Mexican Tuna Salad

A healthy and festive twist on traditional tuna salad! This Mexican Tuna Salad is a blend of savory taco seasoning, lean protein, and crunch and color in every bite. Great option for no cook meal prep or quick enough throw together mid-week. Plus, no mayo!

Tuna Salad

Traditional tuna salad (per Wikipedia) is a blend of two main ingredients:

Tuna and Mayonnaise.

You probably also think of relish, celery, and onion mixed in. And maybe a hardboiled egg if I think of my grandmother’s recipe (on white bread, of course).

While I agree deli tuna salad can be tasty (read salty, buttery soft and comforting), I’m looking for a bit more excitement and color on my plate.

And maybe a bit more appeal for my family.

Mexican Tuna Salad Recipe

This Mexican Tuna Salad will brighten your week. You’ll love the ease of canned tuna, dried seasonings and the ability to throw in color and crunch you have sitting in your fridge. And as opposed to other Mexican inspired tuna recipes, this one calls for Greek yogurt instead of full- fat mayo.

*Please note, while it’s inspired by flavors commonly found in Mexican dishes, this is not an authentic dish.

Ingredients

Besides the tuna, this dish is all about color and crunch (and a little seasoning) that you likely have sitting in your fridge. Here’s what goes in it:

• Canned Tuna
• Greek Yogurt
• Bell Pepper
• Red Onion
• Canned Corn
• Taco Seasoning
• Dried cilantro, optional

What kind of tuna is best?

As mentioned in my post ‘The Top Protein Foods to Keep in the Pantry,‘ I suggest tuna that is:

• light
• packed in water
• in BPA free packaging

You may see (or even prefer!) tuna in oil on the shelves — totally okay to use!

Just know that oil-packed tuna is richer in flavor compared to tuna in water. Therefore, you may need less Greek yogurt/mayo when mixing in.

How do I make Mexican Tuna Salad?

This mixes up in under 10 minutes or less! Start by:

Prep

• Gather ingredients
• Open cans of tuna and corn; drain
• Dice up bell pepper, red onion, and spinach leaves
• Measure out Greek Yogurt, taco seasoning and dried cilantro

Prepare

1. Put all ingredients in bowl and stir to combine
2. Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy

This is so yummy right out of the bowl but look below for suggestions below for ideas on how to serve.

Tips/Tricks

• Transfer into airtight container to store
• Stays fresh in fridge for 3-4 days
• Add more or less of ingredients per preference.
• Substitute Greek Yogurt for mayo (or even sour cream)
• Homemade Taco Seasoning is always an option in place of packet. I usually skip the extra salt in salad as the packet is already quite salty.
• For faster prep, slice up those veggies during step 4 your weekly simple meal prep.

How do I serve?

We often think of tuna salad sandwiches. However, the possibilities are endless!

For example, think Mexican tuna salad tostadas or Mexican tuna salad with avocado. Sounds yummy right?

Here are some other suggestions for serving this scrumptious salad:

• crackers
• tortilla chips
• whole wheat wrap (my go-to!)
• lettuce wrap
• rice cakes
• pita bread

I could even see this making a delicious Mexican tuna salad pasta. What do you think?

Is this healthy?

This is a complete meal in a bowl– and a healthy, balanced meal at that!

It has the following:

• lean protein
• good fat
• lots of veggies

Tuna is often associated with weight loss because of high protein concentration and low calories/fat. While these certainly support healthy weight, I think it’s most important to focus on the unique nutrition that tuna can fuel our bodies. For example, tuna also has:

• omega 3 (those much-loved fatty acids)
• vitamins (B12, D)
• minerals (selenium, iron, phosphorous)

These boost brain function, lower risk of heart disease, prevent anemia, and promote optimal growth in kids…just to name a few!

How many calories are in this recipe?

Full nutritional information, including calories, fat, and protein is listed below along with full recipe card ready to print or save.

I hope you enjoy!

Please leave a comment or review below when you try this! Thank you!

Related Recipes:

For a recipe that uses similar ingredients, check out:

• Easy Pineapple Salsa

Looking for meat-less (Lent friendly!) dishes? Check out:

• Caprese Pasta Salad

For another savory one dish meal, you might enjoy:

• One dish Cheeseburger Skillet