You Simply MUST Try This Viral Mexican Tuna Salad
I’m absolutely horrified it took me until I was almost 50 years old to make this masterpiece.
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by Audie Metcalf
I will tell you that I am on TikTok MOSTLY for food ideas, so my “fyp” is littered with recipes. I tell you this both to feel/act superior, but also because I really do walk-the-walk, as I wrote a scathing article HERE about how all social media is destroying our ability to think and feel and be and love.
But my ability to think and feel and be and love is bolstered by delicious food that’s also miraculously healthy and aids/abets my ability to stay full while in a calorie deficit so when I find and try those foods, I speed to my computer to tell you about it.
I, and roughly 378,462 people saw this woman make this Mexican tuna salad, and I think we all collectively dreamed about it that night:
Since seeing it, there have been 1.2 trillion other creators who have made it, with various tweaks, but here’s the base of mine that I made just out of what I had in the home:
I added an entire shredded carrot, a fat diced Persian cuke, and I did red onion instead of white. Oh, and I added half a can of corn. Drained, obvs. I omitted jalapeños because I’m a wimp, and I also omitted avocado because I have a strict policy against using avocado in any recipe where you don’t fully taste it because it’s extremely high in calories—so I prefer it in recipes like avocado toast where I am really able to perceive the flavor. Though come to think of it, this tuna salad would be HEAVEN served inside half an avocado. I’m doing that next time.
Another creator added a mound of shredded lettuce along with a few other bits and bobs which look drool-worthy and which I will be making next time:
For my version, to lighten things up, I went extremely low key on the mayo, and high key on the lime juice. Here’s my specific breakout if you want to try it:
1 can of tuna (I use Safe Catch*)
1 beefsteak tomato, drained (or Roma)
1/2 can of corn, drained
1 carrot, shredded (don’t ever buy pre shredded—inedible)
1 Persian cuke, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (if you don’t like cilantro, kindly don’t make this. There is no sub. Just exit this article and live a sad, “it tastes like soap” life)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp light mayo
2 limes, juiced (3 if they’re not that juicy)
Lots of salt and pepper
Nutrition info:
Cals: 431
Protein: 34
Fiber: 14 (that’s more than half the recommended amount for the DAY)
I actually only ate half of this because it’s an enormous portion, and I served it with a little Wasa crisp*, which I find is a brilliant, low-cal hack for getting some crunch, and I also had half an apple. And two prunes. Because I’m old.
I use THIS* knife (a dream) and THIS* huge cutting board. Most people say they hate chopping, but really, they hate the tools—and these are the best. But if you truly can't stomach it, THIS* is a very smart contraption.
Bunny seemed extremely interested in all of it:
I drained a bit of the juice out and stored the rest in glass Tupperware and had it for lunch the next day—and it was EVEN BETTER. So next time I’m going to make a double recipe and eat it all week. I’ll leave the shredded lettuce out of it and mix that in only when I’m about to serve and consume. Will I die of mercury poisoning after eating tuna every day? Only time will tell!
Dm me your photos if you make it. And please share any tweaks that I urgently need to incorporate.
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
We have to eat.
