Quick Summary: Tuna steaks coated in a pistachio crust and pan-seared, served with a tangy sour cream dill sauce. The nut crust technique works with any firm fish. Low carb and ready in 30 minutes. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 12 min | Serves: 4
Jump to: RECIPE | Best Fish for Nut Crusts | Ingredients | Step by Step Directions | How to Tell When Fish is Done | Best Nuts to Use for Breading | FAQ
This is an easy, delicious way to bring a low carb fish dinner to the table in a hurry! This recipe uses ground pistachio nuts to form a crust, or the “breading”, for fish filets. The crunch of the nuts and the rich, meaty texture of the fish is paired with a silky sour cream sauce.
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What kind of Fish is Best for Nut Crusts?
Firm, thick fillets like tuna, cod, halibut, sea bass, and red snapper work best, because they cook long enough for the crust to brown without burning.
Cod is a popular choice of fish filet to make with a nut crust. This is partially because it is a thicker filet and partially because it is fairly bland and needs dressing up.
I chose tuna for the recipe below because I had some in the freezer, and also because it is robust enough to stand up to a pistachio nut crust, which is the nut I wanted to use. Ahi tuna (yellowfin) is what most stores sell as tuna steaks, and it’s what I use here.
Ingredients
The ingredients for pistachio-crusted fish filets are the same whether you use tuna or another fish filet. The photo below shows the ingredients when using red snapper.
Exact measurements are in the recipe card below
Step by Step
Here are the step by step directions with photos. For details of making it with tuna, see the recipe below:
These steps are the same no matter what fish you use. Below are the basic process steps using red snapper. With tuna, the steps are the same but you will cook it for a slightly less time.
How Can You Tell When Fish is Done
The trick with seafood is always how long to cook it. It is easy to overcook fish and seafood can get rubbery if overcooked.
The best way to tell if most fish fillets are done is by testing it with a fork (this excludes tuna). Insert the fork at an angle, at the thickest point, and twist gently. The fish will flake easily when it’s done, and it will lose its translucent or raw appearance.
Looking at the texture and the “translucency” is the easiest way to tell if your fish is done, and it gets easier with practice. Keep in mind that fish continues to cook for a couple of minutes after you take it off the heat.
If you want to get more technical, use a digital cooking thermometer. The USDA safe minimum for fish is 145°F, when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. That’s the target for cod, snapper, sea bass, trout, and other fillets.
Tuna is the exception most cooks make. Tuna steaks are traditionally seared outside and left pink or rare inside, like in the photos below. If you cook tuna rare, buy fresh steaks from a fishmonger you trust, keep them cold, and cook them the day you buy them. Rare fish carries more risk for pregnant women, young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system, so cook theirs to 145°F.
Also, know that medium-to-fatty fish with a firmer texture and richer flavor (like cod, salmon, or swordfish) can withstand more heat and therefore lend themselves to grilling or broiling.
Tuna is a fish that is frequently undercooked to keep its texture. Notice the pink color in the photos below.
Here is a simple timing guide for the most popular types of fish:
- Thin fillets (sole, tilapia, perch): about 2 minutes per side
- 1-inch fillets (cod, snapper, sea bass, swordfish): 3 to 4 minutes per side, to 145°F
- 1-inch tuna steaks: 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare
Key Tips for Using Nuts as Breading
Cook nut-crusted fish over medium-high heat, not high, because nuts burn faster than breadcrumbs.
The caution for using nuts as a crust is they tend to burn. Since the cooking process for fish is usually shorter it shouldn’t burn, but if cooking on the stovetop, cook over medium-high rather than high heat.
Any ground nut will work for the crust. Here are a few of the more popular nuts to use:
- Pistachio nuts
- Mix of pistachio and panko
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Macadamia nuts
Best Side Dishes for Fish Dinners
Making an entire healthy dinner with nut-crusted fish can be quick for weeknight dinners or a little more fancy for guests or special occasions. Below are some suggested side dishes that work well for casual or fancy!
Complementary Vegetable Side Dishes
Vegetables are the crux of a good Pesco Mediterranean diet (and most diets for that matter). Here are a few of my favorite veggies to pair with nut-crusted fish:
- Quinoa spinach salad
- Moroccan carrots
- Bok choy
- Romano beans and cherry tomatoes
- Brussels sprouts and cauliflower salad
- Trio of low-carb side dishes
- Steamed broccolini
Complementary Grain Side Dishes
Because I come from a long-term lifestyle of low-carb eating, I don’t usually include grains with my dinners. If you are eating for health and not weight loss, however, whole grain side dishes are great, especially if complemented with vegetables.
- Couscous
- Roasted potato wedges
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
Complementary Sauces
The nutty crust of the fish pairs beautifully with a wide variety of creamy sauces. Here are a few of my favorites, from low carb to tropical to sweet:
- Simple cream sauce with Dijon mustard, cream and salt and pepper
- Tropical sauce of coconut milk, lime juice and jalapenos
- Sweet mango sauce with pear juice and coconut cream (quite sweet)
- Sour cream dill sauce: see recipe below
- Ajvar, a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread. It’s dairy free, so it’s the sauce to use on slow carb: Ajvar Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Spread
More Healthy Fish Dinners:
Another excellent low-carb tuna dish, but without a nut crust is this seared tuna with a balsamic glaze.
Here are some of my favorite fish dishes using fish other than tuna:
- Fish tacos with an avocado cream sauce
- Plum Sauce for Fish Dinners
- Low-Carb Mexican Fish Veracruz
- Cod with Spanish Pil Pil Sauce
Fish dinners are a mainstay at our house, even though we don’t live in a coastal state. Check out my whole collection of fish recipes for more ideas.
FAQ
Pulse shelled pistachios in a food processor until they look like coarse crumbs, not paste, then mix them with panko, dill, and salt. Rub the fish with a little oil and press the crumbs firmly onto both sides.
Sesame seeds, cracked black pepper, panko, or other ground nuts like macadamias or pecans. For a panko crusted tuna steak, use ½ cup panko and skip the pistachios.
Ahi is the Hawaiian name for yellowfin (and sometimes bigeye) tuna. It’s the steak most grocery stores and fish counters sell, and it’s what this recipe uses.
Almost. The tuna and pistachios are slow carb, but the panko and the sour cream sauce are not. For a slow carb version, use all ground pistachios and serve it with ajvar or a squeeze of lemon. Check my slow carb food list for more swaps.
Yes. That’s what I used. Thaw the steaks overnight in the refrigerator and pat them very dry so the crust sticks.
Pistachio Crusted Tuna
Ingredients
For the Sour Cream Sauce:
- ¼ cup chopped onion finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt add more if desired
For the Tuna:
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios finely chopped in food processor
- ¼ cup panko
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 ounces ahi (yellowfin) tuna steaks 4 steaks at 1-1 1/4 inches thick
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- Place chopped onion, bay leaves and wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce over med-high heat until the wine is almost evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard bay leafs.1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, ½ cup white wine
- In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dill, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the reduced onion/wine mixture to the bowl and stir in. This is the sauce.3 tablespoons sour cream, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Tuna:
- Place pistachios in food processor or blender and pulse or mix until finely ground. In a separate medium to large bowl, add the chopped pistachios, panko, the remaining 1 teaspoon dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir together thoroughly. Pat the tuna filets dry and then rub 1 tablespoon oil over the fish. Dredge both sides of the tuna in the pistachio mixture pressing it in so that it sticks.1/3 cup shelled pistachios, 1/4 cup panko, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated tuna filets and sear until golden brown, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning. After 2 to 3 minutes flip the filets and cook the other side 2-3 minutes for medium-rare. Use tongs to turn over so that nut breading doesn’t fall off. Do not overcook. Serve with the sour cream dill sauce on the side.2 tablespoons olive oil, 16 ounces ahi (yellowfin) tuna steaks
Side dishes are “complementary”, not “complimentary”.
Thank you. I will fix that!
We have a new favorite! This was amazing….and on the table in 30 minutes! We added a chopped Asian salad. Perfection!
I’m so glad it turned out for you, and I appreciate you telling me that it actually took 30 minutes. The timing is always such a guess because some cooks are really careful, some are beginners and some just do it their own way anyway. So appreciate the feedback.