Add Canned Tuna To This Classic Party Dip For A High Protein Snack

Still a wildly popular canned fish in the U.S., tuna is mild, flaky, packed with protein, and a versatile ingredient to incorporate into numerous salads, pasta dishes, and sandwiches – classic tuna melt panini, anyone? Canned tuna has also inspired plenty of tasty dips when mixed with ingredients like cream cheese, mayo, or Greek yogurt. However, guacamole is the classic party dip that you should upgrade with canned tuna next.

As evidenced by countless mayo-based tuna salad recipes, canned tuna pairs perfectly with creamy ingredients because they're binding agents that provide a rich complement for tuna's lean, flaky, and umami characteristics. Avocado is yet another creamy fat that makes a dairy and egg-free substitute. Canned tuna is no stranger to Mexican-inspired dishes, as we've shown by using it in our quick and easy ceviche. Plus, common guacamole additives like lime juice, onions, tomato, and cilantro bring the acidity, crunch, and aromatic notes you usually look for in traditional tuna salads with ingredients like pickles and celery.

Water-packed tuna is a great option to drain and stir into guacamole along with the chopped veggies and lime juice. If you're using oil-packed tuna, you'll bring more umami and earthy notes to the dip. You can also reserve the tinning oil to transform with zesty Mexican spices and diced garlic for a finishing drizzle.

Integrating tuna into guacamole requires little extra embellishment. You can simply stir it into this crave-worthy guacamole recipe, and it'll be a hit. That said, there are ways to improve upon tuna salad, many of which overlap with ingredients that upgrade guacamole, for example, mayonnaise and sour cream. And if it's a tangy and creamy ingredient you're after, that'll also up the protein, add a heaping spoonful or two of Greek yogurt to the tuna guacamole mix. Diced fresh jalapeños are another crunchy, spicy aromatic that'll work well with the umami in tuna and the zestiness of guacamole.

You could swap cilantro for dill if you want to add more traditional tuna salad flavors to your guacamole. You can also spike guacamole tuna dip with a dash of Tabasco sauce or a smokier, sweeter chipotle sauce. Stir a quarter cup of kerneled corn in for more crunch and a burst of sweetness.

Serve your freshly-made tuna guacamole dip with corn chips, crudites, or crackers. You can transform the dip into a more elegant appetizer by spooning it over tostadas and topping them with pickled red onion or jalapenos, a drizzle of Mexican crema, or a sprinkle of cotija cheese. Or generously pile some tuna guacamole into a quesadilla or tuna melt sandwich with spicy jack cheese and sharp cheddar for a satisfying and easy lunch or dinner.