This delicious 15-minute spicy tuna salad bursts with flavor from Dijon mustard, hot sauce, garlic, and cilantro. It's wonderful on its own, or you can serve it in lettuce wraps.
Many of us here in the United States eat sandwiches, wraps, or leftovers from last night for our lunch. Tuna salad is perfect for lunch, and this spicy version, made with hot sauce and lots of cilantro, is so flavorful that I sometimes make it for dinner. You can double the recipe, make a big batch, and refrigerate it - this salad lasts several days in the fridge.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Canned tuna: I use water-packed tuna.
- Mayonnaise: I use avocado oil mayonnaise.
- Mustard: I use Dijon mustard. This traditional French mustard is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
- Hot sauce: This is the secret ingredient! It doesn't make the salad overly spicy, but it adds an interesting layer of flavor. You can use more hot sauce to make the salad truly spicy.
- Veggies, aromatics, and herbs: Red onion, garlic, and celery add flavor and crunch. Cilantro is another secret ingredient that adds lots of flavor. But if you're not a fan, parsley works, too. Other additions I like to add occasionally include ¼ cup of sliced kalamata olives and a tablespoon of well-drained capers.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Drain the tuna well, add it to a medium bowl, and flake it with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork and then with a rubber spatula until well combined.
Add the garlic, celery, red onion, and cilantro. Mix to combine.
Serve in a bowl or on lettuce leaves.
Recipe Tips
- Since I use water-packed tuna, I add quite a bit of mayo - 6 tablespoons. Otherwise, I find that the salad is too dry.
- Following the FDA's recommendations for eating fish, I prefer chunk light tuna (usually skipjack).
- When choosing a hot sauce, it's best to use one with the first ingredient listed as hot peppers rather than vinegar. Those tend to be the most flavorful. I like the flavor of sriracha, so that's what I use.
Recipe FAQs
A good alternative to mayonnaise is sour cream, although mayonnaise tastes better and is creamier. Another option is Greek yogurt, but I don't recommend it, even if you use whole-milk yogurt. I tried it and felt it was too tangy.
Yes, but make sure it's packed in pure olive oil, not soybean or cottonseed oil. You can use less mayo with oil-packed tuna - four tablespoons should be enough.
Yes, but Dijon mustard is tastier and creamier.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Remix the salad before serving it. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
This is the fun part! There are so many ways to enjoy tuna salad. You can obviously use it in a sandwich. If you eat a low-carb diet, use 90-second bread or almond flour bread. I often simply serve it in a bowl with a spoon, but here are a few more ideas:
- Serve it in lettuce wraps, as shown in the image below:
- Serve it in bell pepper halves (remove the seeds and membranes first), as shown in this photo:
- Serve it on top of hard-boiled eggs:
- Scoop it out of the bowl with crackers, chips, or plain pork rinds:
Recipe Card
Spicy Tuna Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 2 5-ounce cans tuna in water - I use skipjack
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- ¼ cup celery - diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion - diced
- ¼ cup cilantro - chopped
Optional, for serving:
- Lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Drain the tuna well. Add it to a medium bowl and flake it with a fork.
- Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork and then with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Add the garlic, celery, red onion, and cilantro. Mix to combine.
- Serve the salad in a bowl or spoon it on lettuce leaves.
Notes
- The hot sauce doesn't make the salad overly spicy. Add an extra tablespoon if you want it truly spicy.
- When choosing a hot sauce, it's best to use one with the first ingredient listed as hot peppers rather than vinegar. Those tend to be the most flavorful. I like the flavor of sriracha, so that's what I use.
- Since I use water-packed tuna, I add quite a bit of mayo - 6 tablespoons. Otherwise, the salad is too dry.
- You can use oil-packed tuna, but make sure it's packed in pure olive oil, not soybean or cottonseed oil. You can use less mayo with oil-packed tuna - four tablespoons should be enough.
- Following the FDA's recommendations for eating fish, I prefer chunk light tuna (usually skipjack).
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Remix the salad before serving it. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
