This flavorful, healthy tuna salad without mayo uses celery, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and extra virgin olive oil to create a super flavorful dish. You can make this tuna salad creamy with Greek yogurt, or keep it dairy-free!
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Why You'll Love This No Mayo Tuna Salad Recipe
You won't miss the mayo! Whether you love it or hate it, the mayonnaise won't be missed here. This light and refreshing healthy tuna salad recipe is full of flavor, with rich olive oil, bright lemon juice, and fresh herbs. If you haven't tried lemon tuna salad before, I think you're going to like it!
You have the option to make it creamy with a bit of Greek yogurt instead of using mayo.
It's adaptable. You can use this tuna salad as the base of different flavor profiles. Make a Mediterranean tuna salad recipe by adding olives or artichoke hearts, Moroccan by adding a little harissa paste, or Italian with a bit of torn basil.
It's versatile. Serve it in your favorite sandwich, over a bed of lettuce, on crackers, in lettuce wraps, or have a small bowl as a snack.
It's great to add to a bowl of grains with some dressed greens or cucumbers. I like to have a scoop of tuna salad with some crudités: sliced celery, green and red bell pepper, carrots, radishes. It's a great recipe for a light, healthy lunch!
It's quick and super easy to make. Ready in less than 10 minutes, this no-mayo tuna salad made with pantry staples will help you have a delicious, healthy meal with a good source of protein on the table quickly.
The best part, for me, is it's perfect for meal prep. Try making it into a tuna pasta salad, add it to a pita pocket,
I truly believe this is the best tuna salad out there and I hope you love it as much as I do!
What You'll Need
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- Canned Tuna Oil-packed or water-packed tuna is fine here. A good quality tuna will shine, but anything you have on hand will be great. I personally like the solid white albacore tuna packed in oil. There are some wonderful Italian brands, like Tonnino.
- Olive Oil I love to use good-quality extra virgin olive oil. This is my favorite brand.
- Lemon Juice If you can't find fresh lemons, this bottled lemon juice will work just fine.
- Celery Adding a bit of crunchy celery adds a fresh, vibrant flavor and texture to this tuna fish.
- Red Onion A sweet onion would work well, too. If you want more onion flavor, try adding some green onions to the dish in addition to your red onion.
- Fresh Parsley Adding fresh herbs to this recipe make it lighter and more flavorful than traditional tuna salad. I love using parsley and fresh dill, but you can also try adding fresh basil or even cilantro.
- Fresh Dill I would not substitute with dried for either herb, but you can use just one (parsley or dill) if you'd like.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper I love to use kosher salt in my recipes. It is less salty by volume than table salt or sea salt, making it easier to season as you go. This is my favorite brand of kosher salt.
Optional
- Greek Yogurt I would only use plain Greek yogurt here, not regular yogurt. They have distinctly different flavors.
- Dijon Mustard If you aren't a mustard fan, just omit this. A whole-grain mustard would also be delicious here.
- Capers Capers add a briny, salty flavor to this easy tuna salad.
- Cornichons These are those adorable baby pickles, You could also chop some regular dill pickles if you prefer.
How to Make Tuna Salad Without Mayonnaise
Step One: Thinly slice the onion. Drizzle over the lemon juice and let sit a few minutes to absorb the flavor.
Step Two: Pick the herbs from their hard stem. Chop roughly or tear into small pieces.
Step Three: Finely chop the celery.
Step Four: Add the 2 cans of tuna, olive oil, celery, herbs, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the Greek yogurt, capers, and cornichons if using.
Step Five Mix together well and taste for seasoning.
Recommended Equipment
Can Opener
Cutting Board
Kitchen Knife
Large Mixing Bowl
Variations
Creamy You can have a more classic tuna salad creaminess by adding Greek yogurt.
Mediterranean Add some olives, kalamata olives, or artichoke hearts to your finished tuna salad.
Spicy Add red pepper flakes, chopped hot peppers like jalapeno, or pickled peppers for a bit of zest.
How to Store
This tuna salad is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.
Be sure to move to the fridge within 2 hours.
I do not recommend you freeze tuna salad.
FAQ
If you're not a huge fan of mayo but you want to mimic its creaminess, I recommend using Greek yogurt. However, tuna is also delicious with just a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice for a nice change of pace.
It can be. High in protein and low in calories and carbs, tuna is a great source of fuel for your body. Ready more about the health benefits of tuna here.
Outside of the Greek yogurt and olive oil and lemon mentioned above, some of the best things to add to canned tuna are fresh herbs, bright, pickled things like cornichons, capers, or pickled peppers, lots of cracked black pepper, and a bit of dijon mustard.
How to Serve Tuna Salad
Try this Greek yogurt tuna salad recipe in...
Sandwiches: Serve tuna salad on your favorite bread with cucumber slices. You can also make tuna wraps with a tortilla with fresh veggies or tuna lettuce wraps for a light lunch. Try adding cheese and toasting the sandwich for tuna melts (or my favorite, open-face tuna melts).
Salads: Try this over a green salad with your favorite salad dressing for a perfect lunch. I like this harissa vinaigrette, this jalapeno lime vinaigrette, or this lemon herb vinaigrette. You can also add it to this delicious Greek green salad with feta cheese.
Snack: Have a little bit of tuna with crackers or some crudités for a high protein snack.
Grain Bowls: Use this recipe for the protein in your favorite grain bowl. It's wonderful in this Mediterranean grain bowl.
Expert Tips
- Find the flavor combinations that work best for you. If you want a simple tuna salad with no frills or herbs or lemon, it's your salad - enjoy it how you like it!
- Taste as you go. No need to serve up your tuna only to find it's bland and needs more salt. Taste every step of the way and make adjustments as needed. If anything tastes out of balance, add more of the other ingredients to even out the flavor. If it's too creamy, add more acidic ingredients, like capers or dijon. If it's dry, add some olive oil.
- It's easy to scale. If you want to make this recipe for a crowd (or meal prep for the week), you can easily double or triple this recipe. Just select the number next to "servings" in the recipe card and slide the arrow to the right until you reach your desired number of servings.
More Salad Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Tuna Salad without Mayo
Equipment
- Citrus Juicer (optional)
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 2 cans tuna 5 ounces each, oil-packed or water-packed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup red onion sliced thin, about ¼ of an onion
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill picked from the hard stem and roughly chopped or torn into pieces
- ¼ cup fresh parsley picked from the hard stem and roughly chopped or torn into pieces
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Optional
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard optional
- 2 tablespoons capers or chopped cornichons
Instructions
- Add the onion to a bowl and drizzle the lemon juice over. Let sit for a few minutes to let the flavor absorb.
- Add the tuna, celery, olive oil, herbs, dijon, salt and pepper, and Greek yogurt if using, to the bowl. Mix thoroughly and taste for seasoning.
- If using capers or cornichons, sprinkle over the top of the finished tuna salad. Serve.
Notes
- 1 can of tuna can be used for 1 to 2 people, depending on appetites.
- Approximate calories are based on half of a can of tuna per person and include the option for Greek yogurt, dijon, and capers.
- This tuna salad is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.
- Be sure to move to the fridge within 2 hours.
- I do not recommend you freeze tuna salad.
Nadine says
Fantastic recipe. I added chopped pickles and a can of peas and carrots. Left out the capers. I did add Dijon mustard and the Greek yogurt.
Genevieve says
So glad you enjoyed it, Nadine!
Delaney Re says
I'm a tuna lover again. Why I never thought to put Greek yogurt in tuna instead of mayo never occurred to me, but I love it so much better. I also loved the addition of the dill and capers. So much good flavor!
Genevieve says
Thanks so much Delaney! I'm so glad to hear you're loving tuna again.
Sue says
I tried this with Greek yogurt and loved the taste. So delish and healthy!
Genevieve says
Wonderful! So happy to hear it, Sue.
Shilpa says
Love this tuna salad. It’s a lovely change from the regular mayo dressing the I use. Next time I’m going add some yogurt and try it.
Genevieve says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Shilpa!
Jenn says
I think mayo is nasty so I'm delighted to see this recipe! It was fresh and tasty and delish! I'll be making it again for sure!
Genevieve says
Haha, this is definitely for all the mayo haters! Thanks so much, Jenn!
Kris says
This was so refreshing and vibrant and the flavors were just perfect! We are already making it again to have on hand throughout the week. Thank you for another wonderful recipe! 🙂
Genevieve says
Thank you, Kris! Always happy to hear you enjoyed a recipe.
Gina says
As a non-mayo loving person, this recipe is right up my alley! All the same creaminess and flavor for a delicious lunch.
Genevieve says
Thanks, Gina! Glad you enjoyed it.
Karen Kelly says
I made this for my husband to have on hand for lunches because he dislikes mayo and we both loved it. It's such a treat to have it ready and waiting for quick meals!
Genevieve says
Fantastic! Glad it passed the husband test.
Bella B says
We just LOVED this! I added in some capers like you suggested and it was perfect. We love capers lol.
Genevieve says
Big caper fan myself! So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Bella.
G. Sue says
Thanks for this simple, delicious lunch recipe. It's so easy to put together quickly in the mornings before work. And, it's such a delight to open up a lunch that is packed with flavor and good for me. Thank you!
Genevieve says
Wonderful, thank you so much!
Glenda says
This made such a light ad fresh tasting tuna salad. I used your tip and added Dijon mustard. We served it on gluten free rolls with lettuce and tomato slices. Absolutely delectable lunch! We didn't miss the mayo a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
Genevieve says
Yay! Thanks Glenda!
Molly P says
So fresh and delicious! I love how healthy this recipe is, and all your options for making it a little different every time.
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Molly! I always make it a little different, too. 🙂