Ohhhh EMM Geeee you guys!! We are freaking out over these seared ahi tuna patties!! You have got to make them. Talk about fresh, clean and delicious. Wow! Holy Yum! We decided to pair these cute little patties with our favorite GTK peanut sauce and some amazing spicy cabbage slaw. This is the perfect recipe for entertaining. You make these for your guests and they are gonna be totally impressed. Start by hitting up your favorite fish counter at your local market. Make sure it’s sustainable and really fresh, sushi grade ahi. You gotta get the good stuff guys. Don’t cut corners on your fish!
Dice the ahi steak into very small pieces (check out the photo above) and combine it in a medium bowl with the bell pepper, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, egg and salt and pepper. Gently combine these ingredients using your hands. Then form the mixture into patties. Don’t make them too big…this will ensure even cooking! Place the patties on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop them into the fridge for 30 minutes. This is when you can begin working on the peanut sauce and spicy slaw!
For the slaw, thinly slice your cabbage, bell pepper and red onion. Dice up the jalapeño and mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Just top with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and salt and pepper and toss it all up until its nicely incorporated. The flavor is outa this world and will really come together as it hangs out while you work on the peanut sauce and cooking up the tuna patties!
You can also make the peanut sauce ahead of time and just take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes prior to serving…this way it’s not super cold.
Remove the ahi patties from the fridge. Spread panko breadcrumbs out on a plate. Coat each side of ahi patty in the panko breadcrumbs. Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat and sear the patties for about 2 minutes on each side. You’ll want to see red in the center. You don’t want to over cook these guys or they will lose their flavor! Don’t do that!! You will be so sad. But we know that’s not gonna happen! We are confident that you are going to love these seared ahi patties as much as we do!
- 1 lb sushi grade ahi tuna
- ¼ C red bell pepper, finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 scallions, green tops only - chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- cracked pepper - about ½ tsp
- ½ C panko breadcrumbs
- Approx 2 Tbsp canola oil
- ½ C smooth peanut butter (we used Skippy natural)
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ C warm water
- 2 C purple cabbage, sliced very thin
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced very thin
- ¼ C red onion, finely chopped
- ½ medium jalapeno, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp good quality olive oil
- S & P to taste
- Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a small serving bowl alongside the ahi patties.
- Add cabbage, bell pepper, red onion and jalapeno to a medium bowl and toss. Add rice vinegar and olive oil, toss to coat. Season with S & P.
- In a small bowl lightly beat the egg, set aside.
- Finely dice the tuna and add to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, egg, and S&P. Gently mix with hands until incorporated.
- Form into equal size patties and line on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 4-5 hours for flavors to blend together.
- Before cooking the ahi patties, spread panko breadcrumbs evenly over a plate. Coat each side of ahi patty in panko and set aside.
- Heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear ahi patties for approximately 2 minutes per side - you want a sear on each side and red in the center of the patty. If you overcook the tuna the patties will be tough and lose their flavor. Line a platter or plate with spicy slaw. Place seared ahi patties over slaw and serve alongside peanut sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions or cilantro to serve.