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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.

A bowl of southwest inspired tuna salad.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 for tuna salad in a bowl.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.

Southwest tuna salad dressing.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
A bowl of southwest tuna salad with lettuce.


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

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A bowl of southwest inspired tuna salad.

SOUTHWEST TUNA SALAD

5 from 2 votes
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.
Servings 5
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

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

Instructions

  • In a small jar (or bowl), whisk together the mayo, lime and taco seasoning. Set aside.
  • 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.
  • Serve over lettuce, in a sandwich or in a wrap.

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4Calories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 32gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 652mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4g
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Author: Lexi


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  1. 5 stars
    I just made this and it is SO good! I ate it as an open faced sandwich (gluten free) and it was extremely filling. I will definitely be making this again, as it would be perfect for work lunches.

  2. My husband and I loved this! I left tomatoes out (thought that might make it watery) but otherwise made as directed using mayo. Served over greens tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lime juice.

      1. personal preference on that one! We haven’t tested with ranch, but would love to know your opinion!