This delicious Spicy Tuna Salad is a unique twist on classic tuna salad and a high protein option to add to your weekly meal prep for busy days! It has SO much flavor and the hardest part of this recipe is saving enough to share!
As a dietitian, I'm a big fan of tuna salad recipes. Tuna provides important nutrients like protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12. It's one of my favorite things to make when I have limited time, especially because I always have a few cans of tuna in my fridge. This spicy tuna salad recipe has a Asian-inspired dressing and fresh veggies. It's the perfect tuna salad to serve with cucumber slices or celery sticks!
If you're looking for more ways to use up that can of tuna laying around, try my Mediterranean Tuna Salad or Tuna Salad Melt recipe next.
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Key Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
This easy spicy tuna salad is made with fresh ingredients. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom for measurements & full recipe.
- Canned tuna - tuna is the main ingredient! Use whatever tuna is accessible for you. I like Safe Catch Tuna and Wild Planet Tuna. Both brands use high-quality tuna and contain lower mercury content than other tuna brands. Use whatever kind of tuna you like best - solid white albacore tuna or chunk light tuna packed in water or extra virgin olive oil. I personally use albacore tuna for this recipe.
- Plain Greek Yogurt - we replace mayo often found in traditional tuna salad to make this mayonnaise-free tuna salad creamy! It's a great alternative to add some protein and decrease the calories and total fats found in many tuna options.
- Sriracha Sauce - a little sriracha adds spicy flavor. If you don't like sriracha, use your favorite hot sauce based on your personal preference.
- Fresh vegetables - this recipe uses colorful and crunchy vegetables - celery, sweet peppers, and green onion. You can use red onion in place of green onions and feel free to add cucumbers or cherry tomatoes if you want more veggies.
- Soy Sauce - soy sauce adds an umami flavor and some saltiness to this tasty salad. To make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Sesame Oil - or olive oil. This is optional, but I highly suggest to add toasted sesame oil for even more flavor and to make it more moist.
- Lime Juice - or lemon juice. Freshly squeezed citrus juice adds a citrus flavor and vitamin C. Feel free to throw in some lime zest while you're at it!
- Rice vinegar - also known as rice wine vinegar. It's a bit sweeter than other vinegars and is common in Asian dishes. You can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you want! I use Marukan brand for this recipe.
- Fresh Cilantro - fresh herbs like cilantro add so much flavor and antioxidants to this recipe. Feel free to substitute it for parsley!
How to Make Spicy Tuna Salad
Below are the instructions for how to make this Spicy Tuna Salad with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipes.
- Step 1 - Drain the tuna. Chop the vegetables and fresh herbs including the celery, green onions, and cilantro.
- Step 2 - Add the tuna, vegetables and herbs to a medium bowl. Add Greek yogurt, Sriracha sauce, fresh lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and salt & pepper. Mix it well to combine.
Hint: Chop the veggies ahead of time so everything is ready to throw together when lunchtime rolls around!
Dietitian Tip
Eating a balanced lunch that contains protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is a great way to ensure you feel satisfied! It can help decrease late afternoon cravings and also supports hormone health. I suggest pairing this high-protein tuna salad with crackers, or serving it in a sushi bowl with rice or as a sandwich for a balanced meal!
Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Lettuce - instead of ice berg lettuce, you can use romaine lettuce or spinach
- Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian
Even if your reader doesn't follow a specific diet (eg. gluten free), they may have friends or family that they're cooking for that could use this. This is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.
Variations
The great thing about Spicy Tuna Salad is you can customize it to your taste! Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative.
- Spicier - add more sriracha, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to make it even spicier!
- Creamy Avocado Tuna Salad - add creaminess, extra fiber, and potassium by mixing in half of a mashed avocado.
- Fancy - ________
- Tuna Egg Salad - throw in a hard-boiled egg or two to add more protein and fat-soluble vitamins to this spice tuna salad.
How to Serve Spicy Tuna Salad
Once you have a batch of spicy tuna made, there are so many great ways to serve it. Below are some ideas!
- On Cucumber Slices or Stuffed in Mini Sweet Peppers - slice an English cucumber or half some mini sweet peppers and top each slice or half with a spoonful of this spicy tuna salad. You'll get a little crunch in every bite!
- In a sandwich - scoop the spicy tuna salad between 2 slices of bread to turn it into a spicy tuna salad sandwich.
- Sushi bowls- make a spicy tuna salad bowl with brown rice, crispy rice, white rice, or sushi rice. Slice cherry tomatoes on top and top it with sesame seeds.
- Tuna Melt - the spicy tuna mixture also makes for great tuna melts if you have a couple of extra minutes to wrap it in a tortilla with a slice of cheese and pop it in the air fryer or on a skillet to warm it up!
- On Salad Greens - dish up your favorite greens, add a couple of scoops of spicy tuna salad on top. Finish it off with your favorite salad dressing.
Storage
- Refrigerator - store leftover tuna salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftover tuna salad is good for 3-5 days.
Expert Tips
- Dice the veggies and cilantro into small pieces.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use half an avocado in place of Greek yogurt to make it creamy.
- Use Low Sodium Soy Sauce and skip the added salt if you want to decrease the sodium in this recipe.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. Tuna is a lean protein, and a good source of EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids that can help to lower cholesterol and support brain health. Tuna also provides iron, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and potassium. This recipe contains fiber for gut health from the vegetables, probiotics from the Greek yogurt, and vitamin C from the lime juice.
Yes, canned tuna is pre-cooked.
You’ve probably heard that tuna is high in mercury which when consumed in large amounts can lead to health concerns. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recommends having only one 3.5 ounce serving of light tuna per week. When it comes to which type of tuna is highest in mercury, the answer is albacore or “white” tuna. Skipjack and yellowfin tuna (both sometimes referred to as “light” tuna on the package) are lower in mercury.
In this recipe, Greek yogurt makes the tuna salad creamy. If you prefer, you can use sour cream or mayonnaise instead. If you want a dairy-free option, use half of an avocado!
This recipe calls for canned tuna! If you prefer a more delicate flavor and firmer texture that holds up well in tuna salad, use albacore. If you prefer a strong flavor and softer texture, use chunk light tuna.
No, this recipe contains soy sauce which is not gluten-free. You can easily make it GF by using coconut aminos instead.
Related
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Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Spicy Tuna Salad:
Want to Learn about Nutrition?
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Quick Spicy Tuna Salad Recipe with Crispy Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 (5 oz) cans tuna
- 1 stalk celery, chopped about ¼ cup
- 2 green onions, chopped about 2 Tbsp
- 1 sweet pepper, chopped about ¼ cup
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juice of about 2 Tbsp
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce more to taste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- dash black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the tuna. Chop the vegetables and fresh herbs including the celery, green onions, and cilantro.
- Add the tuna, vegetables and herbs to a medium bowl. Add Greek yogurt, Sriracha sauce, fresh lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and salt & pepper. Mix it well to combine.
- Hint: Chop the veggies ahead of time so everything is ready to throw together when lunchtime rolls around!
Notes
- Dice the veggies and cilantro into small pieces.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use half an avocado in place of Greek yogurt to make it creamy.
- Use Low Sodium Soy Sauce and skip the added salt if you want to decrease the sodium in this recipe.
- Refrigerator - store leftover tuna salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftover tuna salad is good for 3-5 days.
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