Keto Tuna Salad

This keto tuna salad bursts with flavor from Dijon mustard, hot sauce, garlic, and cilantro. It's wonderful on its own, even better when piled on top of keto bread.

You can make a big batch and refrigerate it - this salad lasts several days in the fridge. And it's ready in just 15 minutes!

What do you usually eat for lunch? Most of us in the United States eat sandwiches, wraps, or leftovers from last night's dinner.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty salad. 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 since many oil-packed cans contain soybean oil.
• Mayonnaise: I use avocado oil mayonnaise in this recipe.
• Dijon mustard: This traditional French mustard is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard. I highly recommend it in this recipe.
• Hot sauce: It doesn't make the salad very 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 by half, or the salad could become too salty.
• Chopped cilantro: Personally, I happen to love the bold flavor of cilantro. But if you're not a fan, parsley works too.

Variations

• You can use sour cream instead of mayonnaise. I like both options, although I do prefer mayo.
• Use more hot sauce to make the salad spicy.
• Use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, and add a pinch of onion powder.
• Add a pinch of dried thyme. I love the flavor it adds to the salad.
• Use parsley instead of cilantro.
• Mix in diced red onions. They add sharpness and crunch to the salad.
• Add a tablespoon of bacon bits. They're very flavorful!

Keto Tuna Salad Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

• First, drain the tuna well, place it in a bowl, and flake it with a fork. (Photos 1-2).
• Next, add the remaining ingredients and mix everything to combine. (Photos 3-5).
• That's it! Serve the salad on toasted keto bread or in a lettuce wrap. (Photo 6).

Expert Tips

• Since I use water-packed tuna, I add quite a bit of mayo - 3 tablespoons. Otherwise, I find that the salad is too dry. But oil-packed tuna is usually packed in soybean oil, which I'd rather avoid.
• 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.

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this salad on toasted 90-second bread (as shown in the photos and video), on thick slices of almond flour bread, or on a bed of lettuce. It also makes an excellent filling for a lettuce sandwich.

Sometimes I pack it into a bell pepper or stuff it inside a hollowed-out tomato:

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Remix the salad before serving it.

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Recipe Card

4.98 from 135 votes

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Keto Tuna Salad

This keto tuna salad bursts with flavor from Dijon mustard, hot sauce, garlic, and cilantro. It's perfect when served on keto bread!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 ounces canned tuna packed in water, no added salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons mayonnaise I use avocado oil mayo
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fresh garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro chopped; or parsley

Instructions

• Drain the tuna well.
• Transfer the drained tuna to a medium bowl.
• Flake it well with a fork.
• Add the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Mix well.
• To serve, stuff the tuna salad inside a bell pepper or a large tomato, serve it in a lettuce wrap, or use low-carb bread.

Video

Notes

Here are a few ideas for varying this recipe:

• Use sour cream instead of mayonnaise.
• Use more hot sauce to make the salad spicy.
• Use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic and add a pinch of onion powder as well.
• Add a pinch of dried thyme.
• Use parsley instead of cilantro.
• Mix in diced red onions.
• Add a tablespoon of bacon bits.

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Mix the salad again before serving it.

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Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 591mg | Sugar: 3g

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