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This Spicy Tuna Salad has tomatoes, Peperoncini, and parsley and it’s a tasty low-carb lunch made with my favorite tuna packed in olive oil! And I think this tuna salad recipe is just spicy enough to be good and it’s perfect to make when it’s just too hot to cook!

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Spicy Tuna Salad shown in serving bowl with striped napkin.

The weather is still HOT in Utah, so this Spicy Tuna Salad with tomatoes, Peperoncini, and parsley was a perfect easy lunch on a day when cooking was just out of the question. This salad uses some of my very favorite summer ingredients like tuna packed in olive oil, grape tomatoes, Greek Peperoncini, and parsley, plus a spicy dressing that uses some of the Peperoncini juice and Green Tabasco Sauce to give it a kick.

And this new salad recipe is a lower carb version of a popular Pinto Bean Salad with Tuna and Peperoncini back in the archives. This new version is going to be perfect for anyone who wants a spicy tuna salad but doesn’t want the carbs from beans. I loved the salad without beans (plus a few minor tweaks to the recipe) and I knew my low-carb readers would enjoy that version.

So that’s how I ended up with two similar salads with these beloved ingredients; take your choice of beans or no beans for this tasty salad! You can make the Spicy Tuna Salad even lower in carbs by using fewer tomatoes if you prefer. And have fun seeing how my food photography has improved, even though this salad isn’t overly photogenic.

What ingredients do you need for this salad?

(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 Tuna Do I Use for the Spicy Tuna Salad?

I discovered Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) more than 10 years ago, and when my store stopped carrying it, I started buying it on Amazon! I do want to emphasize how good the tuna packed in olive oil is in a salad like this. I’ve been raving about this delicious canned tuna for years, and (in case you’re wondering) this company has never paid me or given me free products). Check out My Favorite Low-Carb Recipes with Tuna Packed in Olive Oil for more treats with canned tuna!

What gives the spicy flavor in this Spicy Tuna Salad?

Adding plenty of Sliced Peperoncini Peppers (affiliate link) and using some of the Peperoncini brine in the dressing is what makes the spicy flavor in this tuna salad.

What are Peperoncini?

Peperoncini (also spelled Pepperoncini) are spicy Italian or Greek chili peppers, usually sold in a jar packed in a brine.

How low in carbs is the Spicy Tuna Salad?

This flavor-loaded salad with tuna, Peperoncini peppers, cherry tomatoes, and parsley has about 10 net carbs per serving.

Can’t get enough Spicy Peperoncini Peppers?

Check out Favorite Salads with Peperoncini Peppers for more salad ideas with these tasty peppers.

recipe steps collage for Spicy Tuna Salad .

How to make Spicy Tuna Salad :

(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. Drain tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) into a colander placed inside a bowl. Discard the oil and break tuna apart with a fork.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Peperoncini juice, Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), and Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) to make the flavorful dressing.
  3. Slice green onions, chop parsley, and measure out the sliced Peperoncini (or cut off stems, drain, remove seeds, and slice if you’re starting with whole Peperoncini.)
  4. Cut enough cherry or grape tomatoes in half to make 2 cups tomatoes.
  5. Add the tomatoes, sliced Peperoncini, chopped parsley, and sliced green onions to a bowl and combine with dressing, stirring to thoroughly coat the ingredients with dressing.
  6. Add the chunks of tuna and gently combine. (Don’t over-mix, you want chunks of tuna in the finished salad.)
  7. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve right away and enjoy!

Spicy Tuna Salad in serving bowl with forks and striped napkin

More Tasty Salads with Tuna:

Spicy Tuna Salad
Yield: 6 servings

Spicy Tuna Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

This Spicy Tuna Salad has tomatoes, Peperoncini, and parsley which are some of my favorite summer ingredients! And this is a main-dish salad that's perfect when it's too hot to cook.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

  • two 5 oz. cans tuna packed in olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onion
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (more or less to taste)
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
  • 1 T Peperoncini brine (from the jar)
  • 1/2 tsp. Green Tabasco Sauce (optional but good)
  • 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use another all-purpose seasoning that you like)

Instructions

  1. Drain 2 cans tuna packed in olive oil into a colander placed in the sink. Break tuna apart with a fork.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Peperoncini brine, Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), and Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) to make the dressing.
  3. Slice enough green onion to make 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions.
  4. Wash parsley if needed and spin dry in salad spinner (affiliate link). Then chop parsley enough to make about 3/4 cup parsley (or less if you're not much of a parsley fan.
  5. Measure out one cup of sliced Peperoncini. (Or cut off stems, drain, remove seeds, and slice if you're starting with whole Peperoncini.)
  6. Cut enough cherry or grape tomatoes in half to make 2 cups tomatoes.
  7. Add the tomatoes, sliced Peperoncini, chopped parsley, and sliced green onions to a bowl and combine with dressing, stirring to thoroughly coat the ingredients with dressing.
  8. Add the chunks of tuna to ingredients in the bowl and gently combine. (Don't over-mix, you want chunks of tuna in the finished salad.)
  9. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

Notes

I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe. I like to use Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) for this recipe.

Recipe Created by Kalyn and inspired by Pinto Bean Salad with Tuna, Tomatoes, and Peperoncini.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 210Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 22mgSodium 675mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 15g

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?

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Salads
square image of Spicy Tuna Salad in serving bowl

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Spicy Tuna Salad is a great dish for low-carb diet plans, or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. For Keto you may want to reduce the amount of tomatoes.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more tasty salads like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find more 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:
This Spicy Tuna Salad was first posted in 2019 as a version without beans. It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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