Mexican Tuna Salad Recipe

Canned tuna has come a long way in the last decade. Before, the grocery store only stocked a couple of brands and the quality was closer to cat food than actual fish. Fast forward to today and beautiful, high-quality tuna cans are stocked on the shelves just waiting for you to indulge. Naturally, this canned tuna renaissance has inspired me to use this fast and convenient protein in new and exciting ways. Enter: this fresh and funky Mexican tuna salad.

What Exactly is a Mexican Tuna Salad?

This Mexican tuna salad takes tuna salad to a whole other level. By adding in black beans, corn, bell peppers, avocado, and red onion, the texture and flavor are through the roof. The cherry on top? The salad is finished with a dash of taco seasoning and creamy ranch dressing to bring it all together.

Assembling this Simple Mexican Tuna Salad

​The first step to assembling this salad is to chop all the veggies into equal-sized pieces.

• Drain the Tuna: Next, pop the tuna can open and use the lid as a barrier to help drain out the excess liquid.
• Toss the Salad: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the taco seasoning and dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!

3 Tips for the Tastiest Mexican Tuna Salad

A couple of tips will help you extract as much flavor as possible out of this salad.

• Drain and rinse the canned corn and beans. Canned food is preserved in a thick, slimy brine. Make sure to rinse the beans and corn thoroughly to make sure none of this yucky brine makes its way into your salad.
• Make sure the lettuce isn’t wet. One of the most common mistakes in salad making is not ensuring the lettuce is as dry as possible before tossing. Why? Wet lettuce can water down the dressing and make the salad soggy. To prevent this, allow the lettuce to air dry in a single layer on a kitchen towel or use a salad spinner.
• Only toss the dressing before you plan to serve the salad. This rule goes for any and all salads to prevent them from turning soggy.

Different Variations to Play With

This salad is already an adventure for the tastebuds, but here are a couple of more ways to rev it up even more.

• Add some tortilla chips, chili chips, or crushed tostada shells for an extra crunch
• Toss in some shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese
• Finish it with a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a pop of citrus
• Add in a handful of black olives
• Pack in more fresh veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapenos work great)
• Swap the tuna for shredded Instant Pot chicken
• Garnish the salad with chopped cilantro

Ideas for Serving a Mexican Tuna Salad

Bring a big batch of Mexican tuna salad to your next potluck or get-together. Just make sure to keep the dressing separate to prevent it from turning soggy. It also makes for a wonderful side dish to your Taco Tuesday spread of carne asada street tacos and cilantro lime rice.

Best Practices for Storage

While tuna salad is best eaten immediately, you can store it separately from the dressing for up to a week. Keep the produce and dressing in different airtight containers and you’ll be golden.

FAQ

Other Tasty Salads to Try

• Bayonne Ham and Arugula Salad – Thin-shaved ham and arugula salad
• Homemade Creamy Caesar Salad – Tangy and creamy classic caesar
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – Chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers and more tossed in an easy dressing.
• Taco Salad – Ground beef and all the classic taco toppings
• Ultimate Garden Salad Recipe – The perfect side salad
• Tomato Peach Burrata Salad Recipe – Sweet and salty salad with gooey burrata

Recipe

Mexican Tuna Salad Recipe

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Servings

6 Servings

Prep Time 25 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

This Mexican tuna salad is full of crunchy corn, creamy avocado, tender black beans, & more. A tasty way to get a huge serving of veggies!

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned corn rinsed and drained
• 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
• 2 small bell peppers
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 purple onion
• 1 head lettuce
• 14 oz tuna
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Dice all vegetables into small pieces. Drain the tuna can of any excess liquid.
  
• Toss the dressing and taco seasoning into the salad right before serving. Enjoy right away!
  

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Tuna Salad Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 230 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Trans Fat 0.002g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 322mg13%

Potassium 569mg16%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 875IU18%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.