Give Air Fried Tuna Steak A Crispier Skin With One Pantry Staple

Air-frying your tuna steaks is both fast and efficient. It will mimic the ultra-high heat of a sear without dirtying a frying pan or turning on the stove. One pantry staple that'll maximize that crispy contrast for your tuna steak crust is brown sugar.

If you've ever enjoyed creme brulee, you've probably seen how sugar forms a shatteringly crisp topping to custard when it's exposed to super hot temperatures. It will likewise caramelize and form a crust on various proteins, including pork, cuts of steak, and tuna. Additionally, a culinary weapon known as the Maillard reaction creates a brown crust on proteins as heat causes a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars.

Brown sugar is a common addition to dry rubs used on proteins, but you should also feel free to experiment. You can blend a bit of that sweet ingredient with other dry seasonings like salt, pepper, herbs, and powdered aromatics. An item like McCormick Culinary Everything Bagel Seasoning would help upgrade the flavor and texture of your steaks. The savory elements will counterbalance the sweetness.

Similar to red meat steaks, the quality and freshness of the tuna is tantamount to a successful outcome. When selecting the best tuna steak, look for sashimi grade tuna steaks that are deep red and shiny and avoid steaks with brown streaking. While you won't be eating sashimi grade tuna raw as the name suggests, you want to cook tuna steaks medium rare to showcase their texture and flavor. Consequently, you also want the steaks to be at least an inch thick. If the tuna steaks are too thin, they'll overcook and create a burnt exterior and dried-out interior.

Because tuna steaks are ultra tender, they shouldn't need a marinade if you're going to sear them for a minute or two on both sides. Moreover, brown sugar won't penetrate the meat like salt or liquid, remaining on the surface instead. That said, marinades are a great way to season the steaks and prevent them from drying out in the air fryer. Plus, you don't have to leave the fish sitting in the fridge overnight. Anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour is plenty of time to infuse it with moisture and flavor.

If you want to mimic searing, preheat your air fryer to the highest temperature it can reach, usually around 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, you can stick your brown sugar-crusted steak in for a mere 30 seconds per side. You can also cook your steak more slowly at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit for four minutes per side.