Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, cooked, dry heat
Whole food · Finfish and Shellfish Products
Fresh bluefin tuna, cooked with dry heat, transforms into a firm, steak-like fillet with a deep, savory umami flavor and a clean, oceanic finish. Its texture is dense and meaty, often compared to a fine cut of beef, while its nutrition profile is exceptionally lean, packing nearly 30 grams of high-quality protein per 100 grams with virtually no carbohydrates.
Calorie split: 68% protein · 0% carbs · 32% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love bluefin for its luxurious, buttery richness and satisfying, steak-like texture that holds up beautifully to grilling or searing. It's a culinary centerpiece prized in high-end sushi and sashimi for its melt-in-your-mouth quality and deep, complex flavor.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
As an apex predator, bluefin tuna can accumulate higher levels of mercury than smaller fish, so pregnant women and young children should limit consumption. To counteract this, choose smaller bluefin portions, vary your seafood sources, and pair it with selenium-rich foods like Brazil nuts or garlic which may help mitigate mercury effects.
Key benefits
- Exceptional source of complete, high-quality protein for muscle maintenance.
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA) for heart and brain health.
- Provides essential nutrients like selenium, niacin, and vitamin B12.
- Very low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for ketogenic and low-carb diets.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
A single bluefin tuna can sell for over a million dollars at Tokyo's Toyosu Market, with the record price being $3.1 million for a 612-pound fish in 2019.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 59.1 g |
| Energy | 184 kcal |
| Energy | 770 kj |
| Protein | 29.9 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 6.3 g |
| Ash | 1.5 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 0.00 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.00 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 10.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 1.3 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 64.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 326 mg |
| Potassium, K | 323 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 50.0 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.77 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.11 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.02 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 46.8 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.00 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.28 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.31 mg |
| Niacin | 10.5 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.4 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.53 mg |
| Folate, total | 2.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 2.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 2.0 ug |
| Vitamin B-12 | 10.9 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 757 ug |
| Retinol | 757 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 2520 iu |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.6 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.18 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 1.0 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.39 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 2.1 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.21 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.2 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.35 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.30 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.8 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.07 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.05 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.06 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.36 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.16 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 1.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 49.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
| Tryptophan | 0.34 g |
| Threonine | 1.3 g |
| Isoleucine | 1.4 g |
| Leucine | 2.4 g |
| Lysine | 2.7 g |
| Methionine | 0.89 g |
| Cystine | 0.32 g |
| Phenylalanine | 1.2 g |
| Tyrosine | 1.0 g |
| Valine | 1.5 g |
| Arginine | 1.8 g |
| Histidine | 0.88 g |
| Alanine | 1.8 g |
| Aspartic acid | 3.1 g |
| Glutamic acid | 4.5 g |
| Glycine | 1.4 g |
| Proline | 1.1 g |
| Serine | 1.2 g |
FAQ
How does the taste differ from other tuna?
Bluefin has a richer, more buttery and complex flavor with a higher fat content (especially in the belly cut, 'toro') compared to the leaner, milder taste of yellowfin or albacore.
Is it safe to eat raw?
Yes, when prepared as sushi or sashimi, it must be previously flash-frozen to specific temperatures to eliminate parasites, a standard safety practice for raw consumption.
What's the best way to cook it without drying it out?
Cook it quickly over high heat (grill, sear, or broil) to a rare or medium-rare center. Overcooking will make this lean fish tough and dry.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 1.84 kcal/g · 65% calories from protein · 0.0 g fiber · 0.0 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 0.15 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.