Yellowfin Tuna With Spicy Mango Salsa – Best Recipe Ever

Yellowfin tuna with spicy mango salsa.  Fish lovers, be ready! This recipe is for you.

Close your eyes and imagine this: cooked to perfection yellowfin tuna with a beautiful crust of mixed peppercorns, fennel seeds – can you smell them – and coriander.

Cooked to perfection and sitting on a bed of fresh mangoes prepared in a sweet-spicy salsa. Mouthwatering would be the word I would use to describe it.

In this Article

What is special about Yellowfin Tuna?

They are highly migratory throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

They form schools with other tuna types and are also known to travel along with dolphins.
Yellowfin can breed all year round and have a life span of up to seven years.

A steak that is firm and dense in texture. Excellent for grilling.

The best way to enjoy it is cooked medium-rare, searing it quickly over very high heat. That is what I have done here with this recipe.

Please do not overcook it, as it will lose some fantastic flavors.

Incredibly nutritious

and packed with proteins, it also contains healthy fats, omega-3, and B-complex vitamins such as niacin, B-6, and B-12.

A natural solid source of rich minerals, including iodine, selenium, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium.

However, it is not recommended to be consumed daily due to the higher amount of mercury.

Where do you find yellowfin tuna?

Yellowfin tuna is a tuna species found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical ocean waters worldwide.

Sometimes referred to as ahi, from the Hawaiian “ahi,” a name also used for the closely related bigeye tuna.

Yellowfin tuna fun facts

It is one of the fastest swimmers in the ocean. They constantly have to swim to obtain oxygen from the water via their gills, which they cannot do while stopped. Therefore they must continually swim forward with their mouth open to keep their blood oxygenated.

They can reach up to 400 pounds and are one of the most vital predators.

I have paired this excellent fish with a spicy mango salsa. The balance between the two is out of this world. 

The fish is covered with spices creating a crust when the tuna is seared. 

The spicy mango salsa continues the flavor of the spices and adds a touch of heat with a lot of freshness from the mango.

Quite a combination of freshness, heat, and warmth.  

Spicy mango salsa – we cannot get enough of it.

Mangoes are one of the fruits that we enjoy most. Prepared in a salsa, bring any food you will present it with to a new level.

The sweetness of the mango pairs well with the heat of the Sriracha or sambal and ginger, which adds a second spicy layer.

Add the red onion and the jalapeno, and you have this sweet, tangy, spicy hot mix playing with your senses.

Choose ripe mangoes that have a fragrant smell to them.  The recipe makes 3 cups and will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Talking about sauces,

How odd this may sound to you, but I do love sauces. Here is a great, fun, spicy, and sweet sauce. You can also enjoy the spicy mango salsa with roasted chicken or Pork Tenderloins Pan-Seared.

How about using a classic hollandaise sauce as in this fantastic recipe of salmon eggs benedict? Yes, a bit of a different flavor, but super delicious.  A must-try. 

Spices for the rub

While playing with the salsa, adding spices to my yellow tuna fish was just what it needed.

Coriander seeds give it that nutty and citrus flavor that intensifies when roasted.

Fennel seeds is very aromatic with a mild anise or licorice flavor, which becomes sweet when cooked with it. 

Peppercorns give that perfect balance to the fennel and coriander, and add a bite. 

Sea salt is the perfect seasoning and, when crushed with the above spices, add a great flavor to any meat or fish used with it. 

Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions on making this yellowfin tuna with spicy mango salsa to perfection.

You can find the printable recipe with all the correct ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post. This is just a quick introduction. Please read the full recipe instructions.

• Start with the salsa; the longer the mangoes, onion, jalapeno, ginger, Sriracha, and lemon juice sit together, the better the flavors are infused.
• I enjoy crushing my seeds. I find the flavors are brought out more intensely. However, you do not have to if you have none on hand, and the already ground fennel seeds and coriander seeds will also work fine.
• Use the sea salt, not Kosher salt. Not the same flavor at all, and you need the salt flavor with this dish to bind it well.
• I know it seems like a lot of spices; however, you have four steaks to cover. The seasoning will form a great crust. This crust will maintain the interior nice and soft.
• Heat the skillet with no oils.
• Before adding the yellowfin tuna steaks to the heat, drizzle them with olive oil and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side.
• Once the tuna is done, please remove it from the heat into a plate. Drizzle more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

The tuna should be crispy on the outside with the help of the rub and perfectly pink and tender on the inside.

I serve it over the mango salsa and enjoy preparing couscous on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment and ingredients used to make this wonderful recipe

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Originally published on February 25, 2021. Updated on January 24, 2023.