Tuna Crudo

Tuna crudo is all about letting quality ingredients speak for themselves. This recipe keeps it straightforward: sashimi-grade ahi tuna sliced thin, drizzled with a zippy vinaigrette, and served in crisp endive leaves for a touch of crunch.

Raw tuna, leveled up. No rice, no wasabi. Just fresh, fast, and elegant.

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If you’re after something more classic with rice, our salmon sushi bowls have you covered.

Here’s Why This Tuna Crudo Recipe Works

It Puts the Fish First: This recipe doesn’t drown the tuna in sauce or distractions. It’s all about showcasing high-quality, sashimi-grade ahi tuna. The kind of ingredient that doesn’t need dressing up to impress.

Bold, Balanced Flavors: The vinaigrette hits all the right notes: acid from lemon, heat from red pepper flakes, richness from olive oil, and a salty punch from capers.

Built-in crunch: Endive leaves and chilled cucumber slices add the perfect fresh snap in every bite.

Fast, Fancy, and Fuss-Free: There’s zero cooking, minimal prep, and no special equipment. Just slice, dress, and serve. It looks like something you’d get at a high-end restaurant, but you can pull it off in 15 minutes flat.

For more ways to serve up stunning fish, check out our Salmon Gravlax and Black Rice Sushi Rolls.

If you’re into tuna but want something you can call lunch, the Ahi Tuna Grain Bowl is worth a look.

Simple, Stunning, and All About the Fish

This tuna crudo proves you don’t need bells and whistles when your ingredients are solid. It’s fast, bold, and downright elegant. It’s just as at home on a dinner party platter as it is on a quiet date-night table.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

4.92 from 34 votes

Tuna Crudo

By Pat Nyswonger

Tuna Crudo appetizers are delicate slices of raw tuna, drizzled with a light lemon vinaigrette and served with cucumber slices in Belgian endive boats.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 20

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 10 ounces sushi-grade Ahi tuna , partially thawed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil, see Notes
• ▢ 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon caper berries
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brine from capers
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ English cucumbers
• ▢ 3-4 Belgian endive, depending on their size

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Instructions 

• Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, caper brine, and red pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Slice the cucumber into thin slices and add to a bowl of ice water. With a sharp knife, slice the brown cut end from each endive and carefully remove a layer of leaves. Slice off the end again to release the next layer of leaves. 

  Continue the process until you have about 20 leaves approximately the same size. Reserve any unused portions of the Belgian endive for another purpose. 
• Remove the partially thawed tuna from the refrigerator and place on a clean work surface. Using a very sharp, thin-blade knife, cut the tuna into 1/4-inch slices. 

  Add the sliced tuna to a plate and drizzle the vinaigrette over it. Allow to marinate for 5-minutes while preparing the serving plate.
• Remove the cucumber slices from the cold water and place on an absorbent kitchen towel, blot dry with paper towels. 
• Arrange the Belgian endive ‘boats’ on a serving platter, add a slice of cucumber and then two slices of the tuna to each boat with a tiny drizzle of vinaigrette. Garnish with capers and fresh herbs. 

Notes

Partially freeze the tuna: If the tuna loin hasn’t been frozen, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes. It’ll firm up just enough to make slicing easier.

Choose your olive oil wisely: Extra virgin olive oil flavor varies based on the olives. Ripe olives produce a milder, more aromatic oil, while green olives give a punchier, slightly bitter flavor. Use one you know tastes good.

About the cucumber: We prefer English cucumbers (the long ones wrapped in plastic) because they’re mild and nearly seedless. A mandoline makes slicing a breeze, and a quick soak in cold water makes the slices extra crisp.

Don’t waste the endive: Leftover Belgian endive is great in salads, roasted with olive oil and salt, or sautéed as a simple side dish.

Storage: Store any leftover tuna crudo in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within one day.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pieces, Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.6g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 0.7g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Fiber: 1.6g, Sugar: 0.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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