Tuna and Avocado Salad
This Tuna and Avocado Salad is a refreshing and nutritious dish that combines perfectly seared ahi tuna with creamy avocado and a zesty dressing. The tender, flavorful tuna pairs wonderfully with the rich avocado, creating a balanced and satisfying meal!
Why We Love This Tuna and Avocado Salad
This Grilled Tuna and Avocado Salad is inspired by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I am a huge fan of Ina, so I’d like to take a moment to pay Ms. Ina her proper respect.
This tuna and avocado salad uses high quality ingredients to make a light, refreshing salad that can serve as a light lunch or meal on its own, or as a lovely side dish! It is keto and low carb, but also super satisfying at the same time!
Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce or in butter lettuce cups, or serve just as it is!
Food is not about impressing people. It’s about making them feel comfortable. ~Ina Garten
Love you Ina!
Ingredient You Need
For this avocado tuna salad recipe, here is what you will need:
- Fresh Tuna Steak: Use a high quality, fresh tuna steak here.
- Olive Oil: Use olive oil to lightly coat the tuna before grilling it.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Lime Zest & Juice: You will need the juice and zest of two limes here! You can use lemon juice and lemon zest if you prefer.
- Wasabi Powder: Or you can use wasabi paste.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce will season this tuna up to perfection for maximum flavor!
- Hot Sauce: For just a little kick of spice.
- Avocados: Sliced into cubes.
- Scallions: Use both the white and green parts!
- Red Onion: Sliced thin! If you prefer, you can use shallots instead.
How to Make This Tuna and Avocado Salad
Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot sauté pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Chop the avocados and add them to the vinaigrette.
Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well.
Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Serve your grilled tuna and avocado salad with tortilla chips, crackers or fried wonton chips!
- If you prefer not to grill the ahi tuna, you can sear it in a hot cast iron pan instead.
- Ahi tuna and avocado salad is packed with healthy fats! Enjoy this healthy tuna salad as a snack or light lunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, yes, but it won’t be nearly as good! The freshly seared ahi tuna has so much flavor and freshness that you just can’t get from the canned stuff! If you opt for canned, definitely use white albacore tuna.
You can probably find tuna steaks labeled as yellowfish tuna. If it is frozen, be sure to thaw it before grilling it! Make sure you get sushi-grade tuna!
This tuna and avocado salad is best eaten on the same day it was prepared. You can store it in the fridge for up to one day, but the avocado will brown a bit!
Looking for More Salad Recipes to Try? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Mango
- Steak Salad
- Deviled Egg Salad
- Guatemalan Fiambre Salad
- Classic Tuna Salad
- Crab Salad Recipe
- Chimichurri Tomato Salad
Grilled Tuna Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds very fresh tuna steak cut 1-inch thick
- 4 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for brushing
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 limes zested
- 1 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 10 dashes hot sauce such as Tabasco
- 2 ripe Hass avocados medium diced
- 1/4 cup minced scallions white and green parts (2 scallions)
- 1/4 cup red onion small diced
Instructions
- Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Chop the avocados and add them to the vinaigrette.
- Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well.
- Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.


digging the strawberries with balsamic!
Hey Sommer, I love Ina too. I can't put my finger on why, as sometimes I find myself with some disapproval of her for different reasons I can put my finger on (smile). But, overall, I love watching her. She's so talented, pretty, and friendly. Wait, maybe I can put my finger on why I like her;)
Anyway, this meal looks delicious, and is very much like Ina.
I love your writings Sommer. Your posts are so enjoyable to read. And the photo's – wow…
I think she'd be happy with your whole homage to her talent and wonderful creations. The salad is beautiful, but I'm a panna cotta fan and that's a work of art.
I think she'd be pretty happy with this dish!
I always use vanilla beans myself too. :) Both the tuna salad and the panna cotta look delicious. Now I'm seriously craving some panna cotta…it looks so creamy and good.
Both of these dishes look deeelicious! I'm a big Ina fan, too!
I would love to move in Ina's house. Especially with the new addition, isn't it spectacular. And her garden is a dream. I also have almost all of her cookbooks and enjoy watching her shows. Every recipe I have made from her tastes fantastic.
You selected two wonderful dishes. I am sure they tasted great. Your pictures speak for themselves. Thanks.
Oh! I love Ina Garten, she is awesome, makes all those recipes seems simple to make. I have learned so much with her show. And Bobby Flay… his flavors are deliciously spicy. Love it. Your dishes look fantastic, great pictures. Have a great week.
What a pretty salad! I really like Ina Garten's recipes, too – she always makes very good use of the freshest produce.
Did you say that avocado makes everything better? :-)))I am totally with you!
And how I love your balsamic strawberries!
i like your meal,very healthy,with good ingredients and a fantastic look!