Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
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!
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.)
- good quality canned tuna, preferably Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- mayo
- Dijon Mustard (affiliate link)
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my Fresh-Frozen Lemon Juice
- Celery Seed (affiliate link)
- salt or Vege-Sal (affiliate link) to taste
- dill pickle relish (affiliate link)
- Capers (affiliate link)
- green onions
- Romaine Lettuce leaves
- cherry tomatoes
- avocado
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!
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.)
- Here’s a photo of the Genova tuna that I love so much, and I love the easy-open cans as well.
- Whatever tuna you use, be sure it’s well-drained before you starting mixing in the seasonings.
- I mixed together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice (or lime juice), celery seed, and Vege-Sal (affiliate link).
- Then chop the tomatoes and avocado and slice the green onions.
- Mix the avocado with a tablespoon of lemon (or lime) juice and then stir in the tomatoes.
- 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.
- I used organic romaine lettuce, but you could use iceberg or butter lettuce to wrap the tuna salad.
- Fill each piece of washed and dried lettuce with a couple of generous tablespoons of the tuna mixture.
- Then top each lettuce wrap with the avocado and cherry tomato mixture, and eat!
- 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.
More Tasty Recipes for Lettuce Wraps:
- Slow Cooker Lettuce Wraps ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Low-Carb and Keto Lettuce Wraps ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Instant Pot Lettuce Wraps ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
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
- Dump tuna into a fine-mesh strainer placed in the sink and let it drain well.
- While tuna drains stir together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice (or lime juice), celery seed, and Vege-Sal (affiliate link) or salt.
- Chop the tomatoes and avocado and slice the green onions.
- Mix the avocado with a tablespoon of lemon (or lime) juice and stir in the tomatoes.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.)
- Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels if needed.
- 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
4Serving Size
2 lettuce wrapsAmount 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.
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.
37 Comments on “Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps”
Hey! That food certainly looks amazing!
Sorry for the silly question. Is the tuna meant to be eaten cold?
Yes, it is eaten cold.
CJ, glad you like it; I love this recipe!
this looks amazeballs…. so colorful! just bought romaine hearts too! may jazz up with a little roasted red pepper. lunch totally covered tomorrow! 🙂
I love the idea of using this on chicken; thanks for sharing that!
I loved this combination! I just made it using left over rotisserie chicken breast and its wonderful! Thanks Kalyn!
I have had my eye on this recipe for a couple of months, and I finally made them for lunch today. Absolutely delicious! I am not a fan of seafood, and I love to eat any sort of mayo-based salad on crackers or a slice of bread… but I was perfectly satisfied in this case. Thanks for posting- scrumptious and healthy!
Jessica, I try my best to always be nice (and I really appreciate the pins!)
It was sweet of you to comment over there (and respond here). 🙂 Thanks!
-Jessica
These were great! I cut a roma tomato into bite size pieces instead of using the cherry tomatoes.
Jessica, wow! That's definitely amazing, and thanks for letting me know.
Hi Kalyn,
When you first posted this, I thought it sounded really good and I pinned it on Pinterest. Well, it's been circulating, and apparently everyone thinks it sounds good. My pin alone currently has over 100 likes and almost 700 repins. It's been so popular! Maybe you're used to a large audience, but I thought you'd like to know that anyway. 🙂
I am wanting to meal prep these. How long would you say they last in the fridge? Thanks!
I would guess the tuna mixture will stay good for 3-4 days (although it never lasts that long for me. The lettuce could be prepared and stored in a ziploc bag in the fridge. But personally I wouldn’t prepare the tomatoes / avocado mixture until right before you’re going to eat it.
Me too! So glad you liked it.
I just wanted to say I tried this recipe and WOW. I loved it.
I think this is a great recipe. Can't wait to try it out for myself.
Such a great simple recipe. I haven't seen romaine used in lettuce wraps before.
What a lovely presentation. And yum. Scrumptious recipe.
I had these for lunch today. There were wonderful!!
Paula, I'm sure it will be good with salmon.
Cara, thanks. I did love it.
Kelley so glad I came up with something that he will enjoy!
Kalyn, Pete would LOVE this. I'm not a huge fan of tuna (unless I'm pregnant!) but Pete eats it all the time and he also loves capers. Canola definitely have to make this for him!
The romaine lettuce is so perfect for these! Love it, Kalyn.
This looks great, but think I will do it with salmon instead…some of the ingredients are not available here in my part of Canada, but there may be similar ones, so it will still be good…so-o-o-o-o tired of Christmas fare! Thanks for this!
Katherine, glad it washelpful!
Sue, your version sounds great!
Allison, I love that tuna; never buy anything else.
Joanne, thanks. My mom didn't even know what capers were I don't think.
LaJulie, yes I have tried Herbamara and do like it.
I love your blog, Kalyn! This recipe is just the sort of thing I find especially helpful. I go in to work at noon and I could easily it this on the way in.
I notice that you're a fan of Spike and Vege-Sal, have you ever tried Herbamare? It's an herbal seasoning salt, similar to Vege-Sal but just a little different. I love it, and it seems like something you might enjoy as well.
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
i would have like tuna salad SO much more as a kid if my mom had put capers in it! Love this fun salad idea.
Yum. A perfect lunch! I love tuna and have not seen that brand. Can't wait to try.
Thanks for a great packed lunch idea! I sometimes take tuna salad with me, but I've never made lettuce wraps out of it. I always include capers in my tuna salad. Capers and tuna go so well together! Other than that, my version includes onions and fresh parsley or African basil. It may also include olives and/or sundried tomatoes and my dressing is a simple one made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
For some reason, the picture just made my mouth water! I need some great lunches like this to avoid eating what the cafeteria puts out there! Thanks.
Lydia, isn't the olive oil packed tuna so flavorful. Since I tried it that's the only kind I buy!
Kat, how fun that Angie has answered that for you in a later comment. Good idea to use salmon.
Thanks Christine.
Pam, So glad you are getting a fresh start with Google Reader. Everyone needs that once in a while!
I was just about to mark all my posts as read in Google reader, when I saw this! You will be my last read before I lift this huge burden off my shoulders.
This is so funny, I just made those yesterday. Well not as pretty as yours or as fun as yours but I used canned salmon. I really enjoyed it.
This looks so good and healthy.
These look totally delicious. I can't wait to try them! I wonder how they'd taste with canned salmon…oh, delightul possibilities.
I've been stuffing all sorts of salads into lettuce wraps in the past few weeks, as I'm cutting back on bread. I love this jazzed up tuna (and I'm also partial to the oil-packed Italian tuna), and I'd definitely include the tomatoes, both for color and flavor.