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GET IT NOWMy Avocado Tuna Salad Is Brighter, Creamier, And More Fun
Don’t get me wrong, I love a classic tuna salad, but when I’m craving something a little brighter and fresher, this avocado tuna salad hits just right. And it’s more fun. Here’s why:
- Creamy, savory, crunchy, and bright all in one – Think tuna salad meets guacamole. In fact, the whole reason I made this was because I felt like guac for lunch one day and had nothing to serve it with, so I threw some tuna in there. A few tests and tweaks later, I ended up with the avocado tuna salad recipe I’m sharing with you today!
- No mayo at all – I love mayo, but don’t miss it one bit in this salad! And if you’ve browsed my healthy avocado recipes, you know I’ll take any excuse to use more avocado.
- Quick and easy – This salad requires zero cooking, uses ingredients I almost always have around, and takes all of 10 minutes to throw together.
Since that first random time, I’ve enjoyed this tuna avocado salad for more healthy lunches, stuffed it into wraps for a quick and easy dinner, and even scooped it up with chips as a healthy snack. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my avocado tuna salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Tuna – I like using a combo of chunk light and solid white albacore tuna, for a balance of textures and price. I prefer the kind packed in water, because oil packed ones typically use low quality seed oils, but tuna packed in extra virgin olive oil would work great.
- Avocados – The creamy base, so there’s no need for mayo. Make sure they’re ripe! I’ve tried to make this salad with ones that weren’t quite there, and it totally ruined the whole thing.
- Lime Juice – Keeps the avocado from browning and adds a tangy flavor. I’ve used lemon juice in a pinch, but thought lime has a much better flavor for this tuna avocado salad.
- Crunchy Veggies – Celery and red onion add crunch and freshness. Sometimes I add or swap in cucumbers, tomatoes, or bell peppers.
- Jalapeños – For a spicy kick. You can leave them out, or take a middle-of-the-road heat approach I’ve done for my kids, in my tips below. You can also toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes instead.
- Fresh Cilantro – This works best with the whole guac vibe here! If you’re not a fan, I’ve liked green onions or even fresh parsley in here.
- Sea Salt – I don’t add any black pepper because the jalapeno brings the heat, but recommend adding some if you skipped the hot pepper.
How To Make Avocado Tuna Salad
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mash the avocados. Toss them in a large bowl with lime juice and a pinch of sea salt, and use a fork to mash.
- Add the tuna, cilantro, red onion, celery, and jalapeños. Gently stir it all together, breaking up any big chunks of tuna. Adjust the salt and jalapenos to your taste. I like to serve with extra avocados and cilantro for garnish!
My Tips For Flavor & Texture
- Be careful not to overmix. I think this avocado tuna salad tastes best with some distinct chunks of avocado and tuna, so I try to keep some avocado pieces when mashing and fold gently after adding the tuna. So much better than all mush!
- Chop everything small. The smaller the celery, jalapeno, and onion pieces, the better they mix in without overpowering each bite.
- Want it less (or more) spicy? I love the medium heat that whole minced jalapeños add, but if you want it milder, you can remove the seeds and membranes before chopping. For more heat, add an extra pepper, or try a spicier kind, like serrano pepper.
- If your avocado tuna salad feels dry, you can add an extra avocado. Sometimes I need to add an extra one if my avocados were on the smaller side. Just mash it with some extra lime juice and salt, then fold in with everything else.
- Feel free to add a few hard boiled eggs for extra protein. That’s like a combo of this avocado tuna salad and my avocado egg salad.
- Try adding bacon for extra flavor. It’s a great way to use up leftover oven baked bacon!
Avocado Tuna Salad (10-Min Recipe)
My avocado tuna salad is fresh and creamy, with a kick and no mayo! Make it in just 10 minutes, with 7 simple ingredients.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, mash the avocado with lime juice and sea salt.
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Add the tuna, cilantro, red onion, celery, and jalapeños (if using). Gently stir everything together, breaking apart any large pieces of tuna.
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Adjust salt and jalapeños to your taste if needed. Serve immediately.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best flavor and texture, plus a couple of my favorite variations.
- Storage & meal prep: Avocado tuna salad is best fresh, since the avocado browns. You might be able to keep it for a day or two if you add extra lime juice and store it in an guacamole keeper like this.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Avocado Tuna Salad
Serving Ideas
There are so many ways to enjoy this avocado tuna salad, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Wraps – I like piling it into a big lettuce leaf (pictured above) for a light lunch! You can also try my cauliflower tortillas or almond flour tortillas.
- Sandwiches – Feel free to slather this tuna avocado salad on your favorite bread, just like you would a regular tuna salad. My 90 second bread is great for a last-minute fix!
- Chips & Crackers – Scoop it up with baked tortilla chips (my fave), almond crackers, or whatever crunchy fill-in-the-blank you’ve got on hand.
40 Comments
Van
0I made this exact to ingredients and instructions and I am not a fan of this recipe as is. It didn’t occur to me until I tasted it but this is guacamole with tuna added and tomato swapped for celery.
After trying several tricks, I saved the dish by adding a diced granny smith apple.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, Van! Yes, I described this salad above as guacamole meets tuna salad, so it’s not for you if you’re not a fan of both.
Pete
0Very tasty! Will make this again (with all the right ingredients – only had 1 can of tuna and scallions – no red onions), but this was a winner anyway!
2 questions: tuna in oil or water recommended?
What’s a good mincer? (Same tool for onion and jalapeno?) I used my garlic press, but the veggie skins really got in the way…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pete, I use tuna in water, but you can use the kind in oil if you like. This is the veggie chopper I suggest, otherwise just using a knife with a rocking motion similar to mincing garlic is just fine.
Chelsie
0This was so good! I subbed jalapeño and cilantro for cayenne and dried cilantro and it was still delicious! Ate it with cucumber slices and didn’t miss the celery crunch (I didn’t have celery). Just what I was looking for!
Mary
0How do u break salad down to one serving only. Leftover I don’t think would work
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, On the recipe card above, you can change the number of servings to 1. Most of the measurements turn out fine that way, but you can adjust the cilantro, celery, and red onions to 1 tablespoon each to make it easy, and 3/4 to 1 teaspoon for the jalapenos. Hope this helps!
Brenda
0Super delicious combo of flavors! Thank you for the recipe!
Staci
0How many eggs would you use of you wanted to add eggs to this and would the the other ingredients need to scale if adding diced eggs?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Staci, It’s up to you how many eggs you want to add! I would probably do like four, and add an extra avocado plus a little extra lime juice.
Eva
0Delicious and easy to throw together! I love coriander but never thought of it in tuna salad!
Bernice Humphrey
0I really like this. Nutrition info says 2g of protein per serving. That can’t be right. A small can of Albacore tuna has 22g.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bernice, You are correct. I recalculated the protein and updated the nutrition. Thank you!
Anne
0Thank you so much!
Deborah
0The keto version should behave with tuna packed in Olive oil and undrained. Thanks for this amazing recipe. I cannot wait to try. I may even add some curry powder for extra flavor.
Diane
0I have made the avocado tuna salad. It is delicious! I used avocado mayo to cut fat. I am trying to lose weight but cholesterol is higher than I want it. Thank you f ou e a good recipe I can work with for myself.
Amanda
0Thanks for the recipe this was delicious!
Ivana
0Lots of ideas here, thank you so much. I love bacon in mine!
Anne Lawton
0This was so good! I love that you are using avocados in place of mayo in this!
Kari
0This were incredible! I could see myself eating this every single day for lunch no problems!
Kelly
0Love the addition of jalapeno in here. Adds a great pop!
paleoglutenfreeguy
0Delish! Never would’ve thought to use tuna instead of chicken in a dish like this but it’s brilliant!
Amy Sheree
0This seriously was so good! The perfect clean lunch!
Raia Todd
0I love tuna salad. Avocado was a great addition!
Jean
0This was amazing! I love replacing mayo with avocados in a salad like this. Gives such a pretty color and makes it so tasty too!
Cathy
0Thank you so much for this recipe! Looks fantastic! Fairly new to THM so this would be a S-meal, correct? I sometimes get confused between S and FP meals. Thanks so much again. Surely do enjoy your blog and the nutritional info is WONDERFUL!!! You’re a huge blessing to so many of us!!!
Michal con delight
0Wow! that looks so tasty! I hope I will get the chance and try it tomorrow. Thanks so much for such a refreshing beautiful-looking salad.
Lizet Flores de Bowen
0This was so easy to make and just yum! great recipe!
Andrea Metlika
0Wow, I think I have just found my new favorite way to have tuna. This is awesome!
Denise
0I love that you used avocado and cilantro … my two favorites! This will be a great low carb lunch this weekend. THanks for the different variation suggestions too!
Taryn
0Great lunch in the summer! Thanks for the recipe.
April
0I loooooove that this is made with avocados instead of mayo. It was so creamy and delicious, and I didn’t feel guilty about going back for seconds. 😉
Deanne
0I love that you changed up boring tuna salad. The variations like cucumber and bacon sound delish!!
Jenna Urben
0Oh, I love this recipe, love adding bacon and cilantro! Such a great flavor combo happening here. I haven’t had an avocado tuna sandwich in YEARS before this. It was long overdue!
Estelle
0This looks great and I don’t like mayo!!! I never eat tuna salad because of it – what a great idea to combine the tuna with guac!
Adrianne
0Yes please! I want more avocado in my life please! Yum, what a great salad. So fresh and tasty and the celery in the dish is a pleasant addition.
Kelly Anthony
0I’ve been eating tuna once a week lately because its just quick and easy. I’m loving your addition of cilantro, jalapeno and red onion. Its guacamole with protein. YUM!
Danielle Wolter
0what a delicious way to make tuna salad! i love the use of avocado, so unique and healthy 🙂
Nellie Tracy
0Such a delicious recipe! Perfect for summer!!
Jules Shepard
0I don’t usually eat tuna salad because I’m not a huge fan of mayo so THIS is perfect for me! It also looks awfully pretty to boot!