Avocado Tuna Salad

This creamy Avocado Tuna Salad uses mashed avocados, flaky tuna, and cottage cheese to put a twist on classic tuna salad. Enjoy it for a protein-packed and healthy snack or picnic lunch!

Swap the gloopy, heavy tuna salad for this healthy Avocado Tuna Salad instead. Just like my chickpea tuna salad and curried tuna salad, it’s just as tasty as the classic but uses not-so-traditional ingredients and isn’t weighed down by mayonnaise.

What makes this the best healthy tuna salad recipe is the mix of mashed avocado, cottage cheese, and a small amount of mayo in the dressing. It’s all mixed together with flaky tuna and simple flavor boosters, leaving you with a luxuriously creamy salad that’s packed with healthy fats and lean protein. 

You can serve it any way you want, too. Enjoy your tuna salad with avocado in a sandwich, scooped on top of a bed of greens, or paired with veggies and crackers for dipping!

Recipe features

• It’s completely foolproof! Simply stir all of the ingredients together in one bowl and you’re done.
• It swaps the heavy ingredients in the classic recipe with lighter alternatives, like avocado, cottage cheese, and lemon juice. You can even add in more veggies or hard-boiled eggs for protein.
• You can make it the night before and bring it to work for a healthy lunch the next day. It’s also perfect for picnics, potlucks, after-school snacks, and more.

Ingredients

Tuna - Use canned tuna packed in water, but make sure to drain the excess water first. You can use any variety of tuna, such as albacore or skipjack.

Avocado - Most creamy tuna salads are made with a mayonnaise or Greek yogurt-based dressing, which can feel heavy and rich. Mashed avocado is a wonderful oil and dairy free replacement. It adds a rich and creamy texture, healthy monounsaturated fats, and a boost of potassium, vitamin K, vitamin E, and folate.

Red onion - Or use shallots or chives for a milder onion flavor. 

Lemon juice and zest - Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest brightens up every bite, balances the rich flavors, and prevents the avocado from browning too quickly. Feel free to use lime juice and zest as a substitute.

Cottage cheese - Just like in my cottage cheese chicken salad, the cottage cheese enhances the creaminess of this tuna salad. It’s also packed with protein and adds a delightful tangy flavor! If you don’t have cottage cheese, use more mayo or plain Greek yogurt.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Mash the avocado. Mash the avocado in a bowl with a potato masher or a fork. 

Step 2: Combine ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, then continue mashing until combined. 

Step 3: Serve. Serve the tuna salad in bowls, in a sandwich, or on a salad!

Tips and FAQs

• Want to give the salad a boost of protein? Add hard-boiled eggs! Mash them up with the remaining ingredients or chop the eggs and gently stir them into the salad. 
• To make this paleo and Whole30, omit the cottage cheese and make the tuna salad with avocado and my homemade avocado oil mayonnaise. 

What kind of tuna is best for tuna salad?

For the best tuna salad, use canned albacore or chunk light tuna packed in water. These varieties offer a balance of moisture, flakiness, and rich flavor that complements the other ingredients rather than overpowers them.

What else can I add to tuna salad?

Get creative here! The more extras you add, the more nutritious and delicious the tuna salad will be. I recommend adding sliced radishes or diced celery for crunch, cherry tomatoes or cucumber for garden-fresh flavors, crispy bacon for salt and fat, or a dash of hot sauce for an added kick. 

How do you serve avocado tuna salad?

Two of my favorite ways to serve tuna salad are (1) spread on a piece of toasted crusty bread and (2) scooped on top of a bed of greens or over an intricate salad, like this apple, kale and brussels sprouts salad and this sweet potato salad. 

You can also use it to create these fun dishes:

• Avocado tuna sandwich - Add a generous scoop of the tuna salad on your favorite sliced bread or in a wrap and top it with lettuce and tomato.
• Tuna salad lettuce wraps - Scoop the salad into crisp lettuce cups, just like in this Whole30 chicken salad recipe.
• Creamy dip - The leftovers make for the perfect protein-packed snack. Serve them in a bowl and enjoy with crackers and sliced veggies for dipping.

How do you prevent the avocado from browning as quickly?

Wait to add the avocado until right before serving if you plan on making this recipe ahead of time. Mashed avocado will begin to turn brown within a few hours, which doesn’t affect the flavor, but can take away from the salad's vibrant presentation.

Storage

Refrigerator: Refrigerate the leftover salad in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on the top. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. The avocado will brown over time but just stir the salad and it will be good as new.

More summer salad recipes 

• Tuna Pasta Salad 
• Mango Chicken Salad
• Healthy Potato Salad 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!