diff --git a/esphome/components/pid/climate.py b/esphome/components/pid/climate.py
index 11a6fd5e6b..1527fa6f35 100644
--- a/esphome/components/pid/climate.py
+++ b/esphome/components/pid/climate.py
@@ -3,13 +3,11 @@ import esphome.codegen as cg
 from esphome.components import climate, output, sensor
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.const import CONF_HUMIDITY_SENSOR, CONF_ID, CONF_SENSOR
-from esphome.core import ID, Lambda
-from esphome.cpp_generator import MockObj, TemplateArgsType
+from esphome.core import Lambda
 from esphome.types import ConfigType
 
 pid_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("pid")
 PIDClimate = pid_ns.class_("PIDClimate", climate.Climate, cg.Component)
-PIDAutotuneAction = pid_ns.class_("PIDAutotuneAction", automation.Action)
 
 CONF_DEFAULT_TARGET_TEMPERATURE = "default_target_temperature"
 
@@ -158,9 +156,8 @@ automation.register_apply_action(
 )
 
 
-@automation.register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "climate.pid.autotune",
-    PIDAutotuneAction,
     automation.maybe_simple_id(
         {
             cv.Required(CONF_ID): cv.use_id(PIDClimate),
@@ -173,20 +170,15 @@ automation.register_apply_action(
             ): cv.possibly_negative_percentage,
         }
     ),
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyCall(
+        "start_autotune({}, {}, {})",
+        (
+            (CONF_NOISEBAND, cg.float_),
+            (CONF_POSITIVE_OUTPUT, cg.float_),
+            (CONF_NEGATIVE_OUTPUT, cg.float_),
+        ),
+    ),
 )
-async def esp8266_set_frequency_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
-    cg.add(var.set_noiseband(config[CONF_NOISEBAND]))
-    cg.add(var.set_positive_output(config[CONF_POSITIVE_OUTPUT]))
-    cg.add(var.set_negative_output(config[CONF_NEGATIVE_OUTPUT]))
-    return var
 
 
 automation.register_apply_action(
diff --git a/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.cpp b/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.cpp
index b386716780..1f0d45b084 100644
--- a/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.cpp
@@ -169,6 +169,14 @@ void PIDClimate::update_pid_() {
   if (this->do_publish_)
     this->publish_state();
 }
+void PIDClimate::start_autotune(float noiseband, float positive_output, float negative_output) {
+  auto tuner = make_unique<PIDAutotuner>();
+  tuner->set_noiseband(noiseband);
+  tuner->set_output_positive(positive_output);
+  tuner->set_output_negative(negative_output);
+  this->start_autotune(std::move(tuner));
+}
+
 void PIDClimate::start_autotune(std::unique_ptr<PIDAutotuner> &&autotune) {
   this->autotuner_ = std::move(autotune);
   float min_value = this->supports_cool_() ? -1.0f : 0.0f;
diff --git a/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.h b/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.h
index e8701c99a4..6fea2bedf3 100644
--- a/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.h
+++ b/esphome/components/pid/pid_climate.h
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ class PIDClimate final : public climate::Climate, public Component {
     default_target_temperature_ = default_target_temperature;
   }
   void start_autotune(std::unique_ptr<PIDAutotuner> &&autotune);
+  /// Build a tuner from the climate.pid.autotune settings and start it.
+  void start_autotune(float noiseband, float positive_output, float negative_output);
   void reset_integral_term();
 
  protected:
@@ -109,27 +111,4 @@ class PIDClimate final : public climate::Climate, public Component {
   bool do_publish_ = false;
 };
 
-template<typename... Ts> class PIDAutotuneAction final : public Action<Ts...> {
- public:
-  PIDAutotuneAction(PIDClimate *parent) : parent_(parent) {}
-
-  void set_noiseband(float noiseband) { noiseband_ = noiseband; }
-  void set_positive_output(float positive_output) { positive_output_ = positive_output; }
-  void set_negative_output(float negative_output) { negative_output_ = negative_output; }
-
-  void play(const Ts &...x) {
-    auto tuner = make_unique<PIDAutotuner>();
-    tuner->set_noiseband(this->noiseband_);
-    tuner->set_output_negative(this->negative_output_);
-    tuner->set_output_positive(this->positive_output_);
-    this->parent_->start_autotune(std::move(tuner));
-  }
-
- protected:
-  float noiseband_;
-  float positive_output_;
-  float negative_output_;
-  PIDClimate *parent_;
-};
-
 }  // namespace esphome::pid