Today I’m bringing back another oldie from the beginning days of the blog: my favorite Tuna Nachos!
These are absolutely incredibly delicious. Fried wontons are topped with seaweed salad, seared tuna, tomatoes, avocado, and sesame seeds, then drizzled with wasabi mayo and sriracha.
You can take a shortcut if you want and use tortilla chips, but there’s just something about those fried wontons that take this to a whole new level.
Back in late 2010, I ate something very similar to these at a restaurant while vacationing in Islamorada, FL (Island Grill) and absolutely fell in love with these nachos. Over the years, I’ve made them and adapted their recipe to make it my own.
My local grocery store has a sushi section and I purchased the seaweed salad there… because I just don’t have the time to making all of that (LOL!). I also purchased a very small container of wasabi paste from that section to make the wasabi mayo (you’ll only need two teaspoons).
This recipe yields two very generous servings and would be the perfect special dinner for your loved one this Valentine’s Day if he or she loves tuna!
Enjoy!
Tuna Nachos
Ingredients
For the tuna:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks
For the wasabi mayo:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
For the fried wontons:
- 6 ounces wonton wraps sliced in half to make triangles
- 1 quart vegetable oil
Additional ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups prepared seaweed salad
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 avocado halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Sriracha sauce
- Additional soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade for the tuna by whisking together soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place tuna steaks in a zip-top bag and pour in marinade. Coat well and place in your refrigerator.
- While tuna is marinating, prepare wasabi mayo by whisking ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
- Prepare fried wontons by heating vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or skillet with high sides over medium high heat (2 inches deep) until it reaches 350 degrees F, using a deep-fry thermometer.
- Add wontons to oil and fry, working in batches, until chips are slightly puffy and golden brown, stirring gently (about 1 minute). Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a temperature of 350 degrees F. Carefully transfer to a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels.
Sear the tuna:
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Remove tuna steaks from marinade and sear for 1 minute on each side, or until desired temperature is met (my tuna steaks were 1 ½ inches thick and seared 1 minute on each side to yield rare). *The FDA recommends tuna steak be cooked to an internal temp of at least 145 degrees F using a digital instant read thermometer.
- Remove tuna steaks from pan and thinly slice into approximately 1-inch pieces.
Prepare the nachos:
- Assemble nachos by evenly distributing fried wontons onto 2 plates. Top each with ½ of the seaweed salad, followed by the sliced tuna, avocado, tomatoes, and sesame seeds.
- Drizzle with desired amount of wasabi mayo and sriracha. Serve with additional soy sauce if desired.
Notes
- The USDA recommends tuna steak be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F using a digital instant read thermometer.
- Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or unpasteurized milk may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Originally published December 15, 2011. Updated with new photos and text January 9, 2017.
Greg
The Island grill in Islamorada was also my first introduction to spicy tuna nachos. Back in 2001. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I’m very happy that they are back open after a lengthly “vacation” after Irma.
I’ll be making these next Saturday for a gathering of friends.
Madeleine
How long should I marinate my tuna for?
Hi Madeleine, I marinate the tuna while I’m preparing the other ingredients (wasabi mayo and frying the wontons). I hope you enjoy it!
Lorena
How do you make the seaweed salad, or do you just buy it pre made?
Hi Lorena, I always buy it pre made in the sushi section of the grocery store. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Valentina | The Baking Fairy
These look incredible! I love sushi and I love nachos, but I would have never thought to combine the two. Yum!
Thanks so much, Valentina! This is one of my favorite ways to eat tuna! 🙂