Jump to Recipe

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps are the perfect low-carb lunch or light dinner, and this is so quick and easy to make! And I would eat these tasty lettuce wraps with tuna any time of year.

PIN the Tuna Lettuce Wraps to try them later!

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps finished on serving plate

It was more than eight years ago that I first made Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps for the blog, and for a long time this recipe had been on my huge list of recipes that need a photo update! And then when I started making the tuna lettuce wraps to take new photos I realized I was out of celery. Plus there was an avocado in the fridge that was calling my name, so the recipe morphed into a slightly-updated version of this favorite dish of mine.

In case you don’t have avocado or you want to include celery (or were a fan of the original version) here’s the printer-friendly recipe for the original Tuna Lettuce Wraps I’ve made so many times! Either version is equally delicious.

Besides the addition of tomato and avocado, there are a couple of important things that bump this up from regular tuna sandwiches. One is using a flavorful tuna, and I’m definitely a fan of tuna packed in olive oil for a recipe like this.

The tuna is mixed with a dressing that includes mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, celery seed, and a little salt or Vege-Sal. That’s combined with the tuna plus capers, dill pickle relish, and thinly sliced green onion. This makes a tuna salad mixture that’s a perfect combination with the crispy lettuce.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What brand of canned tuna do I use?

I’m a huge fan of Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link), so that’s what I’d always use for this recipe. For a few years now I haven’t found the Genova Tuna at my market, so I started buying it by the case from Amazon.com. I buy both the small 3 oz. cans and the 5 oz. cans, and this is something that’s always in my pantry! (And this company hasn’t paid me to promote their tuna, just in case anyone is wondering!)

What makes these Tuna Lettuce Wraps so good?

I think the use of a flavorful tuna packed in olive oil and the addition of tomatoes, avocado, capers, dill pickle relish, and green onion make these these lettuce wraps so tasty. And there is a flavorful dressing with mayo, Dijon, and lemon that ties it all together!

Are the Tuna Lettuce Wraps low in carbs?

The lettuce wraps as shown in this photo have only about 4 net carbs in one lettuce wraps. The diced tomatoes and avocados are optional and you might want less tomatoes and avocados if you you’d like even fewer carbs, but I thought they added a nice burst of extra flavor.

More tasty ideas using canned tuna:

I love easy recipes to make with tuna, like these tuna lettuce wraps! If you’re also a tuna fan you might want to check out my collection of Low-Carb and Keto Canned Tuna Recipes for more treats with canned tuna!

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps process shots collage

How to make Tuna Lettuce Wraps:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Here’s a photo of the Genova tuna that I love so much, and I love the easy-open cans as well.
  2. Whatever tuna you use, be sure it’s well-drained before you starting mixing in the seasonings.
  3. I mixed together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice (or lime juice), celery seed, and Vege-Sal (affiliate link).
  4. Then chop the tomatoes and avocado and slice the green onions.
  5. Mix the avocado with a tablespoon of lemon (or lime) juice and  then stir in the tomatoes.
  6. Mix the dressing into the tuna first, making sure it’s well distributed. Then stir in dill pickle relish (affiliate link), Capers (affiliate link), and sliced green onions.
  7. I used organic romaine lettuce, but you could use iceberg or butter lettuce to wrap the tuna salad.
  8. Fill each piece of washed and dried lettuce with a couple of generous tablespoons of the tuna mixture.
  9. Then top each lettuce wrap with the avocado and cherry tomato mixture, and eat!
  10. The tuna mixture will keep in the fridge for several days, but you might want to cut fresh avocado and tomatoes when you’re eating the leftovers.

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps close-up photo of three lettuce wraps on plate

More Tasty Recipes for Lettuce Wraps:

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps close-up photo of three lettuce wraps on plate
Yield: 4 servings

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps are the perfect low-carb lunch or light dinner, and this something I make regularly when I need a quick meal!

Ingredients

  • two 5 oz. cans good quality canned tuna (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 T fresh lemon juice, divided (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp. celery seed
  • salt or Vege-Sal to taste
  • 2 T dill pickle relish
  • 2 T capers
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (more or less to taste)
  • 8 large Romaine Lettuce leaves, washed and dried (see notes)
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)
  • 1 large avocado, chopped small (optional)

Instructions

  1. Dump tuna into a fine-mesh strainer placed in the sink and let it drain well.
  2. While tuna drains stir together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice (or lime juice), celery seed, and Vege-Sal (affiliate link) or salt.
  3. Chop the tomatoes and avocado and slice the green onions.
  4. Mix the avocado with a tablespoon of lemon (or lime) juice and stir in the tomatoes.
  5. When the tuna has drained, put it in a bowl (with a snap-tight lid if you won’t be eating it all at once.)
  6. Mix the dressing into the tuna first, making sure it's well distributed. Then stir in dill pickle relish (affiliate link), capers, and sliced green onions.
  7. Cut lettuce head apart and pick out 8 large leaves.  (I used two heads of romaine and kept the smaller inner leaves for salad greens.)
  8. Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels if needed.
  9. Fill lettuce leaves with two generous tablespoons of the tuna mixture, garnish with cherry tomato and avocado mixture, and eat with your hands.

Notes

I love Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) for this recipe, but use any good-quality tuna you prefer. You can use lemon or lime juice, whichever you have; I'd use my Fresh Frozen Lemon and Lime Juice. Iceberg Lettuce or Butter Lettuce will also work for this.

Nutritional information is for two lettuce wraps, which is what I think most people would consider to be a serving.

This recipe was adapted years ago from The Ultimate Low-Carb Cookbook (affiliate link) by Mary B. Johnson and the current version was adapted even more by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

2 lettuce wraps
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 314Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3.8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 8.5gFiber: 5gSugar: 2.2gProtein: 19g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Lettuce Wraps
Square image of shown in taco holder on serving plate.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps would be great for low-carb or Keto diet plans, and for low-carb diets definitely use regular mayo. For extremely low carbs or Keto you might want to use less tomatoes and avocado. This recipe will work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet if you use well-drained tuna and light mayo. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Lettuce Wraps to see more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
These Tuna Lettuce Wraps were first posted in 2012. The recipe was updated with new photos in 2020 and it was last updated with more information in 2023.

Pinterest image of Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Share This: