Japanese-Fusion Medium 42g protein

Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Cucumber-Avocado Salad

42g protein. Seared in 4 minutes. Restaurant-level.

Sushi-grade ahi tuna coated in sesame seeds, seared rare, and served over a bright cucumber-avocado salad with ponzu dipping sauce. High protein, low carb, done in 15 minutes.

Prep 10 min
Cook 5 min
Total 15 min
Servings 2
By Marcus Cole · March 20, 2026
Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Cucumber-Avocado Salad

I discovered seared ahi tuna during a wrestling tournament in San Diego. A teammate dragged me to a poke spot and I ordered a tuna steak because it was the most protein on the menu. It showed up looking like something from a cooking show, and it tasted even better. I spent the next month figuring out how to make it at home.

The trick is a screaming hot pan and about two minutes per side. That is it. You are not cooking this through. You want a hard sesame crust on the outside and rare, cool tuna in the center. If you overcook it, you have canned tuna. Do not do that.

The cucumber-avocado salad does double duty as a side and a topping. It is cool, crunchy, and cuts through the richness of the tuna. I make the ponzu dipping sauce in the time it takes the pan to heat up. This whole plate comes together in 15 minutes and has more protein than most gym bros get from their shaker bottle.

Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Cucumber-Avocado Salad

410 Calories
42g Protein
12g Carbs
22g Fat

Ingredients

  • FOR THE TUNA
  • FOR THE CUCUMBER-AVOCADO SALAD
  • FOR THE PONZU DIPPING SAUCE

Instructions

  1. Pat tuna steaks completely dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
  2. Mix white and black sesame seeds on a plate. Press each tuna steak firmly into the seeds, coating all sides evenly. You want a thick, even crust.
  3. Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flakes for the ponzu sauce. Set aside.
  4. Toss cucumber rounds, avocado, green onions, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt in a bowl. Arrange on plates.
  5. Heat avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Sear tuna 60-90 seconds per side. The sesame seeds should be golden and the center should still be raw and cool.
  6. Slice tuna against the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Fan over the cucumber-avocado salad. Drizzle with ponzu sauce and serve with lime wedges.