Ditch The Mayo And Use Avocado For The Creamiest Tuna Salad

Mayonnaise and a can of tuna are considered the foundational duo of a classic tuna salad in most U.S. households and restaurants. While mayo is a creamy and mild condiment that balances the fishiness of canned tuna and binds the salad together, there are plenty of mayo swaps that are just as tasty and functional. Avocado isn't just a worthy alternative, but it's also an ingredient that'll upgrade your tuna salad.

Avocados are rich, creamy, egg-and-cholesterol-free substitutes for mayo that have a long-standing history as a fish pairing in cuisines around the globe; consider tuna poke bowls, fish tacos, ceviche, and California rolls. As indicated by guacamole and avocado toast, avocado meat breaks down easily into a creamy paste that you can season and supplement with a bit of acidic liquid like citrus juice or vinegar to create a consistency and flavor profile similar to mayo.

There are plenty of avocado mayo recipes to choose from that use a food processor, hand emulsifier, or blender to liquefy avocados, spices, powdered aromatics, and vinegar into a light-green condiment to dress your next tuna salad. You could even use a large avocado to substitute for egg yolks and a fraction of the oil in a classic homemade mayonnaise recipe, with mustard, vinegar, onion powder, and sugar. You'll get the same consistency and taste, with the only real difference being the light green hue.

If you'd rather not take the swap as literally as making avocado mayo, there are other simpler ways to enjoy the tuna and avocado duo. To start, you don't have to follow the conventional concept of tuna salads being mayonnaise-based. Tuna salads in French cuisines opt for a vinaigrette dressing, using tastier, higher quality oil-packed tuna in iconic dishes like tuna nicoise. Even celebrity chef Rachael Ray prefers to leave mayo out of her tuna salad, citing Mediterranean influences and embellishments like capers, olives, cucumbers, and banana peppers. Chunks of avocados would be a rich creamy complement to balance the acidity and umami-rich ingredients in a Mediterranean tuna salad. 

It would be even simpler to make a tuna sandwich or fancy tuna on toast, starting with a layer of mashed avocado seasoned generously with coarse salt and pepper. Spoon a serving of oil-packed tuna over the avocado mash and top with cherry or sun-dried tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions. You could also elevate an avocado tuna salad by creating an elegantly deconstructed and stacked presentation; use a metal food ring to layer ingredients, starting with diced avocado with lime, followed by canned tuna, then a top layer of diced tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro.