Mexican Tuna Salad (Easy Lunch Meal Prep)
Craving a fresh, zesty twist on your tuna salad? This Mexican tuna salad recipe is a colorful, nutrient-packed meal that’s easy to make and perfect for meal prep lunches. It combines lean protein, crisp veggies and a creamy dressing with just the right amount of bold flavor. Enjoy it in lettuce wraps, on a sandwich, over rice, or tucked into a tortilla…whatever fits your mood!
I need lunch to be easy or it’s not happening.
I love prepping a protein-based salad on Sunday to keep in the fridge throughout the busy work week to eat straight up, with chips, crackers or in a wrap! A healthy lunch that fills me up and powers me through the afternoon is always a win.
As a registered dietitian and generally hungry person, I really try to prioritize a great source of protein with all meals. Y’all know I love my avocado toast with cottage cheese and eggs for breakfast and dinner protein is pretty straightforward. But, lunch protein is my biggest struggle. I am usually so busy with either work or my little girls that if I don’t have something prepped, I’ll be eating leftover sandwich crusts for lunch. 🙃🫠
That’s why I love a hearty, high-protein salad prepped in the fridge so I can rely on it for a few days for a quick lunch. This salad boasts 22 grams of protein per serving. I turn to tuna over and over because it is convenient, versatile and I always have it in my pantry BUT I don’t particularly care for traditional tuna salad. And here’s why…I loooathe the taste of plain mayo. But add a few flavor boosters? Make it an ‘aioli’? I’m down.
I combine a little mayo with pickled jalapeño juice, some spices and fresh lime juice and muah! It makes a creamy vinaigrette dressing that ties everything together. You might be slightly skeptical of tuna + beans + corn + veggies but just trust, this salad is so, so yummy. And, it’s wildly versatile so you can adjust per your preferences!
FEATURED COMMENT
“This is so dang good. I’m not usually a can of tuna kind of person but I had all the ingredients on hand and it was so filling and packed with all the things I needed. And using the pickled jalapeños from Trader Joes?! Bomb. “
★★★★★
A Few Thoughts on What You’ll Need to Make Mexican Tuna Salad:
- Packed with lean protein, canned tuna fish makes this salad hearty and filling. I love the Wild Planet brand because it’s sustainably caught and really good quality. The chunks stay nice and firm instead of turning mushy like some other varieties. I usually grab it at Costco for the best price, but you can find it in the canned seafood aisle of most grocery stores.
- Black beans add fiber and a subtle earthy flavor. I love using canned beans for ease and convenience, just give them a quick rinse and drain to remove excess sodium before adding.
- Corn salsa is made with sweet corn, peppers, and herbs, with very mild heat. I LOVE the tangy sweetness it adds to this Mexican tuna salad. I usually grab the one from Trader Joe’s or online here, but fresh, frozen, or canned corn all work just fine too.
- Fresh tomatoes bring a pop of flavor and hold up really well in this salad. I usually go for cherry or grape tomatoes, but a chopped large tomato works just fine too.
- Persian cucumbers add a crisp, refreshing crunch without watering things down. I like them because the seeds are minimal, but if you’re using a regular cucumber, you can scoop the seeds out.
- I recommend using yellow, orange, or red bell peppers since they’re sweeter than the green or purple ones and add a nice pop of color.
- I love the hot and sweet pickled jalapeños from Trader Joe’s. Or any other slightly sweetened variety you can find would work!
- For the dressing, use freshly squeezed lime juice or 100% bottled lime juice (not from concentrate).
How to Make Mexican Tuna Salad:
To make the dressing, whisk together the pickled jalapeño juice, lime juice, mayo, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, black beans, corn salsa, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, pickled jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro.
Pour the dressing over the tuna mixture and toss until everything is well-coated.
Enjoy this tuna salad in lettuce cups, over a bed of rice, in a wrap/sandwich, or as a dip with chips.
Variation Ideas
- To make the dressing higher in protein and even thicker/creamier, add a little plain Greek yogurt.
- For more heat, add extra pickled jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne pepper, hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
- For a crunchy element, toss in pepitas or tortillas strips.
- I didn’t include avocado in the “official” recipe since it doesn’t hold up as well for meal prep, but you can absolutely add cubed avocado right before serving for an extra boost of healthy fats.
- Add in any veggies you love! Diced jicama, radishes, carrots, sweet onion or celery are other ideas.
- As a shortcut, you could add a tablespoon of taco seasoning to the dressing instead of the individual spices.
Lunch perfection 🤤
FAQs
Yes! The flavors actually develop more as it sits, so it’s perfect for meal prep.
Store leftover tuna salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Omit the pickled jalapeños from the salad and use apple cider vinegar in the dressing instead of jalapeño juice.
While I’ve never specifically tried this, my hypothesis is that it would be delicious!
This corn salsa is from Trader Joe’s. It’s important to note the difference between corn salsa and salsa with corn in it. Corn salsa, also called corn relish, is tomato-less and almost entirely corn with a few seasonings/lime/sugar. Don’t use regular salsa here, it’ll make your salad too watery!
Watch How to Make Mexican Tuna Salad:
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Mexican Tuna Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch, Meal Prep
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Vibrant and full of punchy flavors, this Mexican tuna salad recipe is easy, quick and perfect for a meal prep lunch, high-protein snack, or light meal!
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 5oz cans tuna, drained
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup corn salsa
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 small Persian cucumber, diced small
- 1 bell pepper, diced small
- 1/4 red onion, minced
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, minced
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Drain the tuna, removing as much moisture as possible. In a large bowl toss together the tuna, black beans, corn salsa, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro.
- Pour on the dressing and toss until combined. Serve in lettuce cups, over rice, on sandwiches or in a wrap.
Notes
Pickled jalapeños: these specific sweet heat jalapeños are from Trader Joe’s, I love the subtle layer of sweetness!
Corn salsa: The one I used in this recipe is from Trader Joe’s, but you could also use corn relish. Don’t use regular salsa here, it’ll make your salad too watery!
Refer to above blog post for ingredient information, variation ideas and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 815.6 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 36.1 mg
If you love this Mexican-inspired tuna salad, you’ll love these other meal prep ideas:
Dense Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Cabbage Crunch Salad with Chicken and Roasted Peanut Dressing
Versatile Meal Prep Chicken Breast for Chicken & Pomegranate Mason Jar Salads
This is a delicious recipe! Very easy to put together . I had bought salsa with corn in it , luckily I read all the helpful hints from Erica .I ended up going to get the corn salsa from Trader Joes and I am glad I did! I loved the dressing.I will be looking forward to lunch all week !
Thank you for this helpful review AnneMarie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The corn salsa is bomb🤤
This recipe is amazing! I followed it exactly except I left out the tomatoes. Truly delicious!! One day I had it over lettuce, the next day I ate it like a dip with some whole grain crackers…chef’s kiss! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
yaaasss love this! So versatile and so good. Thanks Samantha!
Did this recipe for meal prep for a camping trip — it got better and better each day! We ate it over 2-3 days (I doubled the recipe) and the flavors just blended together so well. This was a true winner, not just for camping but anytime. And such a great variation of tuna salad.
This is so tasty! It really is delicious in a variety of ways. I didn’t have the corn salsa and it’s still delish, so I’m sure it’s even better with that. Perfect protein powdered lunch at work.
Delicious and nutritious way to use tuna.
This is so dang good. I’m not usually a can of tuna kind of person but I had all the ingredients on hand and it was so filling and packed with all the things I needed. And using the pickled jalapeños from Trader Joes?! Bomb.