Keto tuna salad bursts with flavor from Dijon mustard, hot sauce, garlic, and cilantro. It's excellent served on 90-second keto bread.
What do you usually eat for lunch? Most of us (in the USA at least) eat sandwiches, wraps, or perhaps leftovers from last night's dinner.
Needless to say, tuna salad is perfect for lunch, and this keto version, served on a low-carb bread, is so very flavorful! In fact, it's so good, that I sometimes make it for a light dinner. And leftovers are great the next day, so I often double the recipe.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty lunch. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Canned tuna: I prefer water-packed tuna since many oil-packed cans contain soybean oil.
Mayonnaise: I use avocado oil mayonnaise in this low-carb tuna salad. My favorite brand is Sir Kensington's.
Dijon mustard: This traditional French mustard is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
Hot sauce: It doesn't make the salad spicy - it merely adds an interesting layer of flavor.
Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the salad could end up too salty.
Chopped cilantro: Personally, I happen to love the bold flavor of cilantro. But if you're not a fan, parsley works too.
How to make a keto tuna salad
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Drain the tuna well, place it in a bowl, and flake it with a fork.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
3. Serve the salad on toasted keto bread or in a lettuce wrap.
Use mayonnaise or sour cream
I use avocado oil mayonnaise (Sir Kensington's brand, available at Whole Foods and Walmart, is wonderful) in this recipe.
Since I use water-packed tuna, I add quite a bit of mayo - 3 tablespoons. Otherwise, I find it too dry. But oil-packed tuna is usually packed in soybean oil, which I'd rather avoid.
A good alternative to mayonnaise is sour cream, although I do believe that mayonnaise tastes better in this particular recipe. I once tried to use Greek yogurt but felt that it was too tangy.
How to serve keto tuna salad
I usually serve it on toasted 90-second bread (as shown in the photos and in the video), or on a bed of lettuce.
It also makes a great filling for a lettuce sandwich. And keto tuna melts made with it are the perfect comfort food!
And needless to say, there's absolutely nothing wrong with serving it in a bowl and eating it with a spoon! Sometimes I use it to make a lazy tuna melt - I place it in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with cheddar, and heat it up in the microwave to melt the cheese. Mmm good!
How to store leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Mix the salad again before serving it.
More tuna recipes that you might enjoy
The most successful tuna recipe on this blog is this recipe for tuna cakes, and with good reason. They are easy to make and so delicious - they are just perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Another tuna recipe that I really like is this recipe for keto tuna casserole. It's wonderfully cheesy and very very tasty! Plus, leftovers taste great too.
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Keto Tuna Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (5-oz can) tuna in water, no salt added
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Drain the tuna well.
- Transfer the drained tuna to a medium bowl.
- Flake it well with a fork.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- To serve, stuff the tuna salad inside a bell pepper or a large tomato, serve in lettuce wraps, or on toasted 90 second bread.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.