Have you ever seen those packets of flavored tuna in the grocery store? They were on sale once and I got curious, so I bought a few. The idea was interesting, but the execution failed, IMHO. So what did I do? MAKE MY OWN. #storyofmylife I chose this Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad as my first homemade flavored tuna because the simple combination of sweet and spicy is always irresistible to me, but I can’t wait to try more flavors. There are so many ways you can eat this simple no-cook dish that I now it’s going to become my new summer staple!
P.S. It’s great for meal prep! 👏
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No Mayo?
Mayo-free tuna salads are super popular these days, so I went ahead and made this Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad mayo-free (and to make it more like the store-bought version). That being said, I did add a little mayo to one of the test batches and it was also awesome with mayo! So if you are a mayo tuna salad person, feel free to go ahead and add a few tablespoons of creamy goodness to the bowl.
How to Serve Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad
I’m loving this tuna salad as a snack with crackers or vegetables, stuffed into peppers as an appetizer, or stuffed into a wrap with some spinach and cucumbers or avocado. It’s really quite versatile! Scroll down to see photos of different ways I used my Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad.
Should I Use Tuna Packed in Oil or Water?
You can actually use either for this recipe. I had tuna packed in water, so I added a little oil to the salad mix. If you’re using tuna packed in oil, you can skip the olive oil listed in the ingredients below.
Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad
Servings 2 About 3/4 cup eachIngredients
- 2 5oz. cans tuna* ($1.36)
- 1 carrot ($0.11)
- 2 green onions ($0.23)
- 2 tsp brown sugar ($0.03)
- 2 tsp olive oil ($0.08)
- 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
Instructions
- Drain the tuna well, then place it in a bowl.
- Shred the carrot using a cheese grater. Slice the green onion.
- Add the carrot, green onion, brown sugar, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cayenne, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the bowl with the drained tuna.
- Stir everything to combine, then let the mixture sit for about five minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad stuffed into celery sticks and mini sweet peppers. This would make a great party appetizer!
This is the wrap I made with spinach, cucumber slices, and the Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad. I wanted avocado as well, but all the avocados at the store were rock hard. That wrap is the sprouted grain wraps from Aldi. :)
How to Make Sweet and Spicy TUna Salad – Step by Step Photos
This tuna salad is incredibly easy to make. Drain two 5oz. cans of tuna (packed in oil or water) and add them to a bowl. Grate one carrot and slice two green onions. Add them to the bowl along with 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 tsp olive oil (skip if using tuna packed in oil), 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Then just mix everything together. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the flavors kind of blend a bit.
Then dig in! It’s SO good on cucumber slices.
But these cute little sweet peppers were pretty amazing with it as well. 🤤
Tried some other tuna salad recipes and while this recipe is a bit untraditional, the combination of flavors has a nice balance of sweetness and spicy is tasty and unique.
This was pretty good! I added some sriracha and some everything bagel seasoning to it. It was a bit to sweet for me, so I might half the brown sugar next time. Love how easy it is to make. Will definitely make again!
It tastes really weird because of smoked paprika. I am sorry to say this recipe is not balanced.
I have bought those flavored packets of tuna and had the same feeling… they’re OK and good for lunch in a pinch, but not my favorite. I’ll never buy those again – this recipe is great!! You should do other variations of flavor like Ranch or Lemon Pepper. :) Love your blog, I agree, every recipe I find here is awesome!
So refreshing to have a tuna recipe that isn’t the basic mayo-based mixture. I love the balance of spice and sweet! Tasted great on crackers. I recommend getting the green onion, I think it was so pretty in there with the carrot.
So amazing! I made this into a tuna melt with some white American cheese and it was to die for! Perfect spice level!
I was looking for something a little different from my usual tuna salad and I came across this one. I made it exactly as written and ate it on rice crackers. It was absolutely delicious!
Super easy and delicious! Substituted onion powder for green onion since I didn’t wanna go out to the store.
How is all your stuff so delicious? Every recipe I have made, I follow it exactly and it’s amazing. Perfectly seasoned and everything… this recipe included. Thank you!
This is so good! I love tuna, and I’m excited to have found a new way to prepare it for lunch. It also helps that I typically have all the ingredients at home. At most, I’d need to remind myself to buy a carrot. I threw this on a bed of baby spinach and it was an easy, delicious, filling lunch.
I’ll never buy flavored pre mixed tunas again. Thank you
I made this for my partner but it smelled amazing when preparing it. I gave it a try and now I truly love it. Thanks for the recipe
Wonderful to hear!
Not a fan of canned tuna, I’m going to try this with shredded chicken 😊
That could definitely work!
This recipe is amazing! I had been eating those pre-prepped tuna and cracker kits from the store but I’m so glad to have a delicious, inexpensive, easy alternative.
Happy to hear it Sarah! Thanks for sharing.
This was quick to make and really good! I made lettuce wraps. So many of your recipes have become my go-to’s!
I forgot to give it a rating!