A chilled bowl of Mexican‑style tuna salad loaded with tomato, cilantro, jalapeños, and sweet onion, served with plenty of saltine crackers for scooping.
How to Make the Viral Mexican-Style Tuna Salad, My Way
Life lately has been a little slower around here. I’ve been down with a virus for a few days, which put me behind more than I expected, but I’m finally easing back into the kitchen and catching up where I can. If you’ve ever had one of those weeks where everything feels a step behind, you’re in good company. Today’s recipe was exactly the kind of bright, simple bowl I needed to get back into the swing of things.
Some recipes go viral because they’re flashy on camera… and some go viral because they’re actually really good.
This Mexican Tuna Salad was one of those TikTok darlings that sounded incredible, but when I made it at home, it landed a little flat. Not that it was bad, not at all, but it just seemed to be missing that spark that makes you want to go back for another bite.
So, I did what I do when a recipe needs a little love: I made it "My Way!"
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A bit more lime, a splash of jalapeño brine, a whisper of soy sauce for umami, and some Mexican all-purpose seasoning and hot sauce to bring it home, and suddenly the whole bowl woke up!
Bright, creamy, briny, and full of personality.
The kind of tuna salad you eat standing at the counter with a sleeve of saltines because you “just need one more taste.”
Bright, creamy, briny, and full of personality.
The kind of tuna salad you eat standing at the counter with a sleeve of saltines because you “just need one more taste.”
This is the version I’ll make again and again, and the one I'd serve to friends and family, although I already have more ideas for the next time I make this! The one I’d tuck into my recipe binder. The one that feels like Biloxi meets coastal Mexico in the best possible way.
And now it’s yours!
Here's what you'll need to make my version of the viral Mexican-Style Tuna Salad:
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Here's what you'll need to make my version of the viral Mexican-Style Tuna Salad:
- 3 (4.5 ounce) cans tuna in olive oil, drained of excess oil
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or Maggi
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 small bunch cilantro, or to taste, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher, sea or spring salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons Mexican all-purpose seasoning (like Sazonador Total or Badia Sazon Completa (#ad)), or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce (Valentina or Cholula brand (#ad) suggested)
Remember... unless you are growing all of your own veggies and herbs, it's a good idea to use a fruit and veggie wash (#ad) these days, just sayin'. The is the one I'm currently using, but there are plenty of different ones available today.
I've also fallen in love with this brand of tuna (#ad) y'all.
It's an absolutely tasty and gorgeous, canned tuna.
I'm using the tuna in olive oil because I find that it's much more flavorful than tuna in water, but you'll still want to drain off any excess oil. Place tuna into a large, lidded bowl - you'll need the lid later. If using a fresh lime, zest the lime first and add zest. Add jalapeno brine and lime juice and break apart, mashing, if desired.
Top with the onion, tomato, cilantro and jalapeno. Now, if you're one of those people who just can't eat cilantro, I understand, because I used to be just like you! But, I did find that the more I kept using it, that weird taste just disappeared and now I love it. That said, you could leave it out, or maybe sub in a little fresh parsley - I guess.
Give it a gentle toss.
Add soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Add mayonnaise and stir until blended, adding additional mayonnaise as desired. A great choice here of course would be a Mayonesa style mayonnaise with lime juice. Reduce the mayonnaise slightly and add a spoon of crema!
Taste and add all-purpose seasoning and hot sauce as desired. Today I'm using Goya Sazonador, but Badia is a good choice also, though use whatever your favorite is. I'm also using Cholula hot sauce, but Valentina is a great option as well, or opt for good ole Louisiana sauces as well.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend. Spoon over saltines and top with a drizzle of hot sauce.
There are a lot of add-ins and variations you can experiment with this tuna salad.
Add-ins
- Finely diced celery for crunch
- Add a spoon of minced green onion tops
- Reduce mayo and add in a spoonful of Crema
- Reduce mayo and add in a spoonful of Crema
- Add a touch of Creole mustard
- A pinch of Cajun or Creole seasoning
- A few capers (they echo the briny jalapeño vibe beautifully)
Coastal Mexico Style
- Add diced cucumber
- Add shredded carrot
- Loosen with a drizzle of olive oil
Gulf Coast Picnic Style
- Add chopped boiled egg
- Add a spoon of sweet or dill relish
- Add some Creole or Cajun seasoning
- Add some Creole or Cajun seasoning
- Add 1 teaspoon ketchup and a dash of Worcestershire
Avocado‑Forward Version
- Fold in ½–1 diced avocado right before serving
- Add extra lime to keep it bright
Extra‑Crunch Version
- Add more celery
- Add diced bell pepper
- Add crushed saltines right before serving
Serving Suggestions
- With saltines (classic and perfect)
- On tostadas with avocado slices
- Stuffed into a tomato
- Over shredded iceberg with lime
- In a soft bolillo roll for a tuna‑torta moment
- With plantain chips for a fun twist
If you make this version, let me know how you make it your own. That’s the joy of recipes like this. They are meant to evolve.
For more of my favorite tuna recipes, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
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For more of my favorite tuna recipes, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
Unable to view the printable above on your device? Tap/click here for a backup printable.
Thank you for supporting my work! Please note that Images and Full Post Content including photographs and recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, do not copy and paste post or recipe text to repost or republish to any social media (such as other Facebook pages, etc.), blogs, websites, forums, or any print medium, without explicit prior permission. Unauthorized use of content from ©Deep South Dish is a violation of both the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and copyright law. All rights reserved.
Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.
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