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Beef Tataki With Ponzu Sauce

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Beef Tataki is a simple yet sophisticated dish featuring thinly sliced, seared beef marinated in a bright and citrus-forward steak tataki sauce. It’s light, delicate, and perfect for lunch or an appetizer.

Beef Tataki Recipe

Beef tataki is a Japanese technique where high-quality beef is quickly seared to form a golden crust while keeping the inside rare and tender. The beef is thinly sliced, drizzled with soy or ponzu sauce, and garnished with scallions, and sesame seeds.

The ponzu-style sauce I use in my Tuna Crudo and Salmon Crudo is the basis for this sauce. I’ve tested several flavor profiles and keep returning to this one. It’s the perfect dressing for seafood recipes.

Similar recipes to check out: Steak Aguachile, Tuna Tartare, and Tuna Sashimi.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the main ingredients needed to make filet mignon tataki. See the recipe card below for the full list:

Beef Steak – I use filet mignon for most “lightly cooked” beef recipes, but there are more options listed below to consider.
Yuzi Juice – If you are unable to find Yuzi sauce, replace with 2 parts fresh lime juice and 1 part fresh orange juice.
Soy Sauce – stick to low-sodium soy sauce.
Mirin – use 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar and 1/8 tsp sugar if you don’t have mirin.
Rice Wine Vinegar – white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can work as a substitution.
Sesame Oil – Adds a classic Asian flavor, but peanut oil can also be used.
Garlic and Ginger- You can use garlic powder or ginger powder in a pinch, but fresh is best.
Optional Toppings – green onions or chives and toasted sesame seeds.

Individual ingredients needed to make steak tataki.

Best Steak To Use

Here are the best beef cuts to use when making beef tataki. You want cuts that are tender and have a good balance of flavor. This is the type of recipe where you want to splurge on high quality meat, if you can swing it.

Here are my favorite cuts to use:

Filet Mignon: Known for its tenderness and mild flavor, it is ideal for tataki. It’s my favorite cut to use for making tataki-style beef. You can’t go wrong serving filet mignon tataki.
Ribeye: Offers a rich flavor and good marbling, which makes it easy to tenderize.
New York Strip Steak (Bife de Chorizo): A flavorful cut with a good texture that can work well when seared.
Beef Sirloin Filet: More affordable than other cuts, it still offers a good balance of tenderness and flavor.
Top Round: Leaner and tougher than some other cuts but still suitable for tataki when sliced thinly.
Beef Tenderloin: Similar to filet mignon but can be more affordable, still offering a tender bite.
Wagyu Tataki: For an ultra luxurious treat, grab the Wagyu version of any of the above cuts.

The steak for tataki is usually served raw in the center. If you prefer a rare or medium-rare steak, check out my printable filet mignon temperature chart to pick your perfect final temperature.

How to Make Beef Tataki

Here’s a quick overview showing how to make steak tataki. For the full list of instructions see the recipe card below.

Sear the Steak – Season the steak with kosher salt. Add the steak to a very hot skillet and sear, undisturbed, until a nice crust forms. Depending on the thickness of your steak this will take between 3-4 minutes per side.

Rest the Steak – Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, uncovered, while you make the marinade. For a cold beef tataki, let chill in the refrigerator for an hour before slicing.

Make the Ponzu Sauce – Whisk together the ponzu sauce ingredients while the steak is resting. Taste and adjust to suite your preferences.

Slice and Serve – Thinly slice the steak into 1/8″ slices and lay flat on a large and shallow plate. Drizzle with the ponzu sauce, top with the sesame seeds and chives and serve.

A hand drizzling ponzu sauce over sliced beef.

Variations

Homemade Garlic Chips: Elevate the dish with garlic chips. I show you how to make them in my steak Aguachile recipe.
Tataki Sushi: use the steak slices to make sushi. Serve next to the ponzu sauce or soy sauce.
Spicy Tataki: Add a 1/2 tsp of Sriracha sauce to the spicy ponzu sauce to amp up the spice level.
Tataki Sauce: Quite a few dressing options pair well with steak tataki. Store-bought ponzu sauce, soy sauce, sweet soy glaze, or eel sauce would all work.
Sous Vide Beef Tataki: Instead of, or in addition to, searing the steak, you can sous vide it. Sous vide filet mignon, sous vide ribeye, or sous vide sirloin filet are all great options. You need to cook at 130 degrees for 1-2 before slicing and saucing, depending on the thickness of your steak.

What To Serve With Steak Tataki

Beef Tataki is a stunning appetizer or light main course. Serve it as a part of a multi-course Japanese-inspired dinner with other dishes like

I grub down on this Tataki Style Steak dish without a side dish, but it’s a marriage made in heaven with the below side dishes:

Kani Salad: Turn it into a light surf and turn meal.
Rice: make a batch or sushi rice or steamed rice to soak up the sauces.
Pickled Daikon Radish: Adds a refreshing, slightly spicy contrast to the rich beef.
Pickled Ginger: Cleanses the palate between bites, enhancing the flavors of the meat.
Cucumber Salad: Both my spicy cucumber salad or Korean cucumber salad will pair well.
Seaweed Salad
Edamame
Miso Soup

Frequently Asked Questions

Is tataki raw or cooked?

Tataki is a Japanese dish where beef or fish is quickly seared on the outside but left raw inside. It’s marinated and served thinly sliced, so it’s partly cooked on the outside and raw in the middle.

Is beef tataki cold or hot?

Beef tataki is typically served at room temperature or slightly chilled. The brief searing process gives the outside a warm, slightly cooked texture, but the inside remains cool and raw. It’s often served with a dipping sauce and garnished with ingredients like scallions or sesame seeds.

How do you slice the beef thinly for tataki?

Chill the beef for about 30 minutes to firm it up, making it easier to slice thinly with a very sharp knife. You can keep it simple and cut on the short side, as I did in these pictures, or the long side.

Plate of beef tataki with a silver spoon on the side.

Drink Pairings

Beef tataki pairs beautifully with a variety of drinks that complement its rich, savory flavors while balancing its delicate texture.

I recommend sake and a light to medium-bodied wine, such as Pinot Noir. This simple dish needs a drink that won’t overpower the delicate flavor and texture.

Similar Recipes

Here are a few more similar recipes to check out while you’re here!