A lunchtime staple in most households, tuna salads is a classic. These spicy takes on the classic tuna and mayo combination are sure to make a great addition to your lunchtime meal.
Whether you are using tinned or fresh tuna, you are bound to love all these recipe combinations using simple ingredients.
Tuna is a great source of protein and contains a large amount of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
It is important to ensure that the tuna you use is sustainable i.e. the fish is caught in a way that maintains and protects the environment to ensure that future generations can enjoy the supply of fish like tuna too.
You can use either fresh tuna or tinned. Tinned tuna comes in a few different variations-in oil or in water. You can use either of the two in these recipes depending on your preference or what you have on hand.
These spicy tuna salad recipes are easy to make and are great to serve at your next barbecue or potluck.
Most of these can be made ahead of time and can either be used as a side dish or as a main meal for busy weekdays as well.
The first tuna salad on our list is a Mexican-inspired salad.
The use of chipotle peppers uplifts the dish and gives the salad a unique smoky and fiery flavor to the creamy tuna salad. Chipotle peppers are ripe jalapeños that are smoke-dried and are usually available in adobo sauce.
The combination of smoky chipotle chilies, crunchy celery, sweet relish, and salty capers gives a perfect balance of flavor.
This recipe also uses a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, making it extra light and adding a layer of tang to the flavor profile.
It can be enjoyed on its own, on a sandwich or on crackers.
This Asian Spicy Tuna Salad uses the fiery elements of freshly grated root ginger, chopped green chili peppers, and curry powder to give the classic tuna salad, and it takes about fifteen minutes to throw together.
If you are after more spice, you can double the amount of chili added as well as soy sauce.
If you want to add an extra layer of flavor, add in more curry powder or make up a spice mix of your choice.
Tuna Salad is usually made with mayonnaise and what makes this recipe great is that it is mayonnaise-free and so makes for a great egg-free option.
It uses a combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and powdered garlic along with brown sugar as a dressing for the salad. It also has crunchy elements like carrot and green onion that uplift the dish.
A take on a tuna poke bowl, this Japanese-inspired tuna salad is exotic and uses additional ingredients like sesame oil, sesame seeds and furikake (a Japanese seaweed seasoning), soy sauce, and sriracha.
If you don’t have mayonnaise or Greek yogurt on hand, then you can always add mashed avocado to give the dish a creamy element.
You can use this tuna salad recipe to make sushi bowls, rolls, or burritos, on sandwiches or wraps, or just on its own with some greens or shredded cabbage.
Although a recipe for a sandwich, this Cilantro Lime Spicy Tuna Salad can be enjoyed on its own or as a side to any meal.
The recipe combines Mexican ingredients like jalapeño, lime, cilantro, and hot sauce with the classic mayo, green onion, and celery to make a spicy tuna salad that will soon become one of your favorites.
Depending on the heat level you want, you can use a more or less spicy hot sauce or chili pepper to flavor the dish.
A potluck classic with a twist, this Spicy Tuna Pasta Salad uses sriracha and sweet pickle relish as its main flavor additions.
It also uses Greek yogurt and mayonnaise instead of mayonnaise alone to lighten up the dish. It also uses vibrant crunchy vegetables like carrot, red onion, red bell pepper, and celery to make a colorful and tasty pasta salad.
What is great about this is that you can do all the preparation ahead of time if you are hosting and don’t have much time on the day.
This recipe uses fresh tuna and is ready in under 15 minutes. It is super versatile and can be served over sushi rice, inside summer rolls, in lettuce wraps, or on its own with some crunchy vegetables and leafy greens.
If you are addicted to sushi, then this is a great and more cost-effective alternative to eating out. The sashimi-grade tuna meat is tossed in sriracha sauce, chili oil, Japanese mayonnaise, and green onions as well as sesame seeds.
If you really want to spoil yourself, you can add Masago or Capelin fish roe to the dish for an extra burst of flavor.
Quinoa is a superfood grain and is a great alternative to the traditional pasta used in tuna salads.
You can either cook the quinoa from scratch or use ready-to-eat pouches available in supermarkets.
This Mediterranean take on the spicy tuna salad uses bell peppers, chilies, tomatoes, and black olives and goes well as a side dish or as a lunchtime meal.
Here, the spice in tuna salad comes from sriracha sauce and is combined with tuna, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, soy sauce, and cilantro. It is then served on a lettuce wrap with avocado and julienne carrots for extra crunch.
This recipe is super healthy and of course, if you are after more sustenance, you can always use a tortilla or soft shell taco as a base.
This recipe calls for fresh tuna instead of canned and uses a combination of crunchy Asian vegetables like carrot, radishes, cabbage, and kale to create this spicy tuna salad.
However, the salad recipe is so versatile that you can swap out any ingredients for what you have at home.
The tuna is coated in cracked black pepper and seared to give some spice to the dish – even though it is on the mild side of things.
Notes:
Where a recipe calls for sriracha, you can use any form of hot sauce you have on hand.
If you do not have mayonnaise or don’t like it, you can substitute out with any yogurt, such as Greek yogurt or any plant-based yogurt of your choice.
If you want to up the heat, you can always add more chili peppers or ingredients like ginger and black pepper.
Final Thoughts
Whichever of the above recipes you decided to try out (and we’d recommend giving all of them a go!), here are a few tips to help you take them to the next level:
Where a recipe calls for sriracha, you can use any form of hot sauce you have on hand.
If you do not have mayonnaise or don’t like it, you can substitute it with any yogurt, such as Greek yogurt or any plant-based yogurt of your choice.
If you want to up the heat, you can always add more chili peppers or ingredients like ginger and black pepper.
