These 25-minute Seared Tuna Noodle Bowls are a delicious and healthy meal that is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special occasion. The combination of fresh, flavorful ahi tuna fillets with the light and springy soba noodles is simply irresistible.
The noodles are tossed in a quick ponzu sauce that takes minutes to make, while the tuna is pan seared in a white and black sesame seed crust, which adds a nutty taste and a slightly crunchy texture. It’s delightful!
You can customize the toppings however you like. We suggest garnishes of thinly sliced green onion, fresh cilantro, pickled ginger, Thai chiles for heat, and fresh lime wedges. The noodle bowls can be enjoyed hot, room temperature, or cold, meaning these are great year round, whether it’s a hot summer day or a cool winter evening. We just love them!
Check out all of our easy seafood recipes for more dinner inspiration. But if you love tuna as much as we do, you may want to try our Ahi Tuna Poké Bowls or this easy Tuna Tartare Recipe next!
Ingredient Notes
- Ahi tuna fillets: Be sure to buy sushi-grade raw tuna for this recipe, as it will be just barely seared on both sides. When you consume raw (or mostly raw) seafood, it’s best to buy the highest quality.
- Sesame oil: A little toasted sesame oil will be brushed on the fillets, which helps the seasoning stick.
- Kosher salt, black sesame seeds, and white sesame seeds: To season and add flavor to the tuna.
- Soba noodles, ramen noodles, or udon: This is a versatile recipe — use whichever noodles you like best! We’re using soba noodles.
The sauce is made from:
- Ponzu: A sauce or condiment made mainly from combining various citrus juices.
- Mirin: A sweet Japanese rice vinegar similar to sake, except with more sugar and less alcohol.Rice wine vinegar can be used instead.
- Ginger paste or fresh ginger root: I love ginger paste for its convenience, but freshly peeled and grated ginger is grate.
- Fish sauce: Made from fermented fish or krill (such as anchovies).
- Sesame oil: To add a nutty taste.
- Granulated sugar: To balance out the sauce and add a little sweetness (you really need this when using fish sauce).
- Sriracha: Our favorite chili sauce!
- Limes: Fresh lime juice is added to the sauce, but we also recommend grabbing an extra lime to cut into wedges for serving.
- Canola oil: Or other light, neutral oil, for pan frying the fish.
- Scallions: Sautéed quickly to enhance their onion flavor.
- Garlic: Sautéed alongside the scallions. These add great flavor to the sauce!
How To Make Seared Tuna Noodle Bowls
These are incredibly simple to make! All you need to do is sear ahi tuna fillets (we like to season them with sesame oil, Kosher salt, and a mix of black and white sesame seeds), cook some soba noodles according to package instructions, then toss with our simple ponzu sauce.
To make the noodle bowl sauce, combine ponzu, mirin, ginger paste, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, Sriracha, and lime juice in a bowl, then whisk to combine.
Next, sauté the aromatics. Heat a little neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, add sliced scallions and chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, then pour the garlic mixture into the ponzu sauce. Place the cooked noodles directly in the sauce, then divide between bowls.
Serve with sliced tuna and your favorite garnishes, such as scallions, cilantro, Thai red chillies, sesame seeds, and pickled ginger.
FAQs
Yes, absolutely! We still recommend sushi-grade, as the fish is served rare. If using frozen tuna, simply thaw overnight in a fridge to defrost, then pat dry with paper towels. Proceed with the recipe as written.
To keep it rare, pan sear or grill the tuna. Either way, you want to make sure you’re cooking over high heat and for no more than 30-60 seconds per side.
Yes! Use your favorite sushi-grade raw seafood (such as salmon, scallops, or yellowtail) or you can cook the fish. Pan seared salmon would be fantastic, as would seared scallops, mahi mahi, halibut, or shrimp.
Soba noodles are traditionally made from buckwheat and water, so they’re naturally gluten-free. However, you should be sure to check the labels on the ponzu sauce ingredients to make sure you’re using all gluten-free products. Otherwise, yes — this recipe is gluten-free!
Expert Tips
- Tuna: Since the tuna is being served rare, we recommend using sushi grade ahi tuna. Totally fine to use frozen sushi-grade, just allow it to thaw completely.
- Pat dry with paper towels: This helps the sesame seeds and salt adhere to the fish.
- Don’t overcook the tuna! This recipe really is best when the seared tuna is served rare. Look for an internal temperature of 120F.
- Slice against the grain! Use a sharp knife and slice the seared tuna against the grain. This ensures that each bite is tender and easy to bite into.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: The noodles and sauce can be prepped and cooked ahead of time. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. The tuna can be prepped earlier in the day, but you want to sear it the same day you bring it home from the store.
- Leftovers and storage: Seared tuna will keep in a refrigerator for an additional 2 days. Be sure to seal it in an airtight container. Remember, seafood has a shorter shelf life than other proteins.
- To reheat later: First, let me say this is absolutely delicious cold. Truly! If you want to reheat the noodles or serve them above room temperature, we recommend removing the tuna (just enjoy that cold so it doesn’t over cook) and then reheating the noodles in a saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat just until warm. It’ll only take a few minutes.
- We do not recommend freezing these leftovers. Enjoy fresh!
How To Serve
All these noodles bowls need is a veggie side dish to complete! We love sautéed bok choy, but blistered shishitos, our 15-minute blistered string beans, or edamame would pair beautifully.
A few other suggestions:
- Seaweed salad
- Miso soup
- A light cucumber salad
- Sautéed garlic spinach
- Roast vegetables
Substitutions and Variations
- Soba noodles: If you can’t find soba or simply prefer to use a different type of noodle, that’s fine! Whole wheat or rice noodles are available in many markets. You can also use ramen noodles (either fresh or from a package, just ditch the seasoning blend).
- Tuna: Feel free to experiment with other varieties of sushi-grade seafood, such as salmon, yellowtail, or scallops.
- Vegetables: Add other veggies if you like! Bell peppers, edamame, bok choy, snap peas, snow peas, or thinly sliced radishes would pair well.
So quick, so easy, and so versatile! My favorite part is that these noodle bowls can be enjoyed straight out of the fridge cold. Yum!
If you make this Seared Tuna Noodle Bowls recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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25-Minute Tuna Noodle Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tuna
- 2 (4-5oz) ahi tuna fillets (look for tuna with a deep red color)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup white sesame seeds
For the sauce
- ⅓ cup ponzu
- 2 Tbsp mirin or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp ginger paste, or a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp sriracha, can substitute with wasabi paste or chili oil
- Juice of 1 lime about 2 Tbsp
- 4 Tbsp canola oil, or other light, neutral oil, divided
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For the noodle bowls
- 6 oz soba noodles, ramen noodles, or udon, cooked according to package instructions
- Serving suggestions: thinly sliced scallion, 1-2 Thai red chilies, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, lime wedges, and pickled ginger
Instructions
- Prepare the tuna. Pat the tuna dry on both sides with paper towels, then brush each filet lightly with sesame oil. Season each tuna steak with ½ tsp Kosher salt. Mix ¼ cup black sesame seeds and ¼ cup white white sesame seeds together on a plate or sheet tray. Firmly press the tuna filets into the sesame seeds to coat on all sides.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together ⅓ cup of ponzu, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 tsp ginger paste, 2 tsp fish sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp sriracha, and the juice of 1 lime in a large bowl.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, add thinly sliced scallions and 3 chopped garlic cloves, then cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, or until very fragrant. Pour the scallion and garlic mixture into the sauce, then stir well to combine. Gently wipe out the pan.
- Sear the tuna. Return the pan to medium-high heat, then add remaining 2 Tbsp neutral oil. When just barely smoking, carefully add the tuna fillets, cooking for 30-60 seconds per side for rare, or 1-2 minutes per side for medium. Transfer the seared tuna to a plate. Allow to cool slightly.
- Dress the noodles. Add the cooked soba noodles directly to the sauce, then gently toss to thoroughly mix. Divide the noodles evenly between two bowls.
- Assemble, then serve. Thinly cut tuna across the grain into slices about ¼ -inch thick, then divide between bowls. Garnish with scallions, Thai red chiles, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, and lime wedges. Pickled ginger can be added to the bowls or served on the side. Enjoy hot, room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include garnishes.
- To make-ahead: The noodles and sauce can be prepped and cooked ahead of time. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. The tuna can be prepped earlier in the day, but you want to sear it the same day you bring it home from the store.
- Leftovers and storage: Seared tuna will keep in a refrigerator for an additional 2 days. Be sure to seal it in an airtight container. Remember, seafood has a shorter shelf life than other proteins.
- To reheat later: First, let me say this is absolutely delicious cold. Truly! If you want to reheat the noodles or serve them above room temperature, we recommend removing the tuna (just enjoy that cold so it doesn’t over cook) and then reheating the noodles in a saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat just until warm. It’ll only take a few minutes.
- We do not recommend freezing these leftovers. Enjoy fresh!
- Be sure to buy sushi-grade ahi tuna for this recipe. Look for fish that is bright red, not at all brown, and has a fresh ocean smell.
- If you prefer to eat the tuna cold, sear it ahead of time, then wrap whole filets tightly in plastic wrap and chill in a fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Japanese noodles are often sold in 9oz packages and divided into 3 individual portions. You can easily scale this recipe up or down to fit your desired serving size.
- Other topping suggestions: avocado, bean sprouts, chili oil, chili flakes, wasabi, edamame, bok choy, snap peas, thinly sliced radishes, or cucumbers.
Nutrition
Photography by: Megan McKeehan
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