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You are here: Home / Proteins / Fish / Twisted Tuna Salad

Published July 12, 2019. By Alyssa Brantley 39 Comments

Twisted Tuna Salad

  • 30 minmeal
  • Dairy free
  • Gluten free
  • Nut free
  • Paleo
  • Whole 30
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close up of twisted tuna salad recipe made into a collage for pinterest

Twisted Tuna will get you excited about Tuna Salad again! Packed with veggies and flavor, this Keto and Whole30 compliant tuna recipe is a 30-min meal!

Tuna Salad in a romaine lettuce leaf in front of a bowl of more tuna salad

Twisted Tuna Salad

I have always loved a good tuna salad, it’s quick and incredibly delicious. Whether you need an easy lunch or little mid-day snack this twisted tuna salad has you covered no matter how you choose to serve it up.

I’ve been making this recipe for years as it was the most popular item on my small catering business menu back in grad school, and it still holds up as the best tuna salad I’ve ever eaten.

You’ll love how simple it is to mix up and the fun twist it takes on a classic favorite even more. You might as well just grab your ingredients now because I’m sure you’re already craving some, just like I am right now.

ingredients to make twisted tuna

What’s In Twisted Tuna Salad?

This recipe is much like a regular tuna salad with just a few additions that make it extra amazing! Don’t worry though, the few extra steps don’t make this tuna salad any harder than the classic recipe, so don’t be intimidated!

All ingredients included are simple and found at any local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Solid white albacore tuna in water
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Red onion
  • Scallions
  • Garlic
  • Homemade mayonnaise
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Tuna Salad

Only 15 minutes of total prep time is needed before you can enjoy this delicious healthy twisted tuna salad recipe.

All you need to do is drain the canned tuna very well, dump it into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Use the food processor with the chopping blade to process the following ingredients individually — carrot, celery, parsley, red onion, and scallion.

Make sure to measure after chopping so you get the correct amount of each ingredient.

clear mixing bowl with ingredients to make tuna salad

Then, Add to the bowl with tuna along with the clove of garlic mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.

Use a fork to gently mash any very large chunks of tuna and mix all of the ingredients together. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold and Enjoy!

clear mixing bowl with twisted tuna ready to be served

How To Serve Tuna Salad

Whether you serve this on a salad, wrapped in lettuce, on Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread, or rolled up in a wrap of some kind – I guarantee you will find yourself making this over and over again.

I love that I can make a batch of this tuna salad and eat it a different way every time. It makes it feel like you’re getting a little variety in your lunch if you plan to meal prep and eat the tuna salad throughout the week.

Here are a few ideas for how to get creative when serving your twisted tuna salad recipe.

  • Lettuce Wraps
  • On top of a Salad
  • As a Sandwich
  • Sliders for a Party
  • On Cassava Tortillas
  • Use a small cookie scoop to dollop onto sliced cucumbers
  • Scooped into a halved and pitted avocado

Tips For Making The Best Twisted Tuna

  • If you have a food processor, this is super easy and comes together in minutes. Every ingredient, except the tuna and mayo, is finely chopped in the processor, saving a lot of time!
  • Twisted Tuna Salad is best when eaten within 4 to 5 days and needs to be kept refrigerated.
  • This recipe can easily be cut in half OR doubled or tripled for a larger crowd.

tuna salad stuffed lettuce leaves with bowl of tuna salad and more lettuce in the background

More Great Healthy Lunch Recipes!

Poached Shrimp Avocado Salad

Grilled Taco Turkey Burgers

Mediterranean Chicken Bowl with Turmeric Tahini Dressing

Spicy Salmon Salad

Paleo Salmon Cakes

 

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Twisted Tuna Salad
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
 

Twisted Tuna will get you excited about Tuna Salad again! Packed with veggies and flavor, this Keto and Whole30 compliant tuna recipe is a 30-min meal!

Course: Mains, Salads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to make tuna salad, keto tuna salad recipe, Tuna Salad, whole30 tuna salad
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 262 kcal
Author: Alyssa Brantley
5 from 13 votes
stack of wood plates with large romaine lettuce leaf filled with twisted tuna salad
Print
Ingredients
  • 4 5 ounce cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained very well
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 4 medium scallions finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 10 Tablespoons homemade mayonnaise (equal to 1/2 cup + 2 T)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Drain the canned tuna very well. Dump in to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

  2. Use the food processor with the chopping blade to process the following ingredients individually -- carrot, celery, parsley, red onion and scallion. Make sure to measure after chopping so you get the correct amount of each ingredient. Add to bowl with tuna along with small clove garlic (crushed), mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

  3. Use a fork to gently mash any very large chunks of tuna and mix all of the ingredients together.

  4. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold and Enjoy!

NOTES:
  • Twisted Tuna Salad is best when eaten within 4 to 5 days and needs to be kept refrigerated.
  • This recipe can easily be cut in half OR doubled or tripled for a larger crowd.
  • Some serving ideas include:
    • Lettuce Wraps
    • On top of a Salad
    • As a Sandwich 
    • Sliders for a Party
    • On Cassava Tortillas
    • Use a small cookie scoop to dollop onto sliced cucumbers
    • Scooped into a halved and pitted avocado
Nutrition Facts
Twisted Tuna Salad
Amount Per Serving (0.5 Cup)
Calories 262 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 29mg10%
Sodium 697mg30%
Potassium 329mg9%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 1780IU36%
Vitamin C 7.7mg9%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.

Update Notes: This tuna salad recipe was originally posted in August 2014 and was updated in July 2019 with edited photos, better instructions, and more useful recipe information.

 

 

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, By Diet, By Occasion, Course, Dairy Free, Fall, Family Friendly, Fish, Gluten Free, Grain Free, July 4th, Keto, Kid Friendly, Labor Day, Low Carb, Mains, Memorial Day, Nut Free, Paleo, Party Food, Potluck + Picnic, Primal, Proteins, Sandwiches, Season, Spring, St. Patricks Day, Summer, Whole30, Winter

EverydayMaven.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Phillippa Price says

    August 8, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    Can’t wait to try this! Xx

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      August 10, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Hope you love it!

      Reply
  2. Jenn says

    August 2, 2019 at 7:57 am

    I was a bit surprised by how yummy this tasted, given the ingredients are rather common and I’m not typically a big fan of tuna. I have saved it under ‘Great recipes’, and will be making again. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      August 2, 2019 at 9:13 am

      Hey Jenn! So happy to hear you loved it!! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Missy says

    April 30, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    I eat tuna all the time. This looks amazing!

    Reply
  4. Heather says

    February 17, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Love it! I seriously over shopped leaving me with a ton of extra vegetables. I repeated the veggie/food processor step sans tuna and I now have a delicious veggie spread for eggs and sandwiches!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      February 21, 2016 at 10:15 am

      What a great idea Heather!!

      Reply
  5. Tara says

    February 5, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    Do you have the nutritional info on this?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      February 5, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      Hi Tara, you can use http://www.myfitnesspal.com to get free nutritional info! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Alissa says

    February 3, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    Hi, I found this by lion,img through from your Whole30 meal plan, and ink this looks great! I’m just wondering, how long will this last in the fridge? I’m thinking of making it in advance for lunches etc. Would I be better off adding the Mayo fresh each day?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      February 4, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      Hi Alissa,
      It lasts about 4 days in the fridge and I would just make it all at once!

      Reply
  7. Jeanette Dezelan says

    October 12, 2015 at 7:55 am

    Is it true that you can not eat mayonnaise on the Paleo Diet is this correct.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      October 12, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      No, it is not. You can absolutely eat mayo if it is made with high quality eggs and a good oil (olive, avocado, macadamia, walnut, etc.) Most people who eat Paleo avoid cheap seed oils (canola and safflower) and products with additives and preservatives. I have a recipe for homemade mayo that literally takes 3 minutes here!

      Reply
  8. Rima Trew says

    May 3, 2015 at 1:53 am

    Hi Alyssa,
    I discovered your website last week and am so excited. I got up extra early today to prepare this salad and it is absolutely delicious. I like most vegetables but really have a problem eating chunks of celery, so I was keen to see if the way it was prepared in this recipe would make it more palatable for me. Success!
    I have now made a vegetable soup preparing the vegetables in the same way. I love that I can eat healthily without it taking too long to prepare and intend to try out some of your other recipes. Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration.

    Reply
  9. Anne-Marie says

    March 28, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    I prepared it today and it was delicious thanks!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      April 2, 2015 at 11:34 am

      Wonderful Ann-Marie! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  10. Anne- Marie says

    March 22, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Hi!, your recipe looks so delicious but I was wondering if you could precise the amount of tuna needed for the recipe. You write 4 5 ounces of tuna, does this means 4 cans of 5 ounces? Thanks for answering! Can’t wait to try it?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      March 22, 2015 at 8:52 pm

      Hi Anne-Marie!
      It’s 4 cans that are 5-oz each. Hope you love it 🙂

      Reply
  11. Christy says

    January 18, 2015 at 11:36 am

    This is delicious!! I didn’t have fresh parsley, so I used fresh cilantro…love it. I also added a little squeeze of lime. This is a keeper! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      January 18, 2015 at 11:49 pm

      Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs – I have to try this with some next time. I bet half cilantro and half parsley would also be good Christy! Glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  12. Mellissa Hockin says

    January 15, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    I love tuna, and this was a great variation to my traditional tuna salads. I made two changes, the first was I only used 2 scallions, there was already garlic and red onion so I felt it might be overkill, and I am glad I only used two…the other change was more of an addition, I think because I like a bit of a zing with my tuna salad and I normally put yellow mustard in it, I had to add some to make this recipe “pop” and it was the perfect addition IMO, just a light squeeze mixed over the top of the salad and voila…perfect! I love it with the lettuce!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      January 16, 2015 at 10:21 am

      So glad you found a way to make it perfect for you! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂

      Reply
  13. Hannah says

    October 8, 2014 at 7:34 am

    With school lunches well under way, I’m going to make a big bowl to keep on hand. Love all the added ingredients and I can see why it was a hit during your catering days (which I had no idea about…so cool!). Thanks, Alyssa!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      October 9, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      This is perfect for lunches Hannah!

      Reply
  14. Dominique says

    August 18, 2014 at 7:25 pm

    I literally just got done making this and it is DELICIOUS! I know it’ll taste even better after being in the fridge overnight. I cannot wait to eat it tomorrow. It is so easy and fast to make. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Sue says

    August 13, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Made this recipe a couple weeks ago when a friend was dropping over for lunch. We loved it but hubby and I liked it even better for the next night’s supper. Have six for lunch tomorrow and the tuna salad will be served again. I better get in the kitchen and start processing!

    Reply
  16. Derin says

    August 5, 2014 at 10:46 am

    This tuna salad rocks! I’m just 5 months into a clean eating lifestyle change. The first 4 months, I concentrated on losing weight – a lot of weight, and this past month I’ve spent reintroducing foods that I can eat that don’t pack the pounds back on. Your tuna recipe inspired me. I made only one slight modification – I’ve discovered I’m sensitive to eggs and therefore had to come up with a mayo alternative – I subbed an equal part of a thick, mustardy vinaigrette and rally liked the result. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 6, 2014 at 3:43 pm

      So glad you like it Derin and thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  17. Norma Chang says

    August 4, 2014 at 4:57 am

    Great time saving idea using the food processor. This sure is a delicious and healthy salad, love the idea of using romaine lettuce as a wrap.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 6, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      The food processor is the key to this one Norma, without it, it would take a while!

      Reply
  18. Joanne says

    August 3, 2014 at 4:27 am

    I had no idea you catered during grad school! So cool. I can see why this was a hit. Comforting but not too heavy.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 3, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      I did Joanne – it was a great learning experience (and a lot of work!!).

      Reply
  19. Liz says

    August 1, 2014 at 9:11 am

    A lovely recipe. Thank you.

    Reply
  20. Char says

    August 1, 2014 at 7:48 am

    Making this today, love the convenience of the food processor and never thought about adding carrots. Have you ever tried curry seasoning in your tuna salad? It’s another way to enjoy tuna. Mmmm

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 3, 2014 at 4:23 pm

      How was it Char!?

      Reply

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