Chickpea Tuna Salad – 🐟🌿👏🏻 A quick and EASY protein-packed recipe thanks to both chickpeas and canned tuna! Along with celery, red onions, capers, garlic, dill, and more this is a winning tuna salad recipe that’s great for quick lunches or serve it as a side salad for dinner. With just 10 minutes, a can of tuna, and a few basic ingredients you’re set!
Table of Contents
Easy Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe
This easy chickpea tuna salad takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, it’s protein-packed and healthy, and takes advantage of canned tuna. Yep, that old standby that’s readily available and inexpensive which is such a nice bonus these days with groceries being as expensive as they are!
Along with protein packed tuna, there’s another protein powerhouse in the form of chickpeas. I also added celery and dill pickles for crunch, salty capers, red onions, garlic, and fresh dill for tons of flavor.
To add richness and creaminess, there’s a small amount of mayonnaise – just 1/4 cup in the entire recipe, which is such a small amount. Wondering about alternatives? Check the FAQs below. The mayo is mixed with lemon juice and red wine vinegar which all lightly coats and adds moisture and great flavor to the this tuna salad.
When you’re in need of an easy, fast, and healthy lunch idea which is naturally gluten-free, this is a winner. Or make it as a side salad to serve with dinner, this one is great.
Ingredients in Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Pantry staples and some easy-to-find fridge ingredients are all you need for this easy chickpea and tuna salad.
- Chickpeas – AKA garbanzo beans
- Canned tuna – see FAQs for more info on the type of tuna I recommend
- Celery
- Dill pickles – another option for a sweeter flavor profile is to use sweet pickle relish
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Red wine vinegar – other vinegar such as apple cider vinegar, balsamic, or champagne vinegar may be substituted
- Fresh dill – or other fresh herbs such as basil, mint, parsley, or your favorite
- Capers – if you don’t have them on hand or don’t like them, they’re easy to omit
- Salt
- Pepper
- Granulated sugar – perhaps optional but it balances the flavor and I recommend adding it because of both the vinegar and lemon juice which are sour
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Tuna Chickpea Salad
It doesn’t get any faster or easier than this easy tuna salad recipe!
- Mash half the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl.
- Add everything else. (I’ve experimented with whisking the mayo and liquid ingredients separately in a small bowl and then adding that to the large mixing bowl but in the end makes no difference and it’s one less thing to do!)
- Mix well, and optionally cover and chill for 30 minutes, or serve immediately.
what to serve with chickpea tuna salad
This is the perfect salad on crackers, on your favorite bread as sandwich filling, or wrapped in lettuce to create tuna lettuce wraps.
Serving and Storage
Serving: You can either enjoy this easy tuna salad as a plated dish or side dish. Or you can add it to Romaine or butter lettuce leaves to create tuna salad wraps. Make sure not to stuff them quite as full as shown in the photos or they will break (but just use a fork). It’s also great as a sandwich filling.
Storage: This recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing this one. You can easily place in a variety of containers meal prep style for easy grab-and-go meals.
Recipe FAQs
I like to mash about half the beans with a meat mashing tool usually intended to mash ground beef, ground turkey, etc. or a potato masher because I like it when some of the beans are not whole and are mixed in a bit more with the tuna. However, it’s optional. No meat mashing tool? Use a fork instead. I wouldn’t bother dirtying a food processor.
For this recipe, all you need is some basic canned tuna. I recommend water packed rather than oil packed tuna for this recipe!
I use this readily available canned white albacore tuna packed in water which I drain.
There are also packets of tuna these days that are nice because you don’t have to drain water, but they are more expensive ounce-for-ounce. Most of them are sold in the 2.5-ounce size range so for this recipe, you’d need at least 2 packets.
It’s up to you if you want to use reduced sodium tuna, wild caught, or anything else.
Yes you sure can. Avocado will add creaminess while cucumbers or red bell pepper will add crunch. Red pepper flakes add a bit of heat, a squirt of Dijon mustard will give a richer flavor, olive oil will also add richness, and other types of fresh herbs are welcome. You can really customize this to your liking.
Mayo tends to have a creaminess that Greek yogurt does not, and it’s not as tangy and tart. I personally like mayo better in this recipe but you can experiment with Greek yogurt and see how it goes for you if you’re curious.
Use a vegan mayo alternative to regular and you’re set there. Of course, be sure to read labels if this is important to you. In terms of the tuna for vegan tuna salad, I suggest omitting it and using two cans of garbanzo beans in its place. As written, the recipe is naturally gluten-free as well.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Equipment
- 1 ground meat masher optional
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 5.5 ounces canned tuna, packed in water and drained (can sizes ranging from 5.2 to 6 ounces are fine; see FAQs for more tuna info)
- 1 stalk celery, diced small
- 2 small dill pickles, diced small
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, the juice from half of a lemon, approximately
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, apple cider, balsamic, or champagne vinegar may be substituted
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill, or to taste (fresh basil or mint may be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon capers, omit if you don’t have or don’t like
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional but highly recommended to balances the flavor
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add about half the can to a large mixing bowl.
- Use a ground meat mashing tool (or a fork) to lightly mash these chickpeas. Tip – I prefer the overall texture of the salad when I lightly mash half the chickpeas like this, although it's technically optional.
- Add the drained tuna and all remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir very well to incorporate and coat everything.
- Taste and check for flavor balance. If desired, add more salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. Flavor Tips – If it tastes at all boring or bland, it likely needs more salt, so add it, as desired to taste. The same can be said for a bit more sugar. Many people are scared to add sugar to a savory dish but it tends to balance the flavor, rather than making the dish read sweet. If it's a little bit too dry, add more mayo for creaminess. Adding more lemon juice or vinegar will also make it less dry, but it will make it more sour and potent tasting. A dash of cayenne pepper will add a touch of heat.
- Serve immediately as-is, on crackers or bread, or dollop it inside Romaine lettuce leaves or butter lettuce leaves, or serve it inside a sandwich. You can optionally cover and chill it for about 30 minutes prior to serving. Extra salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It's a good recipe for meal prepping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Salads:
Chicken Salad — This classic chicken salad recipe is great for sandwiches, on crackers, over a bed of lettuce, or just dig in with a fork! You can’t go wrong with this FAST and EASY and chicken salad that’s a tried and true FAMILY FAVORITE!
Quick and Easy Tuna Pasta Salad — 👏🏻🧑🏻🍳 Jazz up a can of tuna with this FAST and EASY pasta salad that’s creamy, satisfying, and chock full of flavor! Perfect for lunch or as a great side dish for dinner! Made with simple, common, and inexpensive ingredients which is always a WIN!
Shrimp Pasta Salad – 🍤🫛🌿 Tender pasta, juicy shrimp, crunchy celery, bell peppers, and peas are tossed in a creamy and tangy homemade dressing for zesty perfection! Great for summer gatherings to serve as a side salad or make it for a lighter yet satisfying stand alone meal for lunch or dinner! Very EASY and always a crowd FAVORITE!
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad – All the rich flavors of deviled eggs but in easy-to-make pasta salad format! Along with tender elbow macaroni, this pasta salad includes hard-boiled eggs, bell peppers, celery, and more. It’s all tossed in a creamy whisk-together dressing. Make deviled egg macaroni salad for summer holidays and casual entertaining, or it’s great for quick lunches or as a side salad for busy weeknight dinners!
Amish Pasta Salad — A family-favorite classic pasta salad recipe with al dente pasta, bell peppers, celery, red onions, and hard-boiled eggs tossed in a creamy tangy-sweet dressing!
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad — Calling all pickle fans, you’re going to love this creamy pasta salad with crunchy dill pickles in every bite! Along with cubes of cheese and crumbled bacon, this pasta salad will be the star of your next picnic, potluck, barbecue, or summer holiday! FAST, EASY, and IRRESISTIBLE!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad — This EASY quinoa salad is ready in 20 minutes with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients including chickpeas, Kalamata olives, artichokes, and goat cheese to give layers of flavor and texture in every bite! Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian!
Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad – Loaded with everything fresh, light, healthy, and SUMMERY!! Great for parties, potlucks, and lunch boxes because there’s no mayo!
Tropical Chickpea Salad – There’s no lettuce in this salad and you won’t miss it. So much texture and flavor in every bite and it’s ready in 5 minutes. It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, almost fat-free, and has a tropical vibe from the pineapple and mango, and pineapple salsa enhances that!
Haven’t made it yet but like most of your recipes it sounds fantastic. I’m addicted to Trader Joe’s chick peas in cumin parsley so can’t wait to make it with those!
You will love this one then! I love so many of those TJs salads/sides from their refrigerator case!