastic flavor.
- Moist and tender.
- Easy recipe to make.
- Serve as a main dish or turn into a dip.
- Great for salads, sandwiches, and more.
🐟 Ingredients For Pellet Grill Tuna Steak
You'll need just a handful of ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.
Ingredient Notes:
- Tuna Fillets: You can use either Yellowfin tuna or Ahi tuna fillets. Use fresh tuna steaks that are about 1 inch thick and have a vibrant color.
- Marinade. Olive Oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, yellow mustard, and honey are used to make the marinade. Substitutions include canola, avocado, or vegetable oil; tamari for a gluten-free option; Dijon or old-fashioned mustard; and brown sugar or agave syrup instead of honey.
- Seasoning: I used garlic powder, but you could also use fresh minced garlic. I also used sea salt and black pepper. You could also use kosher salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
🔥How To Smoke Tuna On A Pellet Grill
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the marinade by combining olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic powder, black pepper, and sea salt in a small bowl.
Step 2: Rinse the tuna fillets under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow dish, large bowl, or Ziploc bag.
Step 3: Pour the marinade over the tuna, ensuring it is evenly coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Don't marinate for longer than 30 minutes as the marinade contains lemon juice, which will cook the tuna.
Step 4: Preheat the pellet grill to 225 degrees F while the tuna is marinating, and fill your hopper with wood pellets. I like to use mesquite, alder, oak, Big Game blend, or Signature blend wood pellets.
Step 5: The steaks are ready to cook once the grill is preheated. Place the fillets directly on the grill grate, leaving space between each steak for proper airflow. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thickest fillet.
Close the lid and let the fish steaks smoke for 30 minutes. Flip the tuna steaks over to get grill lines, and check the internal temperature of the fish.
Smoke for another 15 minutes, or until the tuna reaches your target internal temperature. Carefully remove the fish from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Top Tip
The USDA recommends a final internal temperature of 145°F. However, if you prefer your tuna medium-rare, you will want an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F. Please see the chart below for the desired level of doneness.
Garnish the Traeger tuna steak with fresh parsley and serve as a main dish with your favorite side dishes.
🌡️ Tuna Steak Internal Temperature Guide for Desired Doneness
The following chart shows the doneness level for tuna steaks based on the internal temperature. Always cook by temperature, not by time.
| Doneness Level | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 115-125°F |
| Medium-rare | 125-130°F |
| Medium | 130-140°F |
| Medium-well | 140-150°F |
| Well-done | 150°F and above |
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve it on a bed of Pressure-Cooked Jasmine Rice and garnish it with sesame seeds.
You can also flake the tuna and use it in sandwiches, tacos, salads, or smoked tuna dip. Mix the smoked tuna with cream cheese, bell pepper, onion, hot sauce, and lemon juice to make the dip.
💡 Expert Tips
- Use fresh fish for the best flavor.
- Patience is key. Smoke it low and slow so the meat doesn't dry out.
- Use a meat thermometer for best results.
- Thicker fillets will take longer to smoke than thinner fillets.
❓ Recipe FAQs
You can use either Ahi tuna or Yellowfin tuna for this smoked tuna recipe.
The tuna is done when the thickest part of the fillet reaches an internal temperature of 130-150°F when measured with a digital meat thermometer.
Yes, you can use frozen tuna for smoking. Just make sure to thaw the fish completely before smoking it.
The ideal temperature for smoking tuna is between 200-225°F (93-107°C). This low and slow cooking method ensures that the fish will be juicy and tender.
While a smoker is the best method for smoking tuna, you can use a gas or charcoal grill with an indirect heat setup. Do not place the fish directly over the heat source to avoid overcooking.
Leftover smoked tuna should be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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Recipe
Easy Smoked Tuna Steaks Recipe On Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tuna fillets or tuna steaks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade by whisking together the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic powder, black pepper, and sea salt in a small bowl.
- Rinse the tuna fillets under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the tuna in a shallow dish, large bowl, or Ziploc bag.
- Pour the marinade over the tuna, making sure they are evenly coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Don't marinate for longer than 30 minutes as the marinade contains lemon juice, which will start cooking the tuna.
- While the tuna is marinating, preheat your pellet grill to 225 degrees F, and make sure to add or top up the hopper with wood pellets.
- Once the grill is preheated, place tuna steaks directly on the grill grates. Make sure to leave enough space between each steak for proper airflow.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of your fillet. Close the lid and let the fish steaks cook undisturbed for about 30 minutes. Carefully flip the tuna steaks over and check the internal temperature of the fish.
- Continue to cook the tuna until it reaches your desired internal temperature. Remove from the grill and let rest for a few minutes.
- Serve the smoked tuna with your favorite side dishes.
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Recipe Notes:
- Use fresh fish for the best flavor.
- Patience is key. Smoke it low and slow at 225 degrees F so the meat doesn't dry out.
- Use a meat thermometer for best results.
- Thicker fillets will take longer to smoke than thinner fillets.
- The USDA recommends a final internal temperature of 140-145 degrees F. However, if you prefer your tuna medium-rare, you will want an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F. Please see the chart in the notes below for the desired level of doneness.
- The smoking time will depend on the thickness of your fish, how hot your grill cooks, and other factors like outside temperature, etc. The fish will take 30 to 60 minutes to cook, depending on how you like it.
| Doneness Level | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 115-125°F |
| Medium-rare | 125-130°F |
| Medium | 130-140°F |
| Medium-well | 140-150°F |
| Well-done | 150°F and above |
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
R Dub says
Great recipe!
I omitted the sea salt and cooked at a slightly higher temp for less time and seared at max grill temp for 5 mins.
Jeri Walker says
I'm so glad you liked the tuna steaks! Thanks for coming back to rate the recipe and leave a helpful comment! 🙂 It's good to know they are delicious even without the salt!