This Tuna Salad is super easy to make and the perfect healthy light lunch or snack. Made with tuna, celery, mayo, red onion and lemon juice. It’s low carb, paleo, keto and Whole30 compliant.
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When it comes to quick and easy go-to lunches to have during the week, nothing beats a classic tuna salad recipe. Along with chicken salad and egg salad, tuna fish salads are one of the easiest meals you can make in no time at all.
Tuna fish salads are the perfect healthy lunch or light dinner for summer. This tuna fish recipe takes just 10 minutes to whip up using simple pantry ingredients.
All you need is less than 10 minutes of hands on time and I love that this recipe is so easy to customize.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
Here are a few key ingredients and tips when it comes to making the best tuna salad:
- canned tuna – I like to use this wild and sustainably pole and line caught Albacore tuna in water but you can use your favorite canned tuna in oil or water. Leftover salmon or canned salmon would be a delicious option as well.
- diced celery
- finely chopped red onion
- Whole30 Compliant Mayonnaise – homemade or this store-bought brand is our favorite – if you’re not a fan of mayo, you can also mash in a very ripe avocado like this Avocado Tuna Salad or use Greek yogurt (if not Whole30, paleo or keto)
- Dijon mustard
- half a medium avocado or 1 small avocado, cut into chunks
- fresh lemon juice
- fresh herbs – I used chopped parsley
- salt and black pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL ADD-INS:
- chopped pickles
- sliced green onion
- sliced cherry tomatoes
- chopped hard-boiled eggs
- cucumbers
- sweet pickle relish
HOW TO MAKE TUNA SALAD
- DRAIN THE CAN OF TUNA: Open the can of tuna and drain well. To ensure that all the liquid is drained, you can dump the tuna in a colander and drain over a large bowl for a few minutes while you chop the vegetables.
- PREP THE VEGGIES: Chop the onion, celery, parsley and avocado.
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS: Add the drained tuna, mayo, Dijon, chopped veggies, fresh lemon, salt and pepper to a large bowl and use a fork or spoon to mash, toss and combine.
- SEASON: Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more salt, black pepper and Dijon mustard to taste.
- ENJOY RIGHT AWAY: You can eat it straight out of the bowl or chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- TO CHILL IN THE FRIDGE: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container with a lid and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- SERVE: Serve over a salad, in lettuce wraps, stuffed in avocados, as a casserole,e, in pasta salads or in a sandwich.
CAN I MAKE TUNA FISH SANDWICHES WITHOUT MAYO?
Yes! You can leave out the mayo and add more ripe avocado or sub with Greek yogurt if not low carb, Keto or paleo.
HOW LONG DOES TUNA SALAD LAST?
One batch of this tuna fish recipe stored in an airtight container can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Be sure not to leave tuna salad with mayonnaise out on the counter at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.
SO CAN YOU FREEZE TUNA FISH SALAD?
Tuna recipes with mayo should not be frozen due to oil separation resulting in a soggy texture.
HOW MANY CARBS ARE IN TUNA SALAD?
The great thing about tuna fish salad is that it is low in carbs and high in protein and fat so the macros fit perfectly if you’re on a keto diet.
Nutritional info for 1 serving of this Whole30 tuna fish recipe:
- 367 calories
- 1g carbs
- 25g protein
- 29g fat
- 1g fiber
- 1g sugar
DOES CANNED TUNA HAVE CARBS?
For a 2-ounce serving size of drained Albacore tuna in water, the macros are:
- 100 calories
- 11g protein
- 0g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugar
- 0.5g fat
Nutritional info for a 2-ounce serving size of drained Chunk light tuna in oil, is:
- 80 calories
- 10g protein
- 0.5g carbs
- 0g fiber, 0g sugar
- 4.5g fat
DIFFERENT TUNA SALAD RECIPES:
Variations and other delicious ways you can eat tuna fish salad:
- Whole30 tuna salad with egg
- keto tuna lettuce wraps
- paleo tuna stuffed avocado
- serve with lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes
- classic tuna salad sandwiches or tuna melts that you can make using your favorite keto bread, low carb pita or a regular croissant
FOR POTLUCKS:
- creamy tuna macaroni salad that you can pack for lunch to go on picnics or meal prep for work
- simple tuna casserole for an easy Sunday night dinner
- easy tuna pasta salad for summer barbecues, potlucks and parties
More easy salad recipes:
Tuna Salad is super easy to make and the perfect healthy light lunch or snack. Made with tuna, chopped celery, creamy mayo, red onion and lemon juice. It's low carb, paleo, keto and Whole30 compliant.
- 18 ounce (three 5-ounce) cans of tuna in water , drained well
- 1/4 cup celery , diced
- 1 tablespoon red onion , finely chopped
- 1/2 ripe avocado , cut into small chunks,
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped
- 2/3 cup Keto / Whole30 compliant mayonnaise , homemade or Primal Kitchen (can also sub with Greek yogurt if not Whole30, Paleo or keto)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- fine sea salt or pink salt and freshly cracked black pepper , to taste
DRAIN THE CAN OF TUNA: Open the can of tuna and drain well. To ensure that all the liquid is drained, you can dump the tuna in a colander and drain over a large bowl for a few minutes while you chop the vegetables.
PREP THE VEGGIES: Chop the onion, celery, parsley and avocado.
COMBINE INGREDIENTS: Add the drained tuna, chopped veggies, mayo, Dijon, fresh lemon, salt and black pepper to a large bowl and use a fork or spoon to toss and combine.
SEASON: Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more salt, pepper and Dijon mustard to taste.
ENJOY RIGHT AWAY: You can eat it straight out of the bowl or chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
TO CHILL IN THE FRIDGE: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container with a lid and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
SERVE: Serve over a salad, in lettuce wraps or stuffed in avocados for a Whole30, Paleo or Low Carb version.
FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE DIETARY CONCERNS: You can also make tuna salad sandwiches or tuna melts that you can make using your favorite keto bread.
Did you try this recipe?
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