This no mayo avocado tuna salad recipe is an easy healthy lunch or snack that's ready in 5 minutes with just 4 ingredients. And it's a gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, Whole30, and keto tuna salad recipe. This quick meal is packed with protein and so delicious!
I love this avocado tuna salad. It makes a great quick and easy healthy snack or a perfect lunch. And it's another great way to eat one of my favorite foods—avocados.
This recipe uses just four essential ingredients, but it reminds me of the old school classic tuna salad I used to eat as a kid. For me, it's true comfort food.
And it's really simple to put together. Best of all, it requires NO cooking, so it’s perfect if you’re in a hurry or don’t feel like heating up the stove.
Unlike traditional tuna salad, it requires no mayo! This healthy tuna salad recipe without mayonnaise gets its creaminess from the avocado instead.
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Ingredients for no mayo tuna salad
Avocados are in season throughout most of the year. Choose a ripe avocado that’s firm but with a little “give.”
You can check for ripeness by pulling the small piece of stem. If the stem comes off easily, the avocado is ripe. If it holds firm, then it’s not ready quite yet.
The spot where the stem meets the avocado should appear green underneath. If the stem falls off easily and the spot underneath is brown, the avocado is overripe and may be brown inside.
When it comes to selecting the fish, you can use whatever tuna you have—leftover tuna from last night's dinner works great in this recipe. In fact, home-cooked tuna may be even better than canned!
Of course, most of us opt for cans of tuna out of convenience. Be sure to select a good quality canned tuna
.
White albacore tuna has a firm, meaty texture, light white color and mild flavor. Chunk light tuna is made from smaller varieties of tuna fish and has smaller flakes and a stronger flavor.
With a recipe this simple, choosing the best tuna and avocado will make a huge difference. When there are only four components to a dish, you want to choose the best items you can find—this means perfectly ripe avocados and high-quality tuna. You won't even miss the mayo!
How to Make a Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit (carefully) and scoop out the middle of both halves leaving a shell of avocado flesh. You want to have about half of the avocado in the mixing bowl to use for the salad.
Add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir in a bit of finely chopped onion to taste, and mash all the ingredients together. Once the other ingredients are combined, gently mix in the tuna to finish this easy tuna salad.
The key to making this recipe truly great is tasting it as you make it. Because avocados and lemons vary in size, it's important to taste as you go along to make sure you have the right balance of creaminess and acidity in the tuna salad. Add a little more avocado or lemon juice if needed to strike the right balance.
I love how perfectly simple this recipe is—yet you can easily customize it to suit your taste by adding dill pickles, red onion, dijon mustard, fresh herbs, bell pepper or even hot peppers for a little kick. You could even use lime juice instead of lemon. Just add whatever else you like in your tuna salad.
When you’ve got your perfect tuna salad blend, you simply scoop into the avocado cups and enjoy. You get a few bonus bites of avocado left in the shell (who can complain about more avocado?!).
This stuffed avocado boat is a simple, healthy meal. It’s low carb, high in protein and full of healthy fats, so it will keep everyone full and satisfied for hours. It’s an easy lunch with simple ingredients and a great quick meal or snack to make any time.
To round this main dish out, you could pair it with a delicious soup. Avocado stuffed with tuna salad along with a quick tomato soup or broccoli soup makes a perfect fast meal.
More Easy Healthy Salad Recipes
Try these healthy recipes for a light lunch, snack or side dish for something a little different.
- Antipasto Salad
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Avocado Caprese Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Shrimp and Arugula Salad
Avocado Tuna Salad (Paleo, Keto, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1 lemon juiced, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion to taste
- 5 ounces cooked or canned wild tuna
- sea salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the avocado in half and scoop the middle of both avocado halves into a bowl, leaving a shell of avocado flesh about ¼-inch thick on each half.
- Add lemon juice and onion to the avocado in the bowl and mash together. Add tuna, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Fill avocado shells with tuna salad and serve.
Betsy @ AnnaNimmity.com
This looks really good! I can't wait to try it.
Lisa
It's one of my favorites - hope you enjoy it!
Karen Joy
GREAT idea to use part of the avocado, mashed, as the creamy component that holds the tuna salad together. I am DEFINITELY doing this. Thanks!! 😀
Lisa
Thanks - hope you enjoy it!
Bill
This was great! Thanks for sharing it.
Blythe madura
Carb free. . I love it!
Lisa
Thanks!!
Primal Primos (@PrimalPrimos)
What a delicious combination!
Lisa
Thanks - glad you like it!
Dominic
Glad I found this. Trying to go Paleo. *Thought* I didn't like Tuna. This has just proved me wrong and given me a great new option. Thanks!!!
Lisa
Awesome! Thanks Dominic!
Felicia
Oops, I scooped out all the flesh. Oh well, it'll still be delicious and creamy!
Linda
This will become my new lunch favorite.
Eileen @ Phoenix Helix
This recipe looks delicious AND it fits the paleo autoimmune protocol. So, thank you! I just started a weekly Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable through my blog, and I would love it if you linked up this recipe. I’m trying to expand resources for the AIP community. Here’s the link: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/12/04/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-5/
Lisa
Eileen, I am happy to share this recipe on your Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable!
sandy
I was wondering what kind of onion you used? Thanks!
Lisa
I usually use a sweet onion, like Vidalia or Maui.
Jack
I can t eat onion, usually sub roasted garlic but that might not be a good combo here
Shiny Happy Pretty
I love this recipe!
Lisa
Thank you 🙂
Judi
Just made this and the 10 minute tomato soup -- both delicious
Lisa
Thank you Judi! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Cindy
My husband and I just started Paleo this week. This was delicious! With recipes like this I know we can meKe this healthy life change!
Lisa
That's great Cindy! Paleo is easy once you get a few recipes down.
Ithfifi
I am itching to try this, I absolutely love avocado's with fish, this looks perfect for a light but satisfying lunch - Ps I found your page via Pinterest, this is super popular! 🙂 xx
[email protected] Tastes Good
Looks delicious! Avocados are one of my most favorite things! I am definitely going to give this a try. Pinning! I enjoyed your talk on Pinterest at Blogher Food '14. Thanks for taking the time to put together a wonderful presentation!
Lisa
Thanks, Marion! Avocados are one of my most favorite things too. Hope you enjoy it!
Lisa Spears
made these to take for lunch out on the boat. Very good.
Lisa
Thanks, Lisa!
Tricia
I wish I could find some tuna without soy added. Every can and packet I've found has soy flavoring added
Lisa
The ingredients in the Wild Planet tuna are just tuna and sea salt.
Mindi
Costco has a canned version without soy.
Jackie
Thank you, I LOVE this recipe, today I added some chopped cucumber for some crunch and it was even better!!
RG
Wow! Did not expect it to taste that good. So easy and so fresh. Will become a staple. Make sure to add enough salt!
Lisa
Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa
Thanks Megin!
CJ Huang
I'm liking this idea of using avocado instead of mayo. I bet it adds some wonderful flavor too! Such a easy and yummy recipe. 🙂 I hope you can stop on by and share this or any other recipe with us on Five Friday Finds!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
Love this idea! So much protein and healthy fats in this little treat!
Jody
Great healthy recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Hugs,
Jody
Savannah
I enjoy adding a chopped, boiled egg to this recipe for even more protein. Great idea about the lemon, I'll add that next time.
Jo
One of my favorites! I like to pop it in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes to give it more of a tuna melt consistency 🙂
Pooja Deveau
This was so good!!! Will def do again
Ellie
This was delicious! Modified it a little, I skipped the onion and used some fresh cilantro instead..so so Good! Thanks for posting the recipe!
Sabrina
great serving idea! these flavors go really well together love how they're paired in this recipe, thank you for this!
MB
Eating this now and am blown away by how balanced everything tastes with only 4 ingredients! And I'm getting full! Perfect recipe for Whole 30. Thank you for sharing!
madison
Oh! Amazing! What nice combination. Very much appreciated the post!
Jeremy
Is the cals without shell?
Lisa
Hi Jeremy, the nutrition information is for one serving (the recipe makes two servings) and includes everything. Hope this helps!
Veronica
I just saw that this recipe is for 2 servings so it make complete sense now!! lol. Thanks. I have made it several times and love it!!
jenny
This sounds amazing!
Cinnamon Vogue
I hate Avocado but this recipes wants me to give it another try. Probably because in Sri Lanka we mix it with condensed milk and have it that way. I think I might scoop it out though and mix it a bit more with the tuna. Great idea and recipe. Thank you.
Printable Calendar
Oh! Amazing! What nice combination. Very much appreciated the post!
I'm following with excitement
Deborah
I stumbled on your recipe via the Healthful Pursuit website. I had a very nice avocado sitting on the counter the past couple days and it was perfectly ripe today so went hunting for a nice KETO lunch idea and yours fit the bill. I did sub the lemon juice for lime (lime+avocado=bliss IMO) and used chopped green onions for a milder flavour as I am not a fan of raw onions other than the green onions. To bump up the nutrition I added a half cup of chopped cucumber.
Absolutely delicious lunch! Thank you for the inspiration!
Julia Stearns @ Healthirony
That paleo avocado tuna salad is so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx for sharing, Lisa!
Lisa
So glad you love it, Julia!
Jill Roberts @ Wellnessgeeky.com
That avocado tuna salad looks absolutely fantastic. Beautiful photos, too. I look forward to trying this.
Emily
The avocado makes tuna taste even better! Amazing combination! I'd sprinkle that with a dash of lemon and himalayan pink salt to give it a balanced taste.
Mary P
Just got this recipe in my email from you. Made it for lunch today for my husband and myself. It was really tasty. I used minced onion in mine. Thanks for the easy recipe.
Lisa
Yay! I'm so glad you love it, Mary!
K Jukich
I like to use this recipe but I add finely chopped celery, Kalamata olives, fresh dill or a mall amount of dill pickle relish and a dollop of tarter sauce. Either add halved cherry tomatoes or serve in a tomato on a bed of lettuce..
Cookie
Superb!! I used to eat my tuna slathered in mayo between sandwich slices or mixed with diced Jalapenos, tomato, and avocado. I have a nightshade sensitivity and I'm on the Lectin free diet now so this 100% works for me!! Thanks for sharing!! All I changed was adding Sriracha and lime instead of lemon.