There’s nothing like a slightly spicy, citrusy, Mexican flavor bomb, and a touch of salty from this tuna dip recipe on a hot summer day. Add a little hot sauce and creamy avocado to make this your next backyard summer party favorite. Eat it with chips, crackers, or on top of fresh lettuce.
When it’s too hot to turn the stove or oven on, this is going to be your go to snack, lunch, or dinner. I make it several times a month because it’s packed with protein from the canned tuna, and filled with fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Serrano chili
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Canned tuna-I use a brand called Safe Catch which I find at Costco. It is tested for mercury levels which tend to be significant in tuna.
- Cucumber
- Roma tomato
- Mayonnaise-I use Chosen Foods mayonnaise because not only is the flavor great, they don’t use pufa oils (canola, safflower oil, etc.) in their product. I purchase mine at Costco for a great price. The fat in the mayonnaise helps cut through the acidity from the lime juice a bit.
- Avocado
- Hot sauce-my favorite hot sauce to use in this recipe is Chunky Garlic and Jalapeño Hot Sauce from Trader Joe’s. I hold back on the Serrano chilies a bit as my kids eat it as well so the hot sauce adds just enough heat and garlicky flavor without being overpowering.
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
First, take out all of your ingredients, food chopper (or knife), and food processor (or blender).
Next, wash cilantro and tear off the top leafy portion of the head. Add to food processor. Then add ¾ of a cup of roughlychopped red onion to the food processor.
I like to use the whole Serrano pepper as it adds a great spiciness to this dip. However, when my kids are eating with me, it’s too spicy for them. Simply remove the white pith and seeds before adding the pepper to the food processor. You can always add hot sauce to your own individual portion if you like some spice.
Next
Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring cup. Cut limes in half and squeeze the juice over the sieve to catch any of the pulp. This is totally optional if you don’t mind a little pulp. Pour the lime juice into the food processor.
Then add garlic, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Secure the food processor lid and pulse until the ingredients are chopped. Remove the lid and scrape and large pieces from the side. Secure lid again and turn the food processor on until all of the ingredients are a smooth consistency. A blender will work well also.
Next, drain 3 cans of tuna and place them in a medium sized bowl. Breaking up larger chunks of tuna if necessary.
Then peel a cucumber and chop in a smaller dice and add to the bowl. Finely chop the remaining ½ cup of onion and add to the bowl.
When it comes to the Roma tomato I like to cut all the way around the tomato and avoid as much of the juicy center and seeds of the tomato. It waters down the flavor of the dip. After cutting around the tomatoes chop them into smaller pieced and add to the bowl.
Lastly
Add the mayonnaise, and the cilantro lime sauce from the food processor to the bowl and stir with a spoon until combined. Check for seasoning and add additional salt if necessary. Serve chopped avocado on top.
If I am eating this with chips I like a bite of the tuna with veggies, avocado, and then my favorite hot sauce on top. You could also serve this on top of a crispy tostada. I enjoy eating it as a salad at lunchtime. Serve it over a bed of your favorite lettuce or salad greens, add some avocado, and pumpkin seeds and you have a complete protein packed meal. It’s incredibly light and refreshing in the summer.
Substitutions
- Red Onion - instead of red onion, you can use shallots. Shallots are more mild like red onion. Do NOT use white or yellow onion. I have tried both and it was incredibly bitter.
- Serrano - instead of a Serrano pepper a jalapeño will work as well. Jalapeños tend to be larger so start with adding half and then add more if necessary.
Variations
- Meal - add this dip to a bed of your favorite lettuce or salad greens. I like to top it with some pumpkin seeds as well and it turns in to a healthy and protein packed lunch.
- Kid friendly - be sure to cut the pith (white part inside the pepper) and seeds out of the Serrano pepper to ensure there is little to no spice.
Equipment
This vegetable chopper makes prep time go so quickly. It will take minutes to chop the onions, tomatoes, and cucumber. I used to loathe cutting potatoes by hand or chopping vegetables for pico de Gallo until I purchased this kitchen gadget. It will make time spent in the kitchen much more efficient.
If you don’t have the chopper mentioned above just make sure you have a sharp knife and chop the vegetables into small uniform pieced.
Storage
Store the Tuna Dip in a glass storage container for up to four days. I add avocado to the portion I will be eating right away. The avocado will brown if left in the dip so store the avocado separately and cube when ready to serve.
These ingredients don’t stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
When I am chopping lot’s of vegetables, I like to pull out a bowl for all of the scraps as I prep. I set the bowl right behind my cutting board and it saves time by omitting scraping all the scraps into the garbage multiple times.
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Tuna Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole head of cilantro (large stems removed)
- 1 ¼ cup red onion (divided)
- 1 whole Serrano pepper (remove seeds if desired)
- 4 cloves of garlic pealed and chopped
- ½ cup of fresh squeezed lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cans of tuna drained
- 1 whole cucumber peeled and chopped (remove seeds)
- ¾ cup Roma tomatoes chopped (seeds removed)
- 2 Tablespoons mayonaise
- 1 whole large avocado chopped
- Favorite hot sauce
- Chips or lettuce for serving
Instructions
- Blend cilantro, ¾ cup red onion, Serrano pepper, garlic cloves, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl add tuna, cucumber, ½ cup red onion, Roma tomatoes, mayonnaise, and cilantro lime mixture from food processor. Stir until combined.
- Add additional salt if needed and chopped avocado on top. Serve with chips and your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!
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