Easy Avocado Tuna Salad
This Easy Avocado Tuna Salad is a delicious, healthier twist on the traditional recipe. There’s no mayo needed, thanks to the creamy rich avocado. It’s super flavorful, easy to make and the perfect 5-minute, no cook lunch or dinner; that’s packed with protein and nutrition. Pile it on bread for a tasty sandwich, stuff it in a tortilla wrap or scoop it in lettuce cups. Great for Whole30, Paleo, Keto and low-carb diets.
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Salads like this Avocado Tuna Salad are my favorite for lunch! I pretty much eat one every day, such as my lighter egg salad or this copycat Magnolia Market chicken salad. And a good tuna salad is always a favorite! It’s a quick, easy, nutrient-rich meal that can be served a variety of ways.
If you’re a fan of tuna and you love avocado then this recipe is for you. I personally think adding avocado to tuna salad is even more delicious than the original with mayonnaise! The avocado adds a wonderful flavor and a creamy texture and replacing the mayo makes it even better for you.
As an added plus, this dish is versatile enough to serve in lots of different ways. Enjoy it in a wrap, on sandwich bread, over a bed of baby spinach, topped on apple slices or use it as a dip with crackers or tortilla chips. The options are pretty much endless!
Simply delish! I halved the recipe because I am a solo household. I was looking for something fast and easy and I had all the ingredients. It came together nicely, added a pinch of cayenne. Will definitely make again.
— Karen
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy. This avocado tuna salad recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients that you toss together in one bowl. It only takes about 10 minutes to whip up!
- Perfect for meal prepping. If you meal prep, this easy tuna salad recipe is perfect for you. It stores well and tastes great the next day for a healthy lunch. Just squeeze a little lemon juice over the avocado, so it doesn’t brown!
- Healthy and nutrient-rich. This is packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It contains plenty of lean protein from the tuna, and fiber, healthy fats, vitamin c and potassium from the avocado. Plus, there are a variety of vegetables mixed in to make this a very well-balanced meal.
Ingredients needed
All you’ll need are a handful of fresh, simple ingredients to make this tuna fish salad recipe. Feel free to mix and match ingredients as you’d like, but personally, I really love the recipe as written. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Tuna. I recommend using skipjack wild tuna or canned light tuna in water, because both of these options are lower in mercury than other varieties of canned tuna.
- Celery. Adds fresh crunch!
- Avocados. Chunks of creamy avocado add richness to the salad. So good! Feel free to slightly mash up the avocado (more so than in the pictures), if preferred.
- Red onion. This salad uses red onion, which is sweeter than yellow and white onions and much more palatable. Feel free to sub with another onion variety, though.
- Herbs. Chopped fresh cilantro for a refreshing, citrusy taste. Other options for this salad are parsley, tarragon, or chives.
- Lemon juice. The juice from half a lemon adds a bright, fresh flavor. Lime juice works great too!
- Olive oil. Mixed with the lemon juice to dress the salad. Other oils work fine.
- Salt & pepper. Really makes all of the flavors pop!
Variations
This avocado tuna salad is a very simple recipe and I personally love it as-is, but there are so many ways to make it your own and customize it to your preferences! Here are some options:
- Vegetables. You can add other veggies to the mix such as cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, corn and/or black olives.
- Beans. Try adding canned beans for an extra dose of protein and fiber. I would suggest using only 1 avocado and a can of beans that have been drained and rinsed. Chickpeas or cannellini beans work great in this salad.
- Cheese. For an added flavor dimension, sprinkle in a little cheese, such as feta or crumbled cotija.
- Herbs. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can replace it with parsley, chives or fresh dill.
- Additions. Sometimes I like to add in crumbled bacon and/or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs.
How to make this recipe
Once you have your veggies chopped and other ingredients prepped, this avocado tuna salad is as easy as stirring everything together in a large bowl. Here’s the simple method:
Full, printable instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prep. This recipe starts with canned tuna, which is drained and flaked in a bowl. You can use your favorite variety of canned tuna in oil or water. I like to use albacore or white tuna packed in water, but any type of tuna or even canned salmon will work.
- Combine salad ingredients. In a large bowl, gently mix the tuna with the finely diced celery, chopped avocado, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped fresh cilantro to form the base of the salad.
- Make the dressing. A simple lemon or lime vinaigrette is mixed in a small bowl. Pour that over the top of the salad, then the final step is to toss, eat and enjoy!
Tips for recipe success
Here are a few tips, so that this salad recipe turns out perfect every time!
- When draining the tuna, try to drain as much water (or oil) as possible before mixing the tuna with the other ingredients. This will keep your tuna avocado salad from being overly watery.
- Choose soft, but not overripe avocados. You want to make sure your avocados are soft, but not too soft. However, if they are too firm, the tuna salad won’t be creamy.
- Mash up the avocado as much or little as you like. As seen in the pictures, I usually keep my avocado in coarsely chopped pieces, but feel free to make this salad extra creamy by mashing it all up.
- To make this salad ahead of time, simply stir all ingredients together, except the avocados. When you’re ready to serve, mix in the avocado. You can make this salad about a day in advance.
- If the flavor of raw onion is too intense for you, soak it in water with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, to take the bite out of it.
Serving suggestions
There are variety of delicious ways to serve this avocado tuna salad. Which is your favorite?
- Bread. Pile on toasted or un-toasted bread with any other favorite sandwich fixings. It’s especially delicious served on croissants.
- Pita. Stuff the tuna salad into pita bread halves.
- Crackers or chips. Scoop up with your favorite crackers or chips.
- Apple slices. Load on top of large thin slices of apple.
- Lettuce wraps. Spoon into romaine or butter lettuce leaves.
- Tomato. Fill into a large tomato with the meaty part of the tomato spooned out.
- Wrap. Add to a tortilla wrap and roll it up. Or wrap it in a large burrito-size tortilla and toast it in a skillet, crunch wrap style.
Frequently asked questions
Not all brands of canned tuna are created equal, either in terms of their flavor profile or their health benefits. Look for a sustainable, dolphin-safe brand. For this recipe, we suggest using tuna packed in water. If you only have tuna packed in oil, you may not need as much olive oil in the dressing. This also tastes great with canned salmon.
Canned tuna fish is an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals and is low in saturated fat. Ounce for ounce, tuna is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than even the leanest cuts of beef and chicken. Just be sure to moderate your intake as large sport fish, like tuna, are known to contain mercury.
Absolutely! The mild flavor and creamy texture of the avocado complement the fish nicely. Many tuna salads are creamy and often made with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt. In this tuna salad recipe, there’s no need for mayo because the creaminess of the avocado is a great substitute.
Storage recommendations
To store: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container to keep the avocado from browning. The tuna salad should keep fresh for about 2 days in the fridge, if covered properly.
This avocado tuna salad truly takes the classic tuna salad from ordinary to extraordinary! I make it on the regular. It’s just that good! Trust me and give it a try!
More lunch recipes you’ll enjoy
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Easy Avocado Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cans tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
- 2 large celery stalks, finely sliced and diced
- 3 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced and diced, (can roughly mash, if preferred)
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, (substitute with fresh parsley, if preferred)
- 1/2 medium lemon (lime juice will work), juiced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine drained tuna, diced celery, diced (or slightly mashed) avocado, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro.
- In a small bowl or jar, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Pour dressing over tuna mixture and toss to combine. Serve with chips or crackers, in a wrap, as a sandwich or in lettuce cups. Enjoy!
Notes
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This was so good!
Thanks for the recipe. Very tasty!
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious & a healthy new twist on tuna salad. I have enjoyed so many of your recipes! Thank You fo sharing.
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
Delicious!
Wow! I thought I would miss the mayo but I didn’t. I had it on toasted 647 low carb bread and it was delicious. I’m looking forward to trying your other suggested add ins and variations. Thank you for sharing!
Tried this and loved it! We didn’t have purple onions but Larry had some green onions that I finely chopped and added…gave it a little kick!
I’m so happy y’all got a chance to give it a try and enjoyed!! I haven’t had this in so long. I need to make it again soon!
Just made this. It’s sooooo good! What a delicious and healthy lunch option. Thanks, Kim!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed!! Thanks for your comment!
This was so good! I replaced celery with cucumber and opted out oil, cilantro, and onion. I added old bay seasoning and a little lemon pepper. My toddler enjoyed it on honey wheat!! Thank you!!
Love your substitutions! So glad you and your little one enjoyed! And thanks so much for taking time to comment!
Awesome flavor! I just made this and am really enjoying it! I know I will make it often. Thank you!
Great way to make tuna salad; I have no problem with mayo, but I often sub avocado as a bread spread. What really pulls the flavors together is the lemon juice.
Made it! Loved it! Substituted avocado oil for olive oil, reduced, slightly the amount of celery, used 1/4 cup, added two tablespoons of diced jalapenos, one tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning. So good!
My favorite tuna salad ever! I love how easy and tasty this recipe is!
It’s a winner for sure! Had all the ingredients on hand. Great fats and proteins, low carb. thank you!
Excellent recipe. Did not miss the mayo at all. We added our usual tuna toppings on each wrap, lettuce, tomato, spicy peppers and hot mustard, and one sandwich easily filled us up. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Laura! And thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment!
I absolutely love this tuna salad recipe! It’s so simple, yet so flavorful!
This recipe is a favorite that I make at least a couple of times a month. Sometimes we even use chicken instead of tuna.
LOVE this twist for a tuna salad. Easy and DELICIOUS.
Really good! Added some hot sauce to pop flavor. This will be a regular in our menu.
That’s an awesome idea! So glad you enjoyed!
Simply delish!
I halved the recipe because I am a solo household. I was looking for something fast and easy and I had all the ingredients. It come together nicely, added a pinch of cayenne. Will definitely make again.
So glad that you enjoyed and it worked well to half the recipe! Thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
This was so flavorful!! And what a great idea to put the tuna salad on top of apple slices – YUM!
This was extra tasty!! I loved in lettuce wraps and my kids used it as a dip with chips. Will definitely make again!
Tried it and finished it all by myself hahaha.
It’s really wonderful, Tnx for the recipe
So glad you enjoyed!
This was even more delicious than I expected. Great for quick and easy lunches!