This grilled tuna belly is another delicious dish you can enjoy for Lent. In this recipe, thick strips of tuna belly are marinated overnight in a sweet and spicy mixture of oyster sauce, garlic, lemon juice, chili sauce and sesame oil and then grilled to perfection over hot coals. Try it and let me know what you think.
Grilled Tuna Belly
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tuna belly, cut into serving portions
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash tuna belly and pat dry.
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, chili sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Stir until well-blended.
- Add tuna and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning fish occasionally in the marinade. Drain tuna, reserving the liquid. In a sauce pot, bring marinade to a boil for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- On lightly-greased grates over hot coals, arrange tuna in a single layer. Grill, basting regularly with marinade, for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Hi. May i ask if the sweet chili sauce is the one bottled? Like the jufran? Thank you.
Hello Charlynn,
I use Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce but yes, you can use any brand like Jufran.
Hi. This recipe looks really great and I would love to try it but I only have the back part of the tuna (frozen), not the belly, so it wouldn’t be as fatty. Will there be a big difference or should i add / remove an ingredient to compensate?
That should work fine. You can brush it with a little bit of sesame oil to add flavor.
Hi Lalaine,
Happy new year!
I just want to ask further on marinating tuna belly for grilling. As i didn’t salt (soy or kikkoman sauce) to add a bit of saltyness to it, will the oyster sauce suffice? Sorry for the dumb question as this is going to be the very first time i’m doing this.
Thanks in advance.
Louie
I’m in a dilemma tonight. =( I have thawed the frozen tuna i bought earlier…. I’m thinking of marinading it overnight – before we grill it tomorrow. I was told that onced tunas are thawed it can never be put back in the freezer again, because it will give out some itchy feels when you it now. To avoid that —- SHOULD it be SOAKED on MARINANDE sauce or simply be poured over (not soaked) on the tuna? HELP. HELP.
I dont want to spoil the TUNAS i bought since i have lotsa guests tom.
Yes, you marinate the tuna overnight for best flavor :).
omg her question was SHOULD it be SOAKED on MARINANDE. She even put it in caps lock. We all read your post. Why can’t you read hers? REREAD IT.
Hello Kayla,
I am sorry but I don’t understand why my reply to her bothered you. I appreciate that you read my posts and I give you, the readers, the same courtesy by really paying attention to your comments and feedback.
I read her comment and yes, I reread it again like you politely asked. My answer to her question is still the same. Her question was if she should soak the tuna in the marinade or just pour the sauce over the tuna. I thought my answer, “Yes, you marinate the tuna overnight for best flavor :)” was clear enough. When you marinate, you SOAK it in the sauce. Here is a link https://www.google.com/search?q=marinating+meaning&oq=marinating+meaning&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.4759j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 you can check which states “steep, SOAK, souse, immerse, marinade, bathe” are alternative words for marinate.
Have a great day!
I agree that you were clear in your recipe and your answer. Marinade means the same as soak. And there was no need for commenter to be rude. Anyway, my question is, Is it ok to bake or broil the tuna instead of grilling it? Thank you.
Hi Cherry,
Yes, you can either bake or broil it. Thank you 😊
Since you mentioned Seafood City, I think you live in WA where I live? Where can I buy tuna belly?
Hi Marissa
I live is California. I believe Seafood City have branches all over U.S. That’s where I buy tuna belly but I don’t think it’s available all the time. It’s been months since I’ve last seen them in the store.