Description
These Grilled Watermelon “Tuna” Steaks are at least CAD $10 less than tuna and the fish-like texture and amazing taste will blow your mind!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 mini seedless watermelon*
Marinade:
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or lime juice)
- 1 1/2 tsp chilli garlic sauce (or hot sauce of choice, add minced garlic if you substitute)
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp miso paste
- optional: 2 seaweed snack sheets, crumbled
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- To reserve your watermelon rind for a tasty fruit sauce, slice off and discard just the green peel of the watermelon. Then slice off the thick white rind and refrigerate, freeze, or turn it into watermelon strawberry or applesauce right away!
- Cut your seedless watermelon in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1 inch thick steaks (if you want to trim the edges so you get nice rectangular steaks, cube any smaller pieces to make poke cubes!)
- Place the watermelon steaks in a single layer on 1 or 2 baking trays lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat (the watermelon will let out juice that will caramelize as it bakes). Bake for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. Combine the remaining ingredients in a dish or bowl large enough to hold your watermelon steaks. *The spice in the chilli garlic sauce will get stronger the longer the watermelon marinates. If you are leaving your watermelon overnight and don’t want much heat you can decrease the amount of chilli garlic sauce. If substituting the chilli garlic sauce with another hot sauce, add 1 clove minced garlic. To quickly grate your ginger you can leave the peel on! And If using seaweed snack sheets it’s faster to crush them by hand over the bowl but feel free to use a knife to slice them.
- When the watermelon has finished baking it will be nice and soft. Transfer the slices into the marinade, making sure each piece of watermelon gets coated. Cover the dish and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. *If leaving overnight you can give the watermelon a stir periodically if you remember.
- When ready to serve up your watermelon steaks, heat a grill over medium heat. Lay the slices of watermelon tuna on the grill (leaving the marinade behind) and grill for 3 minutes per side until grill lines appear and the watermelon is nicely seared. Careful of splashing!
- If serving your steaks over rice use the tasty marinade as a sauce! Likewise, drizzle it over noodles, a salad, or roasted veggies! Take a look at our Spicy “Tuna” Watermelon Poke Bowl for inspiration! We use this same watermelon recipe but cube the pieces and drizzle spicy mayo!
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $5.68 vs. at least $15 for Ahi Tuna!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Thrifty How-Tos
- Method: Baked, Grilled
- Cuisine: Hawaiian, Asian