How Long It Takes To Cook Ahi Tuna In The Air Fryer

Otherwise known as yellowfin tuna, ahi tuna has a mild, meaty taste that's enjoyed in sushi and poke bowls alike. While it's often consumed raw, when cooked, it can take on a more fishy flavor. 

An air fryer can bring the decadent taste of ahi tuna to your home in only a few minutes. The intensity of an air fryer's heat makes it easy to overcook food, so it's important to know how long to leave your ahi tuna in the device, lest it becomes tough and dry like cardboard. Ahi tuna steaks shouldn't stay in the air fryer for longer than seven minutes.

However, there's more to the story, as how long you leave your tuna steak in the air fryer depends in part on how well you want it cooked. The sweet spot tends to be around four minutes for tender ahi tuna that's medium rare to medium. Five to seven minutes will get you to well done. If you like seared ahi tuna with a rare inside, air fry the tuna steak for around three minutes.

However you want it done, be careful not to let your ahi tuna stay too long under the heat. For an easy test, gently pull at the outside of the tuna with a fork to ensure that it can be easily flaked, a surefire sign that it's ready to eat. When air frying the tuna, set the device to 380 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid tough fish.

To help keep your tuna steak perfectly moist, you can also marinate it before cooking. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and herbs, then place this mixture and the tuna steaks in a plastic bag in the fridge for a maximum of two hours. While this won't stop it from drying out completely if you hit it hard with an air fryer's heat, this step will help the tuna stay moist while infusing it with extra flavor.