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.


What an exquiaite meal for a worthy recipient!
The tuna is PERFECTLY cooked and the pannacotta with the balsamic glazed strawberries is sublime. I especially love the lemon zest topping.
Wonderful as always, Sommer!
Ciao,Devaki@ weavethousandflavors
That is a superb meal! Simple, yet so perfect together! I used to love watching Nigella Lawson, but have tired of her less than reliable recipes.
The first Ina Garten recipe I ever tried – her chocolate cupcakes with ganache frosting were sublime and so simple! These days I can't get through the day without watching the Barefoot Contessa!
I am a huge tuna fan and always looking for new good recipes, this one is a keeper. I have to save and try it out. Haven't been here for awhile since i was moving but i am back now. Again, great blog!
So many awesome flavor combinations here! I think black pepper and strawberry is my favorite :)
I am an absolute Ina lover myself. I actually think my blood pressure lowers when I watch her show. It's just so relaxing and wonderful. And the food… well we won't even go there. Yummy! These look delicious. Hope you're doing well!
I love Ina =) Whenever I watch her show, I just want to be whisked away to the hamptons for a dinner party! That food looks delicious!!
I met Ina at the Fancy Food Show! She was very nice and I told her how she taught me to bake shrimp and roast brussels in the oven – she said people comment on her shrimp method all the time. These dishes look fabulous!!!
I love Ina too. And this salad. I make something similar with canned sardines! So so good. Think it's what I'm having for lunch!
I seen the episode where she makes this. I dont watch it very much because we don't have cable or dish. Anywho, I was so intrigued by this salad. I am totally kicking myself because last night we had tuna and I could have made this, uGH! An excuse I guess to get some more tuna. It looks totally delicious as does your strawberry and panna cotta dessert!
Nice tribute and the dishes look delicious! Good job!
Great salad, and pana cotta, too :) I do not know any of those shows, here in Europe I always watch classics like Jamie and Blumenthal.
It looks perfect!