Buffalo Tuna Salad

Buffalo Tuna Salad is made with canned tuna, chopped veggies, mayo and hot sauce. It is great on whole grain bread, a bed of lettuce or in a wrap. If you love Buffalo chicken flavor, you will absolutely love this fun version of a classic tuna salad.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• This salad only takes a couple minutes to throw together.
• It is low-carb, paleo, keto and Whole30 friendly.
• Highly customizable – you can add different veggies, more or less mayo (or no mayo at all), make it more or less spicy or add fresh herbs.
• This recipe is budget friendly and uses staple pantry ingredients.
• Great as party food or game day appetizer served as a dip with crackers or fresh veggies.
• A must-try for any Buffalo flavor lovers!
• Make sure to check out my Buffalo Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders (no breading) for more Buffalo flavor recipes.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Tuna: I use albacore tuna packed in water but any kind of canned tuna will work.

Mayo: use your favorite kind of mayonnaise (I like paleo friendly avocado oil mayo).

Celery: to give this creamy salad a crunch and complement the Buffalo flavor.

Onion: sweet onion such as vedalia will work best because of its mild flavor

Green onions: for a bright fresh flavor. You can also use chives, parsley or dill.

Hot Sauce: I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. If you prefer milder Buffalo flavor, I recommend Mild Buffalo sauce by Noble Made

Paprika & Garlic Powder: for an extra layer of flavor

Salt & Pepper: to taste

HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO TUNA SALAD

Simply mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl until they are combined into a creamy salad. I recommend starting with two tablespoons of hot sauce and if the salad isn’t spicy enough for you, add another tablespoon.

Optional garnishes include chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, dill or parsley and an extra drizzle of hot sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This is such a versatile salad that can be served in a variety of ways! Here are some suggestions:

• Wrap: use a tortilla, pita or a lettuce leaf and load it with Buffalo tuna salad. You can add extra veggies or a pickle for a quick and satisfying lunch.
• Sandwich: serve it on your favorite bread or in a bagel with some fresh greens or sprouts.
• Salad: it’s great on a bed of greens with halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and red or green onions.
• Dip: great with multigrain crackers or celery sticks.

VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

What I love about this salad is that you don’t have to stick to the proportions in the recipe. As long as you stick with the tuna + mayo + hot sauce formula, adjust the amounts and additions to your individual taste.

• Add more chopped vegetables for extra crunch, such as carrots, green bell peppers or radishes.
• To brighten the flavors you can also add chopped fresh herbs: chives, parsley or dill.
• This salad will also work with canned salmon instead of tuna.
• If you prefer a creamier salad, feel free to add more mayo or Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
• For spicy food lovers – add as much hot sauce as you like!

STORAGE TIPS

Store this salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it, if you’d like. Thaw completely before serving. If any liquid separates during the thawing process, that’d ok. Just drain it and serve!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is this salad paleo / keto / Whole30?

This low-carb tuna salad is great as a paleo / keto / Whole30 option as long as you use paleo friendly hot sauce and mayo.

Can I use canned tuna in oil?

I prefer tuna in water for tuna salads with mayo but if all you have is tuna in oil, you can still use it – just make sure to drain it well.

What can I add to tuna salad instead of mayo?

If you don’t want to use mayo, swap it for thick Greek yogurt. You can also use ½ mayo and ½ yogurt.

MORE LOW-CARB IDEAS TO TRY

• Herbed Egg Avocado Salad (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)
• Low-Carb Tuna Melt Zucchini Boats
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fries
• Loaded Mini Pepper Nachos
• Egg Roll in a Bowl

If you try this Buffalo Tuna Salad, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!

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Buffalo Tuna Salad

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★★★★★

5 from 9 reviews

• Author: Agnieszka
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Buffalo Tuna Salad is made with canned tuna, chopped veggies, mayo and hot sauce. It is great on whole grain bread, a bed of lettuce or in a wrap.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

two 5-oz cans of tuna packed in water, drained
¼ cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s Hot Sauce or similar
1 celery rib, diced small
2 tablespoons sweet onion, minced
2 green onions, chopped, divided
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Place drained tuna, celery, onion, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, half of the green onions, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Mix with a fork until all ingredients are well combined.
3. Taste and add another tablespoon of hot sauce (or more), if desired.
4. Serve on its own, in a sandwich, on a bed of lettuce or in a lettuce wrap with an optional drizzle of hot sauce and more green onions.

Notes

For a creamier salad add more mayo. You can also mix mayo with Greek yogurt or skip mayo and use yogurt for a lighter version.

My favorite tuna brand is wild albacore tuna from Wild Planet.

For a milder, kid-friendly version of Buffalo Tuna Salad, use mild Buffalo sauce by Noble Made.

If you’d like to add more chopped vegetables, you can increase the amount of celery and onion. Chopped carrots, green or red bell peppers and radishes will also work.

Tuna in oil will also work, but make sure to drain it well before adding to the salad.

If you like lots of spice, use as much hot sauce as you want!

For a paleo/ keto / whole30 version, make sure the hot sauce and mayo are compliant.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: lunch, snack
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Buffalo tuna salad, how to make buffalo tuna salad, paleo tuna salad