If you’re looking for a mayo-free tuna salad that’s creamy, fresh, and loaded with flavour, this Creamy Avocado Tuna Salad is for you. Mashed avocado and Greek yogurt create a light yet satisfying base, while lemon, Dijon, and fresh herbs brighten every bite. It’s a healthy, high-protein option that works great as a dip, wrap, or easy lunch prep.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This fresh, creamy avocado tuna salad skips the mayo and gets its richness from heart-healthy avocado and Greek yogurt — all without sacrificing flavour.
- Mayo-free but still ultra creamy and satisfying
- Light, clean flavour with bright herbs and lemon
- Higher in protein thanks to Greek yogurt
- A great option for clean eating or meal prep
- Tastes amazing as a dip, spread, or sandwich filling
Ingredients
- Avocado – Replaces mayo with heart-healthy creaminess.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Adds lightness and a protein boost.
- Dijon mustard – Gives the salad a subtle tangy kick.
- Lemon juice – Helps prevent the avocado from browning and adds brightness.
- Canned tuna – I use albacore for a milder flavour and chunkier texture.
- Red onion – Adds sharpness and crunch.
- Celery – For extra freshness and texture.
- Dill pickles – A salty contrast to the creamy base.
- Fresh dill – A fresh herb that complements the avocado beautifully.
- Chives – Adds a mild onion flavor and pop of green.
- Salt and pepper – Season to your liking.
See recipe card for quantities.
Choosing Tuna (Types of Tuna)
Chunk, Solid, or Flaked: I prefer using chunk or solid tuna as it gives you a meatier texture compared to flaked tuna, and also allows you to control how shredded or intact you want the tuna to be, just by flaking the chunk/solid tuna using a fork into your desired size.
Albacore vs. Skipjack: Albacore (also known as white tuna) gives you a milder flavour and meatier texture, so this works great if you are a bit more sensitive to that fishy tuna taste. Skipjack (also known as light tuna) will have a bolder flavour but is generally more budget friendly and affordable than albacore, so it can be a good option if you are mixing in bold spices and seasonings into your tuna salad. Regardless, both are great options that I use often!
Water vs. Oil-Packed: Tuna also comes packed in either water or oil (like olive oil). I prefer water-packed tuna, as it's lighter, lower in calories, and allows me to control the amount of fat I want to add. Oil-packed tuna is richer in flavour, but also comes with more calories.
Instructions
STEP 1: First, drain two (5-oz) cans of tuna to get rid of any water or oil.
STEP 2: In a large mixing bowl, mash 1 ripened medium avocado.
STEP 3: Add Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the avocado, and give all these ingredients a good mix until well combined and it turns into a smooth, creamy mixture.
STEP 4: Add drained tuna to a large mixing bowl, followed by all of the other ingredients.
STEP 5: Give everything a mix until well combined.
STEP 6: Enjoy it in a sandwich, wrap, salad, or grain bowl. Or use it as a dip for crackers or veggies!
Storage and Pairings
Because this recipe uses fresh avocado, it’s best enjoyed the same day. If you’re saving it for later, store the tuna salad in an airtight container and store it for about 2 days. But in doing so, make sure to press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing and refrigerating - this helps slow down browning by keeping air out.
This tuna salad is perfect to enjoy as part of sandwiches, wraps (tuna melt!), lettuce cups, or grain bowls. Or, enjoy it as a dip or spread with crackers or veggies (like carrot sticks).
Toasty's Tips
- Choosing tuna: You may be overwhelmed by the many different types of tuna available at the grocery store. Check out the 'Choosing Tuna' section above to figure out how to decide, and which works best for you!
- Drain the tuna well: Excess liquid can make your tuna salad watery and unpleasant. Use a fine mesh strainer, or press gently with the lid of the can (after opening) to remove as much water or oil as possible before mixing.
- Use a ripe avocado: Look for an avocado that gives slightly when pressed - soft enough to mash, but not mushy or brown inside. Mash it thoroughly to ensure the best smooth texture!
- Store it with plastic wrap: If you're not eating it right away, store the tuna salad in an airtight container, but make sure to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salad before sealing. This limits air exposure and keeps the avocado fresher.
- Dice ingredients evenly into small pieces: Dice up the celery, red onions, and dill pickles into similar-sized small pieces to ensure balanced texture and flavour in every bite.
- Customize mix-ins: You can add diced cucumber, shredded carrots, boiled eggs, chopped nuts, and use different types of fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro for extra texture and flavour.
- Enjoy it in different ways: Tuna salad pairs so well with many different foods, like sandwiches, wraps, grain bowls, and as a dip for veggies and crackers. You can also serve it in lettuce cups, on cucumber rounds, stuffed in avocados, on rice cakes, or over a bed of greens for a low-carb option.
Other Recipes to Try:
Looking for other tuna salad recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Creamy Avocado Tuna Salad
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Creamy avocado base
- ½ cup mashed avocado (or 1 medium ripe avocado)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Tuna and mix-ins
- 2 (5 oz) cans canned tuna - 240g drained
- ¼ cup red onion - diced
- ¼ cup celery - diced
- ¼ cup dill pickles - diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill - chopped
- 2 tablespoon chives - chopped
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- First, drain two (5-oz) cans of tuna to get rid of any water or oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together ingredients listed above for the Creamy avocado base. Give everything a good mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add drained tuna to large mixing bowl, followed by all of the other mix-ins and ingredients.
- Give everything a mix until well combined.
- Enjoy it in a sandwich, wrap, salad, or rice bowl, or use as a veggie or cracker dip.
Notes
- Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Choosing tuna: You may be overwhelmed by the many different types of tuna available at the grocery store. Check out the 'Choosing Tuna' section above to figure out how to decide, and which works best for you!
- Drain the tuna well: Excess liquid can make your tuna salad watery and unpleasant. Use a fine mesh strainer, or press gently with the lid of the can (after opening) to remove as much water or oil as possible before mixing.
- Use a ripe avocado: Look for an avocado that gives slightly when pressed - soft enough to mash, but not mushy or brown inside. Mash it thoroughly to ensure the best smooth texture!
- Store it with plastic wrap: If you're not eating it right away, store the tuna salad in an airtight container, but make sure to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salad before sealing. This limits air exposure and keeps the avocado fresher.
- Dice ingredients evenly into small pieces: Dice up the celery, red onions, and dill pickles into similar-sized small pieces to ensure balanced texture and flavour in every bite.
- Customize mix-ins: You can add diced cucumber, shredded carrots, boiled eggs, chopped nuts, and use different types of fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro for extra texture and flavour.
- Enjoy it in different ways: Tuna salad pairs so well with many different foods, like sandwiches, wraps, grain bowls, and as a dip for veggies and crackers. You can also serve it in lettuce cups, on cucumber rounds, stuffed in avocados, on rice cakes, or over a bed of greens for a low-carb option.
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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