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Drizzling piccata sauce over tuna steaks.

Tuna Piccata

This tuna piccata is a simple recipe for tuna steaks with lemon caper sauce.
The dish is quick and easy to make, so it's perfect for a weeknight meal. And, if you're looking for an impressive dish to serve to guests, this one will definitely impress.
Piccata sauce is a rich, flavorful sauce made from lemon, capers, white wine, and butter. It is a zesty, bold sauce that pairs well with tuna.
4.67 from 15 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 437kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • 2 Ahi Tuna steaks about 1 inch thick
  • ½ teasoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 2 shallots finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons flour optional
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Season both sides of the tuna with salt and set them aside while you make the lemon piccata sauce. The salt will act as a quick dry-brine and give the tuna a firmer texture. 
  • Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter in the saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots are soft.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to get the raw flavor out. The flour is optional but it will add some body to the sauce.  
  • Whisk in the chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, capers, and lemon zest. Cook for 1 to 3  minutes until slightly reduced. For a thicker sauce, reduce it for a few more minutes. Set the sauce aside but keep it in the skillet so you can warm it up later. 
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place the tuna steaks in the hot fry pan and cook for 1 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on desired doneness (Tuna will become dry if cooked well-done and is best cooked rare to medium).
  • Heat the lemon butter sauce over medium heat until heated thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve promptly.

Notes

  • If you have exceptionally large shallots, only use one so it doesn't overwhelm the piccata sauce. 
  • You can make the lemon caper sauce in advance and store it in the fridge. 
  • If you make the sauce in advance, don’t salt the tuna steaks in advance. Salt draws moisture out of the fish and can dry it out if it sits on the tuna too long. However, seasoning tuna within 5 to 15 minutes prior to cooking it will improve the texture and flavor of the fish. 
  • Tuna is rich, moist, and buttery if it is cooked to rare or medium-rare doneness. If you cook tuna well-done, it gets dry and flakey like canned tuna.
  • It is easy to use your eyes as a guide for doneness on tuna steak. The flesh of rare tuna looks bright red and it turns white when it is well-done.
  • If you want to be absolutely precise you can use a thermometer. Rare is 110°F to 113°F, medium-rare is 114°F to 120°F, Medium is 122°F, and well done is over 130°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 351mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g