Tapas are one of my favorite things about Spain, and these tuna tapas are my fusion homage to a rather traditional dish. This recipe is extremely simple; You only need 5 ingredients and about as many minutes.
Can it even be called tapas if it isn’t something traditionally Spanish? In fact I’d argue many of the modern day tapas you’ll find in places like Seville or Malaga are quite untraditional in that they are inspired by other cuisines. Or they are fusion dishes that take a traditional tapa and give it East-Asian flavors for example.
I once had a croquette with Thai yellow curry instead of the traditional jamon and bechamel! Yet these tuna tapas aren’t as foreign as one might think. A very old and traditional tapa is known as mojama, which is salt cured tuna. It’s often served with a drizzle of olive oil. So in a way this is just a raw and elevated version of mojama (ok that might be a stretch).
This is similar to my simple tuna tartare in that it involves raw tuna (and even my basil vinaigrette). The differences stop there though, because this tuna tapas dish is pretty much just that. Raw tuna tossed in a tangy basil vinaigrette. I like to serve these with a tiny escargot fork keeping with the miniatures theme.
Tuna Tapas Ingredients
- 100 grams Tuna Steak; cut into small cubes.
- 1 cup Fresh Basil. I know it’s hard to measure basil, so this measurement is going to be different for everyone. I just used a measuring cup and tossed in basil leaves but did not compress them. I’d say around 30 leaves, but could be more or less depending on your cup and size.
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil. As with any recipe that calls for olive oil that isn’t cooked, I suggest always going for the highest quality olive oil you have the ability to get.
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice. It came from 1/2 a lemon, but this also gave it quite the tang. Feel free to decrease the amount if you think 2 tbsp will be too strong for you.
- 1 tsp Salt.
Tuna Tapas Instructions
- Using a food processor or a stick blender, blend the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt until well combined.
- In a bowl (or even the serving dish) mix the cubes of raw tuna with the basil vinaigrette making sure every part of the tuna is coated.
- Serve cold.
Notes
These dish can really be done with any fish. If you use a whitefish and allow the fish to marinade in the basil vinaigrette it becomes a sort of faux-ceviche in that the lemon juice from the vinaigrette “cooks” the fish.

Tuna Tapas
Ingredients
- 100 grams Ahi Tuna
- 1 cup Basil fresh
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice fresh
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Using a food processor or a stick blender, blend the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt until well combined.
- In a bowl (or even the serving dish) mix the cubes of raw tuna with the basil vinaigrette making sure every part of the tuna is coated.
- Serve cold.