35 Easy And Appetizing AIP Tuna Recipes For Busy Cooks
Did you know the yellowfin tuna is a super fast swimmer that can reach a speed of 47mph? I just learned that recently as I was searching for a tuna recipe I could make quickly.
There are tons of easy tuna recipes available out there, but it’s not always easy to find ones that are AIP-friendly. Tuna is a great ingredient for fast and easy meals, but many tuna recipes use nightshades or spices that you have to avoid on AIP.
That’s why I’ve put together this list of AIP tuna recipes so you don’t have to worry about which one to try.
The only problem you may run into is which one of these to try first!
3 Reasons Why You Should Try These AIP Tuna Recipes
1. Tuna, especially canned tuna, is inexpensive and therefore a great choice for budget-friendly cooking. It’s easily available almost anywhere in the world.
2. Tuna is an easy way to add more fish to your diet, even if you’re not a fan of fish recipes. The flavor is mild, and not overpowering – which can be the case with other kinds of fish.
3. Tuna is packed with nutrients, for example:
- Omega 3s and potassium – great for brain and heart health
- Vitamin D – great for your bones and arteries
- Selenium, manganese, and zinc
Tuna casserole, as well as various tuna salads, are staples in many homes but when you’re on AIP you need to make sure you’re only using safe ingredients. We’ve included several delicious tuna salads in this collection; also mayo-free and nut-free to help you stay fully AIP-compliant.
Tuna fish cakes are my favorite, as well as the casseroles as these can be made from canned tuna. But if you can get your hands on fresh, quality tuna there is nothing that beats a nice, juicy tuna steak!
Here are just a few of the AIP Tuna Recipes we’ve included:
- Lemon Black Pepper Tuna Salad
- Paleo Italian Tuna Salad
- Paleo Coconut Tuna Fish Cakes
- Pan-Fried Apricot Tuna Salad Bites
- Paleo Tuna Casserole
If you click or tap any of the links above, it will instantly take you to the recipe below. Or download the entire list by clicking on the green button below.
AIP Tuna Salads
Lemon Black Pepper Tuna Salad
– Paleo Flourish
Ingredients: cucumber, avocado, lemon juice, tuna, olive oil, mustard (omit), salt, black pepper (omit).
Tuna is a delicious meaty fish and if you are using canned, it can be a great way to make a satisfying meal at a reduced cost, making it great for people on a lower budget. Combining the fish with fresh cucumber and creamy soft avocado gives you a combination of flavor and texture that will be guaranteed to please for a light, summery Paleo meal or a quick snack.
Paleo Italian Tuna Salad
– Paleo Flourish
Ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes (omit), tuna, celery, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper (omit).
The garlic and olive oil in this dish give the Italian influence and work well with the soft tuna. Canned tuna can be sourced quite cheaply, so this would be a budget-friendly AIP dish for the family for lunch. You can serve this in cucumber boats or, instead of adding the chopped celery, you could cut the celery into pieces and load the tuna salad onto them.
Easy Keto Tuna Salad
– I Breathe I’m Hungry
Photo Credit: Mellissa from I Breathe I’m Hungry
Ingredients: canned tuna fish, mayonnaise (omit), dried onion flakes, salt, pepper (omit).
Like a lot of quick and simple recipes, this one gives you basic instruction for a delicious tuna salad that you can experiment with if you want to. If you don’t have dried onion, you can use fresh, but I would suggest you use red onion as it has a milder, sweeter flavor than white onions. If you don’t want to use real mayonnaise, there are a load of recipes for Keto-friendly mayo out there!
AIP Tuna Salad
– How We Flourish
Ingredients: tuna fish, AIP mayo (from coconut butter or avocados), rib celery, carrot, shallot, fresh dill, lemon juice, brine from fermented veggies or sauerkraut.
When you are eating AIP foods, the last thing you need is something a bit boring, so here is a lively and colorful tuna salad to brighten your lunchtime! You have the great combination of tasty tuna, punctuated with crispy vegetables and the tang of citrus. This can be eaten piled on lettuce wraps, or just with a spoon straight from the bowl!
AIP Paleo Lemon-Basil Tuna Salad
– The Paleo Healing Kitchen
Ingredients: tuna in olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil leaves, spinach leaves, carrot, celery stick.
This is an adaptable tuna salad recipe as you have the option to change the vegetables you use, or use kale leaves instead of spinach. Tuna salad is a quick and easy dish you can throw together if someone drops in for lunch and is a great money-saving meal for larger AIP families. I would suggest you don’t skip the basil as it adds a wonderfully fresh, aromatic flavor.
Easy Paleo Avocado Lime Tuna Salad
– Paleo Running Momma
Ingredients: Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore Tuna, red bell pepper (omit), carrot, grape tomatoes (omit), scallion green part only, avocado, lime juice, sea salt.
Here is another colorful tuna salad that you can rustle up very easily for a delicious and nutritious meal for the whole family. This is a nut free recipe so this tuna salad would be suitable for packing in the lunchboxes for the kids to take to school. If you are strictly AIP, you might want to miss out the bell peppers, as they are nightshades, but for reintroduction phase they are fine.
3-Ingredient Mayo-Free Avocado Tuna Salad
– The Roasted Root
Ingredients: can tuna, avocado, fresh lemon juice, sea salt.
If you really don’t like mayonnaise but still want to enjoy a nutritious tuna salad, then this recipe can come in very handy. You are using avocado instead of mayo to give the creaminess to the texture, then it is up to you how you serve it. One good idea is to serve it on slices of cucumber or on baby spinach leaves for an easy-to-eat AIP-compliant lunchtime dish.
Avocado Tuna Salad
– Real Balanced
Ingredients: StarKist Selects E.V.O.O. Wild-Caught Yellowfin Tuna, avocado, celery, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh dill, salt, pepper (omit ).
If you really like the flavor of tuna, you will love this delicious recipe for a salad that is such a good source of protein but very cheap, making it perfect for people on a tight budget or cash-strapped students! This recipe uses dill to enhance the flavor of the fish and avocado to replicate the smooth and creamy texture of the mayonnaise. This salad is also low in carbohydrates.
Tuna Salad
– Salixisme Blog – AIP Living
Ingredients: can of tuna in water, lacto-fermented cucumber pickle, coconut milk yogurt, stick celery, green onions, capers, flat-leaf parsley, sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
Because this tuna salad recipe uses coconut yogurt instead of mayonnaise to give you the smooth and creamy taste, this is ideal for anyone who has egg intolerance. The salad can be served on lettuce wraps, as a filling for baked potatoes or as a quick and easy AIP meal to eat with a fork! As capers can be salty, I would recommend you taste the mixture before adding any more salt to season.
AIP Tuna Cakes & Boats
Paleo Coconut Tuna Fish Cakes
– Paleo Flourish
Ingredients: tuna, fresh basil, jalapeño (omit), eggs (omit), coconut flour, coconut flakes, olive oil, salt, coconut oil.
Fish cakes are a real favorite with many families and these are quick and easy to prepare. You can use salmon instead of tuna if you prefer and these can be served on their own, with a salad or with a fruity salsa. This recipe is also good for batch-cooking, as you can prepare them and store them in the fridge and cook when required. These make a great family friendly midweek Paleo meal!
Pan-Fried Apricot Tuna Salad Bites
– Paleo Flourish
Ingredients: apricots, tuna, thyme leaves, olive oil, sea salt, coconut oil, blueberries.
This is another recipe that gives you amazing party food, or to make for a summery lunch dish. Tuna has a meaty texture and can be quite strong in flavor, so teaming it with fruit is a great idea! Grilling the apricot halves makes them softer, yet they still hold their shape and make great ‘boats’ to carry the fish and blueberries. This is a super-tasty autoimmune-friendly snack.
Tuna Salad Endive Boats
– Autoimmune Wellness
Photo Credit: Autoimmune Wellness
Ingredients: canned tuna, green apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, red onion, fresh dill, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, endive.
This is a great coconut-free, mayo-free tuna salad, with a bit of apple for a sweet crunch, and some garlic for added flavor. Endive makes a perfect “boat” shape, but you can also use cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves if you prefer. It can also be served as a traditional tuna salad, on a bed of greens or just straight from the bowl.
Tuna Cakes with Green Olives
– Meatified
Photo Credit: Rach from Meatified
Ingredients: baked sweet potato, leftover cooked cauliflower “rice”, tuna, green olives, sea salt, coconut oil.
Here is another great egg free recipe that fits so well with the AIP diet. Fish cakes were a family favorite when we were growing up and they are a fantastic way to get kids to eat healthy without realizing it! If you are not keen on olives, just miss them out as the tuna is tasty enough without any additives. Serve these cakes with a simple salad or an AIP-compliant dip for true comfort food.
Smoky Tuna Pickle Boats
– I Breathe I’m Hungry
Photo Credit: Mellissa from I Breathe I’m Hungry
Ingredients: albacore tuna, smoked tuna, sugar free mayonnaise (omit), dehydrated onion flakes, ground black pepper (omit), whole dill pickles.
These pickle boats make a lovely dish for a family picnic as they are easy to eat with the fingers. The tang of the pickles sets off the smoky flavor of the tuna and we all know how well tuna and mayo go together! To make them look even more appealing for an AIP party dish, sprinkle them with a little fresh dill or a little parsley for garnish.
Tuna Stuffed Endive with Avocado Oil Vinaigrette
– Ketogasm
Photo Credit: Tasha from Ketogasm
Ingredients: endive, solid albacore tuna, red onion, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, salt.
This Keto salad recipe is quite straightforward, but the emphasis is on the flavor of the tuna. When you add the apple cider vinegar you will find it adds sharpness and cuts through any fatty taste from the fish. I would advise you taste the tuna salad mixture before adding seasonings, as some canned tuna is already salty enough. Can’t find endives? Just serve this on lettuce leaves!
AIP Fish Cakes with Beetroot & Horseradish
– Eat Drink Paleo
Ingredients: kale, tuna, fresh dill, spring onions/scallions, garlic, lemon zest and juice, tapioca flour or cassava flour, salt, coconut oil for cooking, beetroots, red/Spanish onion, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, grated horseradish.
In this great recipe the sweet and spicy pickled beetroot really sets off the flavor of the fish cakes, making this a real fusion of texture and taste. If you or your family have problems with kale, you can substitute spinach, which most of us find a bit more palatable. If you are not a fan of spicy, just miss out the horseradish and enjoy the beetroot relish without it.
Paleo Tuna Cakes
– Gutsy By Nature
Ingredients: coconut oil, cans tuna packed in water, sweet potatoes, scallions, fresh dill, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, gelatin egg.
Here is another handy recipe that gives you comfort food that fits with just about every diet. This recipe for tuna cakes is grain and gluten-free and does not involve any dairy ingredients, and if you use gelatin to bind them, this is also suitable for folks with egg intolerances too. Fish cakes can be made in advance then stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Paleo Tuna Avocado Boats
– Tastes Lovely
Ingredients: avocado, Wild Selections® Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water, tomato (omit), celery stalk, parsley, lemon juice.
With this recipe, you are serving the salad in avocado shells, making it a pretty dish to serve to friends. This is a gluten, dairy and egg free recipe that gives you a tasty meal to serve as a great source of protein to keep you going through the day. For strict AIP followers, omit the tomato, but you are only using half of one, so if your system is okay with nightshades you can keep it in.
Other AIP Tuna Recipes
Paleo Tuna Casserole
– Paleo Flourish
Ingredients: tuna, onion, peas (omit), carrots, celery, sweet potato, coconut cream, eggs (omit), coconut flour, shredded coconut, coconut oil, salt, pepper (omit).
Canned tuna can be bought in any store at a reasonable price, so this tuna casserole would be great for students or families working off a tight budget. The moist chunks of tuna and tender vegetables are filling and delicious and the coconut topping takes on a slight crunch after cooking, giving you added texture. This casserole would make a lovely midweek Paleo meal for the whole family.
The Ultimate Dill Tuna Salad Keto Sandwich
– Wicked Stuff
Photo Credit: Amanda from Wicked Stuffed
Ingredients: tuna, mayonnaise (omit), dried dill, salt, pepper (omit), fresh dills.
If you are like me and are a great fan of tuna salad, here is a fantastic recipe for you to try! Make these for a tasty Keto lunch and you will really enjoy the combination of soft and creamy tuna salad with the zingy taste of the pickles. Using small pickles would also make these ‘sandwiches’ perfect as party food. If you don’t like pickles you can substitute cucumber, but you will lose some of the flavor.
Simple & Sneaky Tuna Salad
– Meatified
Photo Credit: Rach from Meatified
Ingredients: avocados, tuna, sardines in olive oil, celery stick, red onion, lemon juice, sea salt or Himalayan salt, lettuce or mixed greens, sweet potato chips, plantain strips or plantain chips.
Here is a great versatile AIP-friendly recipe that gives you the option to make it and enjoy right away, or make it ahead of time. If you are using avocado, eat it right away, or use coconut cream if you need to make it beforehand. Seafood is such a healthy ingredient, so why not add in extra, using this sneaky recipe? You can serve this with vegetable chips for a bit of crunch, or as a filling for a baked sweet potato
Thai Tuna Salad Wraps
– Autoimmune Wellness
Photo Credit: Autoimmune Wellness
Ingredients: tuna, red and green onions, ginger, coconut cream, lime juice, fish sauce, Thai basil, romaine lettuce.
The Thai inspiration in this dish comes from the ginger, lime and fish sauce and can give you a lovely alternative to your normal tuna salad. The Thai basil has an aniseed flavor which is different to normal basil, but sets off the flavor of the tuna really well so it is worth giving it a go. If you are serving these as AIP snacks you could serve on smaller leaves such as Baby Gem lettuce.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
– It’s All About AIP
Photo Credit: It’s All About AIP
Ingredients: tuna, sweet potato noodles, broccoli, onion, garlic, celery stalks, lard, arrowroot starch, full fat coconut milk, salt, AIP Paleo powder.
This AIP-compliant casserole uses spaghetti squash to give the ‘noodles’ and the sauce in the dish comes from mushroom soup. This gives the whole dish a richness of flavor along with the tuna and healthy turmeric. If you prefer, this could be made with zucchini noodles, but the cooking time would need to be adjusted so the noodles were not too soft.
Sweet and Crunchy Tuna Salad
– Adventures in Partaking
Photo Credit: Adventures in Partaking
Ingredients: tuna, apple, lime juice, sea salt, cilantro, baby spinach, blueberries.
The flavors in this AIP tuna salad are totally different to the tuna salad we are used to, as it involves the fruity notes of apple and blueberries to contrast with the tuna. The apple also adds a bit of crunch, helping to offset the softness of the fish. This dish is perfect for packing in lunchboxes, and because there are no nuts, it is safe for kids to take to school too.
Tuna Cauli Casserole
– Autoimmune Wellness
Photo Credit: Autoimmune Wellness
Ingredients: cauliflower, arugula, yellow onion, garlic, celery stalks, fresh thyme, sea salt, palm shortening, cassava flour, full-fat coconut milk, chicken bone broth, tuna, fresh parsley.
Sometimes it is nicer to have a slightly lighter casserole that doesn’t use beef and winter veggies, so here is a tuna dish that you can enjoy any time of year. This can be made quite cheaply as you use canned tuna in water, and the tuna and cauliflower go really well together. This delicious recipe is compliant with the autoimmune protocol diet and does not have any ingredients that will cause health issues.
Avocado Tuna Salad
– Cook Eat Paleo
Photo Credit: Lisa from Cook Eat Paleo
Ingredients: avocado, lemon juice, onion, cooked or canned wild tuna, sea salt, fresh ground pepper (omit).
Avocado and tuna together make such a great partnership as you have a load of protein, healthy fats and just a small amount of carbs, and if you pack the salad into the avocado halves, it is an attractive meal to provide for your family. This is another grain, gluten and diary free recipe that fits so well with many eating plans and is a quick and easy way to feed the family healthy food.
Italian Tuna Mousse
– Adventures in Partaking
Photo Credit: Adventures in Partaking
Ingredients: baby spinach, parsley, dried oregano, lime juice, avocado, tuna in olive oil.
This amazing AIP-friendly mousse can be made as smooth or as textured as you prefer, which makes it suitable to use as a dip or spread. It takes just a few minutes to make and can be made quite cheaply, yet is a delicious and tasty dish to serve at a party with crudités. If you can’t get tuna in oil, buy the one in water and drain well first, then you can add some olive oil to the mixture later.
Super Simple Tuna Fish Salad
– The Healthy Foodie
Photo Credit: Sonia from The Healthy Foodie
Ingredients: mixed greens, tomato (omit), fresh parsley, fresh mint, kalamata olives, zucchini, avocado, green onion, tuna, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Himalayan or fine sea salt, black pepper (omit).
When you are following an AIP eating plan for health or weight loss reasons. It can be really helpful to find dishes like this one which not only looks good but tastes great too! This salad is a combination of flavor and texture, from the soft tuna to the creamy avocado and the added bite of grilled zucchini. I also like to stir in some chopped red onion for added crunch!
Kiwi Avocado Salsa over Rare Tuna Steak
– The Healthy Foodie
Photo Credit: Sonia from The Healthy Foodie
Ingredients: yellow fin tuna steak, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper (omit), kiwi fruit, avocado, green onion, mint leaves, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, lime juice, white wine vinegar, unpasteurized liquid honey, fresh coconut shavings.
If you are hosting a dinner party, this recipe could be a good one to try. This dish is fresh tuna steak, served with a side of green and tangy salsa, giving you a fusion of taste and a really impressive meal. Tuna is a great source of healthy protein and fish oils and the salsa is vivid and is a mixture of creaminess from the avocado with the fruity tang of the kiwi, setting off the firm tuna steak.
Tuna and Avocado Wraps
– Nom Nom Paleo
Ingredients: wild albacore tuna in water, scallion, jalapeño (omit), avocado, lime, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper (omit), lettuce leaves.
When you find you are out of mayo or your diet does not allow it, it can be a great idea to use avocado as a substitute as it gives the same creamy texture but without the eggs. Although this AIP recipe shows you how to serve this on lettuce wraps, you can also serve this salad on celery sticks or slices of cucumber, but lettuce wraps are an easy dish to make that the whole family can enjoy.
Keto Tuna Salad
– Keto Diet Blog
Ingredients: lettuce, tuna, eggs (omit), mayonnaise (omit), spring onion or chives, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt.
This dish is almost like a deconstructed version of the Keto tuna salad we are so familiar with, as it serves the ingredients in layers rather than mixing them all up. It is important when buying tuna that you buy the best you can afford and keep an eye out for unwanted ingredients – sticking to olive oil can be a safer way. To keep this salad AIP-friendly, you can omit the hard-boiled eggs.
Softcore Albacore (Tuna Braised in Olive Oil)
– Nom Nom Paleo
Ingredients: skinless albacore fillet, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper (omit), Tabil seasoning (omit), garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil.
When you have some beautiful tuna steaks to cook, you could do no better than braise them like the ones in this recipe! Served with a side of colorful roasted vegetables, this delicious fish could be a welcome treat at an AIP-friendly dinner party or even as a celebration meal for your other half. Be careful not to overcook the fish or you risk it being a bit tough and stringy.
Healthy 5-Minute Tuna Salad
– Keto Diet Blog
Ingredients: paleo mayonnaise (omit), lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, parsley or chives, salt and pepper (omit), romaine lettuce, yellow or red onion, cucumber, olives, tuna, hard-boiled eggs (omit).
Tuna salad can be the best dish to make if you are short on time and need a tasty meal for lunch as it takes only a few minutes to throw together. With the lovely combination of flavors from the tuna, crunchy onions and pickled gherkins, this salad is perfect for sharing with friends and is easy to make AIP-friendly by omitting the mayo, boiled eggs, and pepper.
Tuna “Noodle”Salad
– Maria Mind Body Health
Ingredients: Hearts of Palm (cut like noodles), celery stalk, tuna, mayo (omit), dill pickles, Celtic sea salt.
The noodles in this low carb salad are made by slicing hearts of palm, but if you can’t source this near where you live you can use other vegetable noodles instead – something like zucchini would work, or you could sub in some cucumber slivers instead of noodles. With this healthy recipe, you can choose whether you want to chop the celery through the tuna salad or cut it into pieces and pile high with the tuna mix.
Ahi Tuna Strawberry Salad
– The Castaway Kitchen
Ingredients: ahi tuna steak, strawberries, butter lettuce, mint, avocado, lemon, olive oil, garlic powder, coconut oil, pink Himalayan salt.
Here is another grain and nut freeway to serve a delicious tuna dish, giving you healthy fats and fish oils but with the freshness of the strawberry to cut through any fatty flavor. This is a pretty dish that would grace any dinner table for a celebration meal or as an AIP appetizer for a dinner party. Try to buy the best tuna you can find as it really makes a difference to the finished dish!
