Every Christmas Eve, my grandma prepared this dish as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. My all-time favorite, and we still make it now!
| Prep Time: | 5 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 tuna steaks |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, cut into chunks
- 4 tuna steaks
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook and stir until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove the onion from the skillet.
- Place the tuna steaks in the same skillet over medium-high heat and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the tuna steaks to a serving tray; keep warm.
- Stir the vinegar and sugar together in the same skillet until sugar is dissolved. Return the onions to the pan, and simmer until the liquid reduces and is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Return the tuna to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Place the tuna on the warm serving tray and top with the onion and sweet and sour mixture.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 500 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 58 g |
| Cholesterol | 77 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 64 mg |
| Sugars | 52 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Wow! WAY too sweet!!! I would suggest starting with the 1 c. of red wine vinegar and adding 1/4 c. of sugar. I seared tuna for 1 minute on each side initially, removed from the pan, added the onions back in with the sauce until it thickened, and then added the tuna back in for 1 minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other. (Tuna was cooked perfectly this way.) Hubby and I had to add hot sauce to the tuna to make it slightly edible. The hot sauce did cut the sweetness some. I will try it again, but cut way back on the sugar and maybe add some hot sauce or wasabi into the sauce. hubby & I only ate about half of our tuna steaks.
Excellent! So easy and somehow so complex. Served with smashed new potatoes and green beans.
Too sweet. I would use half the sugar if I made this again
Lots of sugar, and frying the fish made it tough.
Excellent, so good. The onions with the sauce is so smooth and delicious. Second time making it, second time loving it!
The ingredients don’t sound like it would make a great mix. But boy was I wrong! It taste wonderful, I also cut back on the amount of sugar as suggested in other reviews. I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar. A keeper recipe.
I will make this again, would be great with a plain rice or simple salad as I served it.
Interesting but too sweet, will cut back on the sugar if ever make again.
Followed the recipe, I would make it again in a heartbeat.
This was amazing! I used pomegranate vinegar with the sugar and onions. I also seasoned the tuna with a little Old Bay, dill and lemon pepper seasoning. It was delicious! This is a keeper.
I put in 1/2 the sugar it was great!
Since we like our tuna rare, the only thing I would change is to sear the tuna 1 minute per side, and then simmer them for 2 minutes tops at the end.
DELICIOUS! I substituted brown sugar for the sugar and added a little salt and pepper! LOVED IT! Will make it again! Oh, and I was cooking for myself so I just made one serving… turned out PERFECT!
This is a delicious dish! Word to the wise–you cannot divide it! I tried and it was an utter failure. Even if you’re making one tuna steak, you must follow the full liquid measurement. The first time I got sweet and sour candied onions and tuna. Had to chip it off my plate. LOL! The second… success! The most difficult thing about this recipe is mustering the patience to caramelize the onions. Don’t rush! Take your time; do it right. It makes all the difference. That, and withstanding the pungent aroma of the red wine vinegar as you complete the recipe. I paired mine with steamed spinach. I was raised with spinach and vinegar (instead of butter, salt, etc.), so pouring a little sauce over my spinach was all I needed. With that, it is a bit of a pungent overload, so you might want to have a nice, mellow starch in addition. Simple rice pilaf might do the trick. I’m so NOT a cook, but I think I pulled this off with aplomb (the second time). Highly recommended.
Fantastic! I will make often for my fish dishes – thank you!
Very good! We added more onion per the other reviews. I think next time I’ll try a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Very good. It is the perfect weeknight recipe. Quick,tasty and one frying pan.
Very authentic and delicious. We enjoy this during the holidays and at least once every 4 weeks on a Friday, since we could not have meat on Fridays. Many Catholics still observe the no meat on Friday rule all year long and not just during Lent.
Very authentic and delicious. We enjoy this during the holidays and at least once every 4 weeks on a Friday, since we could not have meat on Fridays. Many Catholics still observe the no meat on Friday rule all year long and not just during Lent.
Completely authentic recipe for Sicilian style tuna steak. My grandmother made it too!
made this last night super easy and good may try it on chicken.