Pepper Crusted Tuna, Wasabi Cream Sauce - Celebration Generation
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Pepper Crusted Tuna

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Pepper Crusted Tuna With Wasabi Cream Sauce is a simple, elegant tuna dish, and the most popular recipe here! Easy to make, sure to impress.

Originally posted April 16, 2013. Updated 1/13/2021

Pepper crusted tuna with wasabi cream sauce. The tuna steak has been cooked rare, sliced up, and fanned out on the plate before being topped with the sauce.

Pepper Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce is such a simple recipe, but such an elegant taste and presentation. It's also one of the most popular recipes on this blog!

We first had Pepper Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce at a now-defunct Minneapolis restaurant.

We loved the idea, but the wasabi cream sauce had very little complexity to it, and almost no actual wasabi flavor.

Of course, that just meant that we'd have to play with the idea, ourselves!

This is the resulting recipe, which we love. Truth be told, we use a bit more wasabi than listed here... but this is a good amount for *most* people.

Pepper crusted tuna with wasabi cream sauce. The tuna steak has been cooked rare, sliced up, and fanned out on the plate before being topped with the sauce.

Raw Tuna Food Safety

You will need to use sashimi grade tuna for this, which means it’s been commercially frozen before use.

Fresh fish - no matter how fresh and high quality - is a high risk for parasites, and the commercial - “flash” - freezing kills that all off.

No one wants raw fish related food poisoning, trust me on this. (Related: I’ll never buy sushi from a grocery store again. TWICE I got sick from sushi made in a high end grocery chain in Minneapolis!)

To thaw frozen sashimi grade fish, place it in the fridge overnight, and use it the next day. When using it, it should LOOK fresh - and smell like the ocean. If it has a heavy fishy smell, don't use it.

A pepper crusted tuna steak - rare - that has been sliced up, fanned out on a small white plate, and drizzled with wasabi cream sauce.

How to Make Pepper Crusted Tuna

In a spice grinder or with a mortar & pestle, grind peppercorns, sesame seeds, and salt together until it becomes a relatively fine powder. Spread mixture on a plate.

A 2 part compilation image, showing ingredients before and after being ground with the mortar and pestle.

One at a time, press tuna steaks into the spice mixture, coating all surfaces. Use hands to press additional spice mixture into any areas missed.

A two part compilation image showing a piece of tuna being coated in the pepper and sesame seed rub.

Set tuna steaks aside, while you make your sauce. You’ll want the tuna to come up to room temp, for best results.

Two pieces of tuna steak have been coated in the sesame seed and pepper rub, are resting on some parchment paper.

How to Make Wasabi Cream Sauce

In a saucepan (NOT over heat!), whisk together wasabi powder and water until smooth, allow to sit for 5 minutes.*

A two part compilation image showing a hand holding a canister of wasabi powder in the top image, and the powder having been mixed into a paste in the second image.

When 5 minutes have passed, whisk in rice vinegar, soy sauce, and heavy cream.

A two part compilation image showing the wasabit, vinegar, and soy sauce mixed together in the top image, and the heavy cream being added to the pot in the second image.

Turn burner heat on to medium, heat sauce just to a simmer. Allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes, mostly just keeping it warm as you cook the tuna steaks.

*Note: If you don't have wasabi powder, use ~ 1 tablespoon prepared wasabi, omitting the water. Skip right to whisking in the other ingredients.

If you are sensitive to wasabi - or you have a very strong brand of wasabi - you can start with less and adjust up, if needed.

How to Cook Tuna Steaks

Tuna steak is best when cooked just long enough to sear the outside, and warm it through. Rare or - at most - medium rare makes for the best flavour and texture.

So, when cooking your tuna steaks, be sure to not overcook them!

Heat your olive oil in a nonstick fry pan or skillet. For a bit of extra flavour, you can add some sesame oil with / instead of the olive oil, if you'd like.

Gently transfer tuna steaks to the pan, leaving at least 1" space between each.

2 Pepper crusted tuna steaks, cooking in a nonstick pan.

Cook for a minute and a half on the first side, then flip and cook a minute and a half on the second side.

This will give you a nice rare tuna steak - cook for a little longer if you prefer it to be a little more cooked.

Slice tuna steaks...

A two part compilation image. In the top photo, a cooked pepper crusted tuna steak on a cutting board. In the bottom image, it has been sliced up.

... fan them out on the plate, and serve with wasabi cream sauce.

A pepper crusted tuna steak, cooked rare, has been sliced and fanned out over some rice.

Enjoy!

Pepper crusted tuna with wasabi cream sauce. The tuna steak has been cooked rare, sliced up, and fanned out on the plate before being topped with the sauce.

A pepper crusted tuna steak - rare - that has been sliced up, fanned out on a small white plate, and drizzled with wasabi cream sauce.

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, and subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Pepper crusted tuna with wasabi cream sauce. The tuna steak has been cooked rare, sliced up, and fanned out on the plate before being topped with the sauce.

Pepper crusted tuna with wasabi cream sauce. The tuna steak has been cooked rare, sliced up, and fanned out on the plate before being topped with the sauce.
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4.79 from 37 votes

Pepper Crusted Tuna Steak with Wasabi Cream Sauce

This simple and elegant tuna dish is the most popular recipe on this blog!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Fish
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 419kcal
Author: Marie Porter

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon White Peppercorns Optional
  • 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Sashimi Grade Tuna Steaks
  • 1+ tablespoon Wasabi Powder*
  • 2 tablespoon Water*
  • 2 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

  • In a spice grinder or with a mortar & pestle, grind peppercorns, sesame seeds, and salt together until it becomes a relatively fine powder. Spread mixture on a plate.
  • One at a time, press tuna steaks into the spice mixture, coating both sides. Use hands to press additional spice mixture into any areas missed, Set tuna steaks aside.
  • In a saucepan (NOT over heat!), whisk together wasabi powder and water until smooth, allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • When 5 minutes have passed, whisk in rice vinegar, soy sauce, and heavy cream. Turn burner heat on to medium, heat sauce just to a simmer. Allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes, as you prepare the tuna steaks.
  • Heat olive oil in a nonstick fry pan or skillet. Gently transfer tuna steaks to the pan, leaving at least 1″ space between each.
    Cook for a minute and a half on the first side, then flip and cook a minute and a half on the second side. This will give you a nice rare tuna steak – cook for longer if you prefer it to be more cooked.
  • Slice tuna steaks, fan them out, and serve with wasabi cream sauce.

Notes

If you don't have wasabi powder, use ~ 1 tablespoon prepared wasabi, omitting the water. Skip right to whisking in the other ingredients.
If you are sensitive to wasabi - or you have a very strong brand of wasabi - you can start with less and adjust up, if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3393IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 2mg

A pepper crusted tuna steak - rare - that has been sliced up, fanned out on a small white plate, and drizzled with wasabi cream sauce.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lillian

    5 stars
    ``````tried this recipe and it is awesome. My husband could not stop talking about it. Thank you for sharing this recipe

    Reply

  2. Tom Barlow

    5 stars
    Didn’t have enough heavy cream. Ended up using half heavy cream, half sour cream. Not bad👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

    Reply

  3. Maryjo

    5 stars
    Great post, I think people should larn a lot from this website
    its very user friendly. So much fantastic info on here :D.

    Reply

  4. Tesla

    5 stars
    This recipe was super easy to follow- with the exception of it doesn’t specify how hot to get the skillet. I used a mortar and pestle and would cut down on the peppercorns next time, but I didn’t make the sauce and instead used a store bought sauce so maybe that would cut down on some of the peppercorn flavor. Delicious and easy!

    Reply

  5. Doreen

    I love this recipe. Unbelievable how something so delicious can be sooo easy to make. I put my salt sesame seeds and peppercorns in a peppercorn grinder. Perfection every time!!

    Reply

  6. Laura

    5 stars
    I make this recipe once a week. In stead of grinding the peppercorns, I use everything but the bagel spice found at Trader Joe's or Costco and add extra peppercorns. It is amazing and super healthy and easy. Love the wasabi sauce. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the great work and amazing recipes.

    Reply

  7. Janice

    5 stars
    I cut the sauce in half because I only had two tuna steaks and I still have some left over! It was divine! Thank you for the easy breezy recipe! Can’t wait to cook it again!

    Reply

  8. Lorrie

    5 stars
    So delicious and easy

    Reply

  9. Michelle

    Delicious dinner, will definitely make again. However, I used 2 tablespoons of wasabi paste as recommended and we nearly died. Next time I would cautiously use a teaspoon. I look forward to trying again with a tweak in the wasabi.

    Reply

    • Marie Porter

      Wasabi paste can sometimes vary in strength, as can people's taste for it! If you think you'd get enough flavour from 1 tsp of the kind you have, definitely do that!

      Reply

  10. Eileen

    Made this last night. It was amazing! And truly easy. Thank you!

    Reply

  11. Anna

    Can i use flank steak instead of tuna

    Reply

    • Marie Porter

      I don't see why not!

      Reply

  12. Robin Sherman

    5 stars
    Loved this. Amazing wasabi cream sauce. Going to try it on a peppercorn steak as well.

    Reply

  13. Debbie

    Love this recipe, just found that directions for the wasabi sauce did not result in the thicker sauce shown in photo, but quite a thin sauce that was barely visible on the plate . Still tasty though and very easy to make

    Reply

  14. Teri Buteau-Landuyt

    A 3 oz Ahi steak is 11 calories. How did the 419 Kcal in this recipe compute??? Where are the 300 extra coming from.

    Reply

    • Marie Porter

      110 calories, actually - for the fish alone.

      There's also sesame seeds, oil, and cream sauce.

      Reply

  15. Robin

    5 stars
    Great recipe. We loved this! Served over arugula with a side of grilled corn/zucchini and potatoes.

    Reply

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