Bacon-Wrapped Tuna with Garlicky White Beans is a protein-packed weeknight meal that requires almost no cooking. Savory seared tuna and bacon rest on a salad of arugula and lemon-garlic marinated white beans with sliced cucumbers and avocado for freshness. The beans are ideal for meal prep if you plan in advance, but it isn’t necessary. This recipe is done in 30 minutes and you’ll only have 2 dishes to clean up.
I dreamed up this recipe for tuna with garlicky white beans last weekend while trying to figure out how to use up a half can of white beans that were already open in my fridge and 2 slices of bacon that needed to go.
I decided to marinate the rinsed white beans in a mixture of lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. I had some arugula that would pair nicely with the garlicky white beans. The bacon-wrapped tuna seemed like the perfect protein to round it out.
Garlicky White Beans
You can prepared the beans in advance and just keep them on the counter until you’re ready to cook the bacon and tuna.
If you meal prep, make the beans and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Bring the beans to room temperature while you are making the tuna. I actually heat the beans up for about 20 seconds in the microwave just to give them a little warmth but that is totally optional.
Go for Garlic
I chose to grate the garlic for the tuna with garlicky white beans because I find this is the best way to get intense garlicky flavor in a dressing.
I just peel a garlic clove and grate it using my Microplane (top 3 most useful kitchen tools ever). That little trick is the secret to the garlicky goodness in my recipe for Roasted Cauliflower, Prosciutto and Warm Egg Salad. It really makes the dish, but it is not for the garlic feint of heart.
I had a bag full of red jalapeños from the farmer’s market, so I decided to mince one and add it for heat. I liked the red color, so I would recommend using a Fresno chili pepper if you don’t have red jalapeño.
The garlicky white beans get a bed of fresh arugula, cucumber and avocado which is the perfect base for bacon-wrapped tuna.
Bacon-Wrapped Tuna
When I think about bacon for dinner, bacon-wrapped tuna is the first thing to come to mind. My problem is, I tend to use way too much bacon.
If you double or triple wrap a strip of bacon around a chunk of tuna, only the outside of the bacon will sear. You’ll end up having to unwrap the bacon, finish cooking it separately and the pile it on top.
Still delicious, but not as pleasing to look at.
After much experimentation, I’ve decided that the best way to do bacon-wrapped seared tuna is to wrap a whole piece of tuna instead of trying to cut it into chunks and then wrap it. For this 8 ounce piece of tuna, I actually only used one piece of bacon that I cut in half lengthwise for easier wrapping.
I get my grill pan nice and hot so the bacon crisps up quickly without cooking the tuna all the way through. If you don’t like rare or raw tuna, just cook it to our liking.
I used thick-cut bacon here which insulates the tuna a bit better so it doesn’t overcook. If you have regular thickness bacon, you might only need to sear for a minute or so per side.
Once the tuna is cooked on each side and the bacon is crisp, I let it rest for 2 minutes and then slice carefully using a serrated knife.
Balance and Freshness
Bacon-Wrapped Tuna with Garlicky White Beans is a lot of savory flavor. The addition of the cucumbers, arugula and avocado is to help balance that out. I actually find the addition of the crunchy, cool cucumber is a highlight of the dish.
And you can’t have bacon for dinner and not put it with avocado. They’re like chocolate and peanut butter.
This simple recipe is totally delicious and satisfying. Marinating the beans in advance means this dish is on the table in 15 minutes (the time it takes to wrap and sear the tuna and to build the salad). That also means the only pan to clean is the grill pan and a cutting board.
I had a gorgeous fresh loaf of marble rye from the farmer’s market so I decided to cut off the heel and toast that to go on the side. It was a surprisingly good compliment to the tuna with garlicky white beans. Plus, it was useful for getting every last bit of garlicky goodness.
Ready to try it?
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (juice of a whole lemon)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, grated or minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 piece Fresno chili pepper or other hot pepper, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 16 oz sashimi grade tuna, thawed if using frozen
- 2-3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in half lengthwise
- 1.5 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup cucumber, preferably English or Persian seedless, sliced lengthwise and then sliced into pieces
- 1 avocado, halved and thinly sliced
Instructions
Marinate the White Beans
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Grate 1 clove of garlic into the dressing. Mix again. Add the white beans, hot pepper if using, and parsley. Stir to combine and set aside while you prepare the tuna.
Bacon-Wrapped Tuna
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, cut your bacon strips in half lengthwise. Season tuna with salt and pepper. Wrap the tuna with the bacon making sure to not to double-wrap.
- Sear the tuna for 2-3 minutes per side, rotating sides until the bacon is crisp to your liking. To sear the short sides, stand the tuna against the side of the pan. **Note: If you have regular bacon and not thick-cut, you may only need to sear or a minute or so per side to avoid overcooking the tuna.
- Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 2 minutes before slicing into pieces.
Make the Salad
- Divide the arugula between two serving bowls. Top each with half of the cucumbers and half of a sliced avocado. Spoon half of the beans on top of each. (optional to heat the beans up for 20 seconds in the microwave first).
- Place the seared bacon-wrapped tuna on top of the bean salad and serving immediately. Squeeze of lemon juice to finish is optional. A crusty piece of bread is an optional side but is useful for sopping up all the garlicky goodness.
Nutrition
I created a recipe similar to tuna with garlicky white beans back in the summer of 2021. To this day that is one my favorite recipes, so if you liked Bacon-Wrapped Tuna with Garlicky White Beans you can try Soy-Ginger Black Eyed Peas with Bacon Wrapped Tuna. The garlicky white beans are replaced by earthy black eyed peas marinated in a gingery soy dressing highlighted by lime juice and cilantro.
