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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.
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.
Recipe Tips
Partially freeze the tuna: A quick chill in the freezer makes slicing way easier. Aim for 15 minutes if it hasn’t been frozen.
Use a sharp knife: Dull knives mash raw fish. You want clean, even 1/4-inch slices.
Pick the right olive oil: Go for an extra virgin oil you actually like the taste of—either grassy and green or soft and buttery, depending on your vibe.
Chill those cucumbers: A quick soak in ice water gives them extra crunch and makes them easy to work with.
Endive hack: Slice off a bit of the base and remove the leaves gradually. Pulling too many at once tends to break them.
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.
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Tuna Crudo
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Ingredients
- 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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This looks so refreshing and pretty easy too!
Hi, Amy….yes, this is an easy app to put together, so delicious 🙂
A very impressive and delicious looking appetizer !
Hi, Linda…..These are really delish! Thanks for your comments 🙂
Now that’s what I call a perfect appetizer. Simple yet crazy delicious!
Oh, you are so right, Igor the tuna is creamy delicious!…thank you!
I know in theory tuna doesn’t need to be frozen (other fish must be), but I feel more comfortable freezing it. Anyway, this looks wonderful! Light and flavorful — perfect end-of-summer dish. Thanks!
Thanks, John….I’m with you on the freezing.
This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing:)
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Thank you, Irina….It is delicious 🙂
You have made this look beautiful. I love tuna like this, so good for you as well
Hi, Bintu…Tuna is so smooth, creamy and delicious. Fresh salmon works really well with this also. 🙂
What an elegant appetizer. You gave some great information about dealing with Ahi tuna. Beautiful photos.
Thank you, Ginny 🙂
Yum! These look delicious and bonus points for being just a hair over 200 calories per serving. I must try these ASAP!
Hi, Luci…try them, you will like them, I promise! 🙂
GORGEOUS! We love fresh raw tuna (and salmon) and eat it all the time. Your photos are stunning, honey!
Thank you, Britt….:)
I love the color of this dish! Yum!
Hi, Jillian…this is so good I could eat it every day. 🙂