Southwest Tuna Salad

This Southwest Tuna Salad is packed with beans, corn, tomatoes, and a taco-inspired dressing! This flavorful tuna salad is perfect for lunch any day of the week and great for meal prepping! It’s optionally mayo-free, and so delicious.

Southwest Inspired Tuna Salad

I love a good tuna salad and this one, inspired by Southwest flavors, is so good! It is packed with beans, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and a yummy taco-seasoned dressing. It’s perfect to whip up for lunch or meal prep, and will keep well for a few days in the refrigerator. It is nutritious, flavorful, and a fun spin on tuna salad. Good enough to eat on its own, or serve it your favorite way you serve tuna salad.

Ingredients Needed

• Canned Tuna
• Canned Black Beans
• Corn (frozen, fresh or canned will work)
• Tomato
• Red Onion
• Cilantro
• Mayo (or Greek yogurt)
• Taco Seasoning
• Lime
• Salt + Pepper

The Best Type of Canned Tuna

More than likely, if you are reading this recipe, you are a fan of canned tuna! And lots of people are. But who knew that there is a lot of controversy surrounding canned tuna? Issues range from unsustainable fishing practices, bycatch (meaning catching and harming unintended populations of fish such as dolphins or sharks), and high mercury levels in tuna.

The best place to focus your attention is to look for a canned tuna labeled as MSC certified. That product must meet rigorous standards for sustainable fishing practices, like limiting by-catch, avoiding overfishing, and protecting marine environments.

As far as mercury levels, nearly all fish contain it, and tuna more so than most. According to the FDA, you can eat up to 2-3 servings a week. Canned light tuna, or skipjack, generally is lower in mercury than albacore.

Whether tuna is packed in water or oil is merely a matter of preference, though if it is packed in oil, look for one packed in olive oil.

How to Serve Southwest Tuna Salad

• On a salad
• On a sandwich
• On a lettuce wrap
• In an avocado boat
• With gluten-free pasta added in
• As a tuna melt

If you like this tuna recipe, check out these others:

• Low Carb Tuna Casserole (With Cauliflower)
• Paleo Tuna Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Mediterranean Tuna Salad with No Mayo!
• Sweet Potato Tuna Melts

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Southwest Tuna Salad

This Southwest Tuna Salad is packed with beans, corn, tomatoes, and a taco-inspired dressing! This flavorful tuna salad is perfect for lunch any day of the week and great for meal prepping! It's optionally mayo-free, and so delicious.

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Yield 4
Cuisine American

Recipe Type: Salad
Difficulty: Easy

Total Time 10 minutes
Author: Lexi's Clean Kitchen

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Ingredients

• ½ cup mayo or Greek yogurt
• 1 lime, squeezed (about 2 tablespoons juice)
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 3 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained, and rinsed
• 1-½ cups corn (canned, fresh or frozen)
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced fine
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
• Salt and Pepper
• Lettuce, for serving

Directions

1. In a small jar (or bowl), whisk together the mayo, lime and taco seasoning. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add tuna, beans, corn, tomato, red onion, cilantro and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the dressing and mix together to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper or taco seasoning, if desired.
3. Serve over lettuce, in a sandwich or in a wrap.

Recipe Notes

1. Tuna salad will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
2. If using frozen corn, you can heat it up and cool it down if you'd like, or you can do a quick defrost by running it under lukewarm water until it's defrosted.

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Nutrition

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