Blackened Tuna Bites with Sweet Pickle Dipping Sauce

5 from 14 votes

Blackened Tuna Bites with Sweet Pickle Dipping Sauce

Bite-sized pieces of tuna are tossed with a homemade blackened spice blend and quickly sauteed. A cool and creamy sweet pickle sauce is perfect for dipping the flavorful tuna. Serve as an appetizer or entrée.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: appetizer or entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blackened tuna, blackened tuna bites, easy appetizer, easy dinner idea, seafood recipe, tuna, tuna bites

Servings: servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Amy Casey

Ingredients

for the sweet pickle dipping sauce
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
for the tuna bites
1 ½ pounds fresh tuna cut in 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons salted butter
lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, parsley and lemon juice. Set aside.
Prepare the tuna bites. In a medium sized bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and pepper. Add the tuna and toss to thoroughly coat each piece with the spice blend.
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the tuna in a single layer. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. The lesser cooking time is for tuna that will be slightly rare on the inside and the longer cooking time is for more well done tuna.
Remove the tuna from the pan to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce and lemon wedges.

Video

Notes

Use super fresh tuna. Ahi is my #1 choice. You can also use frozen tuna such as yellowfin.
Cut the tuna in the same size pieces ~ about 1 inch cubes ~ so it cooks evenly.
Tuna is dry and chewy when overcooked. Be sure to sauté it briefly in a hot pan for the best tasting tuna. You want it seared on the outside and still pink on the inside.
I like to control the spiciness of the blackened seasoning and mix up a batch with the everyday spices. If you have a favorite packaged brand, by all means use it instead.

Nutrition