Simple and flavorful Avocado Tuna Salad makes the perfect healthy snack, appetizer, or lunch. This tuna salad is full of veggies and a healthy avocado-based dressing.

Avocado tuna salad served in a croissant, a delicious sandwich ready to be enjoyed.

Avocado Tuna Salad

Avocado Tuna Salad is one of my go-to recipes for lunch. It’s quick to make, packed with flavor, and filled with nutritious ingredients. Of course, when you load the tuna salad on a buttery croissant, it becomes a little less healthy. 

I’ll definitely indulge in the croissant sandwich every once in a while, but when I’m looking for a lighter meal, I’ll pack the tuna into a few pieces of lettuce to make a quick lettuce wrap. 

Today I’m sharing how to make this salad, what to eat it with, and sharing a few quick tips. Let’s get started!

Adding ingredients and mixing for a flavorful dressing to add to the meal.

Ingredients In Avocado Tuna Salad

  • Tuna: The main protein source of the salad, providing a meaty texture and a rich, savory flavor.
  • Celery, Bread and Butter Pickles, Red Onion, and Flat Leaf Parsley: These add crunch, sweetness, tang, and freshness to the salad, along with a variety of colors and flavors that complement the tuna.

Dressing Ingredients:

  • Avocado, Lemon Juice, Mayonnaise, and Dijon Mustard: These ingredients are blended to create a creamy, tangy dressing that binds the salad ingredients together. The mayonnaise offers a creamy base and richness, while the Dijon mustard introduces a zesty sharpness that complements the smoothness of the avocado and the tang of the lemon juice.

Quick Tip

Wait until the avocado is really ripe. The perfectly ripe avocado makes a huge difference in this salad. Here’s how to tell an avocado is ripe. If it’s not fully ripe, it won’t add the flavor and creaminess that a ripe avocado will.

How To Make Avocado Tuna Salad

  • Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl: Place the drained tuna, diced avocado, minced parsley, diced celery, and diced bread and butter pickles in a large bowl. 
  • Make the dressing: Combine the mashed avocado, mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  • Combine: Add the dressing to the salad ingredients. Gently toss to combine and season once more to taste.
  • Serve: Eat the avocado tuna salad as is, in a salad wrap, or on a croissant with lettuce (my personal favorite!).

Tuna avocado salad in a lettuce wrap, a delightful dish ready for consumption.

FAQs

Can I Lose Weight Eating Tuna Salad?

A lot of people looking to lose weight eat tuna because of its high protein content. For just 3 ounces of tuna, you get a whopping 20g of protein and only 100 calories. Tuna is a great protein to eat while trying to maintain a lower carb/lower calorie diet. As long as you are aware of how much mayo you are adding (mayo will add the most calories), you will have a great, healthful meal. 

Is Tuna Salad Healthy?

This salad is much healthier than most tuna salads you’ll find, thanks to the avocado, all the veggies, and the avocado-based dressing. The avocado (which has healthier fats) is mashed to replace a lot of the mayo that is typically in tuna salads.
 
Tuna is a great healthy protein to consume; you can read more about the health benefits here.

 Avocado Tuna Salad Serving Suggestions

  • On a lettuce wrap 
  • In a sandwich with some lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. Use a good, whole-grain bread for a healthier sandwich or a croissant for a more indulgent sandwich.
  • With a side of fresh fruit or this fruit salad recipe
  • As a dip with pita chips and fresh veggies

More Tuna Recipes

5 from 4 votes

Avocado Tuna Salad

Try this Avocado Tuna Salad for a simple, flavorful bite! Packed with veggies and dressed in a creamy avocado mix, itโ€™s perfect for a snack, appetizer, or lunch.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 sandwiches

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • small bowl

Ingredients 
 

  • 3 (5-ounce) cans tuna well-drained, I recommend Genova packed in olive oil, 4 ounces once drained
  • 3 tablespoons finely diced celery
  • 3 tablespoons finely diced bread and butter pickles
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced flat leaf parsley

Dressing

  • 1 small avocado divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup light mayo use up to 1/2 cup for more creamy consistency
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Thoroughly drain tuna and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Halve and pit avocado. Mash one half to get 3 tablespoons of mashed avocado. Dice the other half to get 1/4 cup of diced avocado and set aside. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons mashed avocado with lemon juice, mayo, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Combine finely diced celery, pickles, red onion, and parsley to the bowl with the tuna and diced avocado. Top with the dressing and gently stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. If desired, add extra mayo (1 to 4 tablespoons).
  • Serve in a croissant roll, lettuce wrap, with pita chipsโ€”however you'd like to enjoy it! Best enjoyed immediately; avocado begins to brown after 1โ€“2 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 6sandwiches | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.9g | Protein: 17.5g | Fat: 10.9g | Cholesterol: 34.4mg | Sodium: 357.2mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 1.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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11 Comments

  1. Theresa Rayner says:

    5 stars
    I made these last night for dinner and they were so good! I love the combo of avocado and mayo! Thanks again for the delicious meal Chelsea!

  2. Melissa @ Bits of Umami says:

    My work stocks up on the tuna and NO ONE eats it. Good thing for me I got your recipe to get me through all those cans! Can’t wait to try this out this week! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Mira says:

    5 stars
    I love the idea of these simple lettuce wraps! Can’t wait to try them, always have tuna in my pantry!

  4. Kelly says:

    Tuna is my favorite especially for lunch! I love the sound of these lettuce wraps, so simple and delicious!

  5. Andrea @ Chocolate & Sea Salt says:

    Chelsea, my mom is ALWAYS making Orange Roughey. We always tease her and tell her that no one else on the planet eats it, but apparently I’m wrong! HAHA. I love tuna so these lettuce wraps look super yummy ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says:

    These lettuce wraps sound like a great lunch, Chelsea! And I pretty much adore anything/everything with avocado. ๐Ÿ˜€

  7. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen says:

    5 stars
    I am a big fan of tuna and lettuces wraps too! It looks very tasty and healthy as well. Pinning it for later ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. Brianna says:

    These look like such a yummy and light lunch! I’ve been really craving tuna lately. ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says:

    We are BIG tuna people here – but mostly in the form of sushi! I have never given it a go in lettuce wraps. BUT, we love chicken lettuce wraps so I am thinking some change would be DELISH. Pinned!

  10. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says:

    I love these wraps, Chelsea! I can definitely see why you eat these all the time, so perfect for a light and healthy lunch! I eat tuna salad every once in a while, so I’m definitely going to try these lettuce wraps! Pinned!