Level up your inihaw game with Grilled Tuna Belly! Marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and cooked over hot coals to perfection, it's a sure crowd-pleaser. Delicious as an appetizerย or main dish!
Looking for delicious ideas for your next grill fest? This grilled tuna belly needs to be on your list! Whether enjoyed as an appetizer with an ice-cold beer or as a main dish served with steamed rice, the delicious medley of sweet and umami flavors and the smoky aroma is hard to resist!
And if you're in the mood for more BBQ fun, try inihaw na liempo, sweet mango BBQ chicken skewers, and teriyaki salmon.
Ingredient notes
- I love the fatty belly part in this recipe, but panga or "jaw" is also a great cut.
- You can use banana ketchup if you can't find sweet chili sauce.
- A mixture of oyster sauce and fish sauce adds saltiness and umami flavor.
- To add a fruity tang, feel free to substitute calamansi, lime, or orange juice for the lemon juice. You can also use vinegar.
- Fresh is best, but you can use garlic powder if you don't like little bits of the aromatic to bite into.
- Use freshly ground pepper to add zing, or substitute red chili pepper flakes for a punch of spice.
Cooking steps
Inihaw na tuna is so moist and tasty that you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to make. Only three steps separate you from these beautifully charred thick belly strips, and here is the quick rundown.
- Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, combine oyster sauce, lemon juice, chili sauce, fresh garlic, and sesame oil.
- Marinate the tuna in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Do not marinate the fish for too long, as the acids in the marinade might break down the proteins and make the texture mushy.
- Cook the marinade. Drain the tuna and boil the marinade in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated and reduced. Don't skip this step, as it's important to kill off any bacteria before using the marinade as a baste for food safety.
- Grill the fish over hot coals, basting regularly, until slightly caramelized and easily flakes with a fork. To keep the fish from charring too much, grill until it loses its pink before basting.
Cooking tip
Distribute the minced fresh garlic over the fish when marinating to absorb maximum aroma and flavor.
Serving suggestions
Grilled tuna belly is delicious as an appetizer or a main dish. Serve it with steamed rice and a refreshing vegetable side such as fresh pako, kamote tops salad, or atchara for a hearty Summer meal.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tuna belly, cut into serving portions
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ยฝ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ยผ teaspoon pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash tuna belly and pat dry.
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, chili sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir until well-blended.
- Add tuna and marinate in the refrigerator for abput 2 hours, turning fish occasionally in the marinade. Drain tuna, reserving the liquid.
- In a sauce pot, bring the marinade to a boil for about 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced.
- On lightly-greased grates over hot coals, arrange tuna in a single layer and grill.
- When it starts to lose its pink, begin basting with the marinade. Continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, basting regularly, or until fish flakes easily with a fork and slightly caramelized.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
Notes
- Panga or tuna jaw is a good substitute for belly.
- For food safety, boil the marinade for about 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened before using for basting.
- To keep the fish from charring too much, grill until it begins to lose its pink before basting.
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Pamela says
Iโm going to try this but my tuna belly has skin on one side is that ok?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, skin on is best ๐
willow says
Hi, Can I pan grill this? Thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can pan grill it or bake it.
Rose C says
Delicious - I marinated in a baggie per the instructions overnight then grilled and the fish came out flavorful with a perfect amount of sweet, savory and fatty. Thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Sal says
Hi! Will this work with other fish like salmon belly? Or maybe dory fish?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, it would be delicious with other types of fish ๐
Charlynn Yap says
Hi. May i ask if the sweet chili sauce is the one bottled? Like the jufran? Thank you.
Lalaine says
Hello Charlynn,
I use Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce but yes, you can use any brand like Jufran.
Moira says
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?
Lalaine says
That should work fine. You can brush it with a little bit of sesame oil to add flavor.
Louie says
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
katsyboo says
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.
Lalaine says
Yes, you marinate the tuna overnight for best flavor :).
kayla day says
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.
Lalaine says
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!
Cherry says
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.
Lalaine says
Hi Cherry,
Yes, you can either bake or broil it. Thank you ๐
Marissa says
Since you mentioned Seafood City, I think you live in WA where I live? Where can I buy tuna belly?
Lalaine says
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.