Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

This easy Mediterranean tuna salad has a vibrant mix of crisp vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and a tangy homemade tzatziki sauce.

This dish is a family favorite in our house, perfect for lunches or light dinners. Any meal we can have on the table in under 30 minutes becomes a popular addition to our meal rotation.

While you can make this dish egg-free, my mom always put hard-boiled eggs in tuna salad when I was growing up. The added protein makes it a complete and filling meal! And who doesn't love the refreshing flavors of cucumber and dill in the tzatziki sauce? It's so much more exciting than mayo or olive oil, but still light and healthy.

For more easy and healthy salad ideas, check out our fiesta bean salad or this Thai noodle salad with spicy peanut sauce.

4 Reasons Why This Recipe Works

1. Crisp and Fresh: This salad combines crunchy vegetables like cucumber, bell pepper, and celery, which add a refreshing and satisfying texture to every bite.
2. Tangy Tzatziki Sauce: The homemade tzatziki sauce brings a burst of tangy flavor to the salad, complementing the vegetables and tuna perfectly.
3. Protein-Packed: With the addition of protein-rich Albacore Tuna and hard-boiled eggs, this salad becomes a well-rounded and filling meal.
4. Versatile and Customizable: Feel free to add your favorite Mediterranean ingredients, such as feta cheese or diced pickled jalapeno peppers, to elevate the flavors even further.

Ingredients You Will Need to Prep

For the tzatziki sauce: grated cucumber, whole milk Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed lemon juice, grated garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and finely chopped dill

For the salad: chopped English cucumber, diced red bell pepper, finely diced celery, diced red onion, sliced black olives, lemon, chopped parsley, and grated hard-boiled eggs

How to Make Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce

• Place the grated cucumber on a towel (or stack of paper towels) and squeeze out as much water as you can.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic, sea salt, and chopped dill.
• Mix well until all the ingredients are fully combined.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate the tzatziki sauce for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.

Boil the Eggs

• I always use the Instant Pot 5-5-5 method shown here.
• But if you don't have an Instant Pot, here's everything you need to know about boiling eggs.

Assemble the Salad

• In a large mixing bowl, add the canned Albacore Tuna and break it apart into bite-sized pieces using a fork.
• Add the diced English cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, celery, grated hard-boiled eggs, sliced olives, parsley, lemon zest, and sea salt to the bowl.
• Gently toss the ingredients together to combine.

Add the Tzatziki Sauce

• Take the prepared tzatziki sauce out of the refrigerator and give it a quick stir.
• Pour the desired amount of tzatziki sauce over the tuna and vegetable mixture.
• Use a spoon or spatula to gently coat the salad with the sauce until everything is well coated.

Tips for Making This Mediterranean Tuna Salad

1. Zest the lemon before you squeeze the juice out of if. You should only need one lemon for this recipe.
2. Be sure to drain the canned Albacore Tuna well before adding it to the salad. This will prevent excess liquid and maintain the desired texture.
3. For the tzatziki sauce, use full fat Greek yogurt made with whole milk for a creamy and rich consistency.
4. To save time, you can prepare the tzatziki sauce in advance and refrigerate it for up to 3 days before using.

FAQs

Can I use another type of tuna? Yes. While the recipe calls for Albacore Tuna, you can substitute it with other types such as skipjack or yellowfin tuna, according to your preference. Even chuck light tuna will work.

Can I make this salad ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare the salad ingredients and tzatziki sauce in advance, but it's best to combine them just before serving to maintain the freshness and crispness of the vegetables.

Is this salad suitable for meal prepping? Yes! You can divide the salad into individual airtight containers, keeping the tzatziki sauce separate, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Add the sauce just before enjoying to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.

What does this pair well with? One of our favorite ways to eat this Mediterranean tuna salad is to combine it with one-half pound of cooked macaroni noodles (pictured above).

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