Avocado Tuna Salad

This fresh and healthy avocado tuna salad swaps the classic mayo for nutrient-rich avocado! It’s a fresh, no-cook lunch or fast dinner that comes together in 10 minutes.

Here’s a healthy lunch or dinner idea to spice up your routine: avocado tuna salad! This spin swaps out the classic mayonnaise for nutrient-rich avocado. The flavor is so fresh and delicious, you may give up the mayo version altogether.

I might like this even better than a classic tuna salad (except my creamy recipe is really delicious so it’s a hard call). It takes only a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes to put together. It’s easy to forget about tuna salad, but this one is now solidly part of my healthy meal repertoire!

5 Star Reader Reviews

“I used an avocado that wasn’t ripe enough to mash, but it was still amazing! I doubled the recipe and it turned out delicious and filling for both my sister and me. I would 10/10 recommend.” -Katie

“This goes into the favorites, great combo of additions to the tuna making it very flavorful. Great as is and good as a melt with a touch of cheese too. Thank you!” -Frances

Ingredients You’ll Need

The best part about tuna salad is that you can make it using mostly pantry ingredients. Of course, you’ll need a ripe avocado. But other than the celery and onion, it’s a pantry friendly meal. Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy lunch idea:

Canned tuna: I usually use white meat (albacore), but light tuna works too. Water-packed makes it fresh and clean-tasting; oil-packed tastes a little richer. Both are great!
Ripe avocado: This is the star, so make sure it’s ripe so that it can form the creamy sauce. See my guide on how to cut an avocado for the safe way to cut it.
Celery: Needed for that signature tuna-salad crunch.
Red onion: Just enough for sharpness.
Dill pickles: My secret weapon! They bring that classic briny tang to the salad.
Lemon juice: keeps the avocado from browning.
Dijon mustard: Adds savory notes.

All you have to do is chop the veggies, then mash the ingredients together with a fork. This might just win the easiest meal ever award!

Variation: Try It Mexican Style

Avocado tuna salad is often served with Mexican-style flavors as well. This version is a classic, straightforward take. But you can mix it up and go with a Mexican style variation! Swap out the lemon for fresh lime juice and add a few tablespoons chopped cilantro.

Ways To Serve Avocado Tuna Salad

The most obvious way to serve this healthy tuna salad is the classic sandwich, but there are lots of other creative ways to serve it, including gluten-free and paleo options. Here are some ideas:

Sandwich: There’s nothing wrong with the classic! Try my Artisan Bread, No Knead Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, or Best Sourdough.
Tuna melt: Combine it with grilled cheese to make World’s Best Tuna Melt.
Lettuce wraps: Try tuna salad wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves!
Main dish salad: Or, place the avocado tuna salad on mixed greens and add some sliced tomatoes and hard boiled eggs.
Crostini or crackers: Spread over baguette slices or crackers. For gluten free or Paleo, try our homemade almond crackers.
In an avocado: What to do with the other half of your avocado? Use it for serving the tuna salad.

Want more with tuna? Try these Tuna Recipes for Easy Meals, like Tuna Burgers, Tuna Melts, and more.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Avocado tuna salad is best the day it’s made. The lemon juice slows browning, but the avocado will start to dull within a few hours.

To make ahead, you can prep everything except the avocado and keep it covered in the fridge. Right before serving, mash in the fresh avocado and serve. If you do have leftovers with avocado mixed in, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before refrigerating and eat within a day.

Avocado Beneftis

I’m not against a good tuna salad with mayo, like my classic tuna salad or tuna salad with egg. But it’s fun to have a variation that maximizes the nutrition of this healthy fruit! Here are some facts about avocado nutrition (source):

Rich in fiber. Avocados have lots of fiber; one serving has 7 grams or about 25% your daily value.
Full of heart healthy “good” fats. Avocados are full of monounsaturated oleic acid, a heart-healthy fatty acid.
Loaded with vitamins and nutrients. They’re also filled with a long list of vitamins.

Dietary Notes

This avocado tuna salad recipe is pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy-free.