Hamachi Crudo Recipe (Yellowtail Crudo)

Hamachi crudo is a refreshing and flavorful appetizer consisting of silky yellowtail sashimi dressed in umami and tangy crudo sauce. It’s super customizable and is a great easy appetizer to put together that will impress your dinner guests. 

✅ Why This Recipe Works

Simple to make – All it takes is slicing the fish and mixing it in the crudo sauce

Impressive Presentation and Taste – By using a well-balanced crudo sauce that is simple to make and visually appealing garnishes, this dish is sure to impress your dinner guests

Low in calories and macro-optimized – This recipe is naturally low in calories given the use of hamachi, which is a lean protein, as it's base

💭 What is Hamachi Crudo?

Hamachi crudo is a delicious appetizer consisting of raw fish dressed in a crudo sauce, often consisting of oil, salt, and lemon juice as well as a variety of toppings. Crudos are often served as an appetizer to some delicious pasta, and can also be served above a bowl of rice like a poke bowl.

 It's super versatile, easy to make, and a great option for lean protein that packs a delicious flavor. 

Crudo vs. Sashimi

Sashimi is often served without an additional dressing with soy sauce as a dipping sauce option whereas crudo consists of raw fish that is already dressed in a crudo sauce, along with additional toppings. Making a crudo often consists of a work of art while sashimi is more for enjoying the fish for what it is. 

Crudo vs. Carpaccio

Carpaccio is actually a type of crudo and specifies when the meat or fish is sliced into thin pieces. My Vietnamese beef carpaccio recipe is an example of a carpaccio.

Learn more about the differences between crudo vs. carpaccio. vs. tartare.

🍎 Is Crudo Healthy? (Calories and Nutrition)

Crudo is a very healthy dish given that it predominantly consists of yellowtail or hamachi, which is one of the leaner types of sashimi. A serving of crudo has about 135 calories with 13 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 0 grams of carbs. 

To learn more about the health content of different kinds of sashimi, check out my “Is Sashimi Healthy” Guide.

The key to making this dish healthy is to portion the oil mindfully – one tablespoon of oil has over 120 calories, largely consisting of fat. Since oil is essential for making the crudo sauce, it's important to portion it mindfully.

Here’s how I portioned the dish:

• Used 1 teaspoon of oil. I opted for sesame oil.
• Used ½ teaspoon Calabrian chili 
• Used 2 oz of yellowfin 
• Lemon juice and salt have negligible calories.

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this hamachi crudo recipe, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

To make the hamachi crudo, you’ll need the following:

• Yellowtail –  Be sure to get sashimi-grade fish. This is for yellowtail, but you can also opt for your choice of sashimi. Scallops, salmon, and tuna would be other good options.
• Basil – Adds some freshness to the crudo. Parsley, micro greens, or green onions would also work well here.
• Sesame seeds – Great for a garnish that will add a subtle nutty flavor
• Oil – Oftentimes people use olive oil. You can also switch it up and use sesame oil or truffle oil for a more unique flavor.
• Salt – Flakier the better
• Lemon juice – Gives the sauce a nice tangy flavor
• Calabrian Chili (Optional) – Give the sauce a nice kick

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Add jalapeno or serrano peppers – Gives it a nice kick and crunch from the peppers.

Switch up the fish – Raw scallops, tuna, and salmon are some other delicious options. 

Switch up the herbs – Garnish with spring onions, parsley or micro greens

Make a poke bowl – Eat it with a serving of rice.

Swap out the citrus – You can also use lime, orange, or grapefruit.

Add other fish as toppings – Check out the uni hamachi crudo I put together in my Uni Recipes post for some inspiration.

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Slice the fish – Slice the hamachi into thin bite-sized pieces. Be sure to slice against the grain for best results.

Prepare the crudo sauce – In a small bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Taste and adjust as needed. 

Arrange the crudo – Arrange the fish pieces on a plate. Drizzle the sauce over the fish pieces, and garnish with minced onion slices, sesame seeds, and basil. Be sure the onion and basil are cut into small enough pieces so that the flavor is easily distributed in every bite. Serve and enjoy your delicious hamachi crudo.

💡Tips and Tricks

Cut the garnishes into small pieces – Doing so will allow the flavors to be evenly distributed with every bite.

Mix and match the garnishes – Crudos are meant to be a work of art to the eyes as well as to our palettes. Feel free to mix and match the garnishes to what you think will look and taste best.

💭 Recipe FAQs

🍽 What To Eat It With 

This hamachi crudo is a delicious appetizer to a delicious pasta dish or a sushi dinner. Here are some pasta options I like to eat crudo with: