Tuna Salad without Mayo

I’ve always loved classic tuna salad, but once my mom told me what was in it… I wasn’t thrilled. For some reason, anything with mayo in it was an instant “no” from me as a kid. (And it’s still not my favorite as an adult.)

That’s why I’m so excited about this tuna salad recipe. It’s made without mayo, but it tastes exactly like the kind my mom used to make. And you might be surprised by the source of the creaminess. (It’s tahini!)

That means this salad is 100% oil-free, and it doesn’t rely on a dairy substitute like Greek yogurt. You can stir it together in about 10 minutes, then serve it with crackers, over leafy greens, or as a sandwich. Or, eat it straight out of the bowl with a fork, like I do.

Healthy Tuna Salad Ingredients

• Canned Tuna. I prefer to use wild-caught tuna that’s packed in water, without salt. If you use oil-packed or salted tuna, you might need to tweak the seasoning slightly. My mom always taught me to use albacore tuna for tuna salad, but I’m sure another variety would work, too.
• Tahini. I know this sounds weird, because tahini can taste bitter on its own, but it becomes unbelievably creamy when you turn it into a quick salad dressing. I’ve tested this recipe with Artisana brand raw tahini and Whole Foods 365 brand runny tahini, and both work great.
• Lemon Juice. Fresh lemon juice adds a bright, tangy flavor. (Fresh tastes a lot better than bottled!)
• Dijon Mustard. Adds more depth of flavor, but you could also use spicy brown mustard.
• Garlic. This is usually the difference in making a “really good” tuna salad.
• Celery. Adds a classic crunch, and you can use as much or as little as you like.
• Green Onion. Also called scallions, these provide a mild onion flavor.
• Pickles. This is totally up to your personal preference, but I love adding some finely diced pickle to tuna salad. We usually have bread & butter pickles in our fridge, so ours have a hint of sweetness added.

How to Make Tuna Salad without Mayo

Step 1:

In a large bowl, add the tahini, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of water, then stir well, until the mixture looks creamy. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of water and stir again.

Then add the diced celery, green onion, and pickles. Stir well, so the veggies are coated in the dressing.

Tip: Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic directly into the bowl, so you won’t see any big chunks of garlic in your tuna salad.

Step 2:

Open the cans of tuna and drain away any excess liquid. Then add the drained tuna to the bowl of veggies and dressing.

Stir well, making sure the tuna is evenly coated. Taste the tuna salad, and make any adjustments as needed. It’s ready to serve almost immediately for a fast meal, but I think it tastes even better if you let it marinate in the fridge for an hour first.

Tuna Salad without Mayo

5 from 5 votes

If you're hoping to make tuna salad without mayo, this is the best mayo-free version I've ever tasted. Made with crunchy celery and green onion, it has the perfect amount of crunch. And you'd never guess it's not the classic version just by tasting it. You can stir it together in just 10 minutes for a fast, high-protein lunch!

prep15 mins cook0 mins total15 mins

Servings:2

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt and ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 celery rib , finely diced
• 2 green onions , chopped
• ¼ cup pickle slices , diced
• 10 ounces canned tuna (no salt) , drained (see notes)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well, until the mixture looks creamy.
• Add the diced celery, green onion, and pickle, then stir again. Then, add in the drained canned tuna. Stir until the mixture looks evenly coated in the dressing.
• The tuna salad is ready to serve right away, but the flavor will get even better the longer it marinates, so let it chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

Nutrition information is for half the batch. This is automatically calculated from an online ingredient database, so it’s an estimate, not a guarantee. 

Tuna Note: I tested this recipe with unsalted Albacore tuna packed in water. If the tuna you use is salted, don’t use as much salt as this recipe calls for. You can always add more to taste later! 

Tahini Note: I tested this recipe with two different types of tahini: Artisana brand raw tahini and Whole Foods 365 tahini. Both worked well for this recipe (as in, I couldn’t taste the tahini at all). Soom brand should also work well. Make sure you enjoy the flavor of the tahini before using it in this recipe. It shouldn’t taste “too bitter” or overwhelming.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1133mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tuna salad without mayo

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If you try this tuna salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.