Why You Should Consider Using Mayo To Grill Tuna

Mayonnaise, which is an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, an acid like lemon juice or vinegar, and maybe some seasoning (via How Stuff Works), is an incredibly versatile condiment. It's one of the key ingredients in the likes of tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, and potato salad. For some people, it's hard to imagine any kind of sandwich or a burger without mayo as one of the key condiments, or as a dip for French fries.

Mayo is also a secret weapon for creating better versions of a wide assortment of foods: add it to your next batch of muffins or cake for fluffy, tender, and moist morsels; add it to homemade quiche for better flavors and texture; use instead of butter for perfectly golden and crunchy grilled cheese sandwiches. So perhaps it's not that unusual to suggest using mayo to grill tuna, as odd as that sounds at the first, second, and perhaps even third hearing.

According to The Kitchn, one of the main reasons to use mayo is that it can prevent fish (like tuna) from sticking to the grill, which as anyone who has ever grilled fish knows is one of the main risks with grilling fish. You need some kind of fat to coat the fish when grilling, and many people use oil. But the problem with using oil is that it doesn't stick to the fish very well. Mayo, in the other hand, has exceptional sticking power, due to being an emulsion, the LA Times explains, before noting that mayo may also prevent foods from drying out, leading to a more moist and tender fish dish. Serious Eats adds that using mayo on fish also helps to cook it more evenly and prevent the surface from overcooking.

One potential concern with using mayo to grill tuna is that the mayo may add an unwanted taste to the otherwise delicate flavors of the fish, particularly when cooking for someone in the anti-mayo camp. However, per The Kitchn, there's no need to worry as the "flavor isn't noticeable after cooking," while Real Simple notes that you can't taste the mayo at all when used to grill fish. So the next time you're planning to grill some tuna (or other fish or protein), don't forget to grab that bottle of mayo.