Mexican tuna salad spices up the traditional version with some zesty spices and subbing out boring celery for a delicious blend of southwest style veggies. The perfect quick way to up your lunch game.
Tuna salad sandwiches are a lunchtime staple.
But they get boring and kind of bland after a while.
Who wants to eat the same old, tired sandwich over and over?
Not me and not my boys.
This Mexican tuna salad freshens that boring sandwich right up with no more work than the traditional kind.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Tuna– Canned tuna, packed in water not oil.
- Mayonnaise– Use real, full fat mayo and not mayonnaise style dressing.
- Spices– Salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder give this a nice Southwestern kick.
- Canned veggies– Golden corn kernels and black beans, both drained and rinsed.
- Fresh veggies– Diced roma tomatoes, green pepper, and red onion.
How to Make
Making this version of tuna salad is very similar to making the traditional version.
To do it, add the drained tuna to a mixing bowl and flake it apart with a fork so there aren’t any big chunks.
Then, in a smaller bowl, mix the mayo, cumin, and chili powder together until they are evenly combined.
Mix the seasoned mayo with the flaked tuna, stirring until combined.
Then fold in the drained canned veggies and the chopped veggies.
Give the tuna salad a taste and season with salt and pepper to suit your preferences.
Stir it one final time and serve immediately or cover and chill.
How long does tuna salad last?
If you cover it tightly or put it in an airtight container and refrigerate it, the tuna salad should stay good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
We like to use this as a sandwich filling and layer it between two toasted slices of bread.
Occasionally, we serve it as a low carb style lunch and use it as a dip for celery, cucumber slices, and carrots. Or, put a scoop of it on a bed of leafy greens and you have a delicious salad!
If you’re not carb conscious, then you could also spread it on cracker, baguette slices, or tortilla chips.
It can even be wrapped up in a large flour tortilla for a very filling burrito.
Tips and Tricks
- You can sub two jalapenos for the green pepper if you want a little more spice.
- If you don’t like spice, feel free to reduce the chili powder to 1/4 teaspoon.
- To brighten it up a bit more, add a touch of citrus with some fresh lime or lemon zest.
Other Easy Lunch Ideas
Mexican tuna salad is a twist on the classic version that we love. Make it this week and enjoy bold lunches all week long.
Looking for other easy lunch ideas? Try these:
If you’ve tried this MEXICAN TUNA SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Mexican Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 3 7 oz cans albacore tuna packed in water, drained
- 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 11 oz can golden corn kernels drained
- 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed & drained
- 4-5 roma tomatoes seeded & diced
- 1 small green pepper seeded & diced
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the drained tuna to a mixing bowl. Using a sturdy fork, flake it all apart so that no big chunks are left. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl add the mayo, cumin, and chili powder. Stir together until evenly combined.
- Add the seasoned mayo mixture to the flaked tuna, scraping the bowl as needed so all of the mayo gets added. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl, stirring together until evenly combined.
- Taste the tuna salad and season with salt & pepper, as desired. Stir together a final time.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill- as desired.
Notes
- You can sub two jalapenos for the green pepper if you want a little more spice.
- If you don't like spice, feel free to reduce the chili powder to 1/4 teaspoon.
- To brighten it up a bit more, add a touch of citrus with some fresh lime or lemon zest.
Nutrition
This is calling my name! Looks so yum! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Thank you!
great salad added romaine to make a ‘salad’ as a meal
That’s a great idea, Brenda- thanks for sharing!