Fish is one of those things I wish I ate more of, but somehow only seem to eat it every once in awhile. Part of that is due to my dislike of leftover fish, so when I make it, I tend to have leftovers already established or I make it for lunch on a Saturday afternoon.

I love tender, flaky and flavorful fish.. and I'm not too picky. I'll eat just about any kind.  Growing up we didn't eat a lot of tuna, and it was usually a canned tuna fish sandwich bursting at the seams with delicious relish if we did. It wasn't until after Seth and I had been dating awhile that we went to a really great sushi restaurant in Bend where I tried their ahi tuna. Amazing.

So now when I come across some awesome tuna steaks in the store, I'll grab them and figure out what I'll do with them later.

I love ginger and seafood. Such a wonderful combo, add in some garlic and cilantro and you have the makings for great flavor.

The trick with seafood as I have found is to let it marinate for a longer period of time. It reduces the 'fishy' flavor immensely. My husbands not the biggest fan of fish, so I do the best I can to disguise any hints of it ;).

This marinade is Whole30 approved in case you are mid-30ing. It's also a marinade recipe that lends itself to all sorts of alterations. Swap the lime for some orange, add some parsley or dill, go for some salmon or cod in place of tuna or just follow along as it is.  You'll love it.

Tuna Steak Marinade

For 1-2 large steaks or 4-6 small ones

3 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/8-1/4 cup coconut aminos teriyaki sauce* (I love this stuff and tend to lean toward the 1/4c.)
1/3 cup water (adjust as necessary to thin)
Juice & zest of 1 lime

Let marinade for 2-4 hours in the fridge. 

When ready to cook, scrape off the cilantro/marinade from the steaks, save and set aside.
Cook steaks on med-high heat (grill or frying pan) 4 mins each side for med-rare. Move to plate. 

Pour reserved marinade into the same pan, reduce heat to medium, simmer until reduced and sugars start to caramelize and sauce thickens. 

Top steaks with reduction. Serve on bed of rice with sauteed kale or spinach, avocado slices and garnish with green onions.

To make this entirely Whole30 compliant, change out the rice for zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower or even mashed/baked sweet potatoes.  

*If you are near a Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Market of Choice or any other health food store, they often have the Coconut Aminos Line. If not, Amazon is my favorite, they have everything. 


If you end up making this recipe (or any others for that matter) be sure to come back and leave a comment or share a photo of social media and tag me (@mwheeler711) or #barbellinthekitchen so that I see it. I love seeing and sharing your BITK creations. It literally makes my day