You can make this easy tuna spread without mayo or celery in 5 minutes using five ingredients and it’s so good! It’s creamy, it’s salty, it’s umami…It’s just delicious and one of the best lunch recipes you can make with canned tuna. In my opinion.
You can serve the tuna spread on cucumber slices or in lettuce for a low-carb option or on some toasted bread of choice for a more filling option. It might actually be best to make a combo of all those – bread, cucumber slices and the spread.
If you make more of the canned tuna spread, you can store it in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
Why You’ll Love This 5-Minute Easy Tuna Salad
I’ve always loved tuna salad…but to be honest, I’ve never made or liked it the traditional way, because I just don’t like mayo or celery.
But when I was living in Germany, I tried a tuna spread at one of our corporate events and it was made with creme fraiche or sour cream and capers. They served it on the most pretentious little pieces of bread and I had like 10 of them that evening. It was so savory, tangy and so perfect as a snack, but it was my dinner that night.
The tuna recipe I’m sharing today is very similar and you will love it, because it:
- tastes amazing
- is ready in 5 minutes
- is made with pretty affordable ingredients
- makes the most satisfying lunch
- has only five ingredients
- is pretty versatile (you can add to it whatever you want!)
Easy Tuna Spread Ingredients
- Canned tuna. Use tuna canned in its own brine for a more low-calorie option.
- Capers. I know capers aren’t everyone’s thing, but I love them with tuna. They add saltiness and tanginess to the recipe. However, if you don’t love capers, you can use pickles or pickled jalapenos to achieve similar results.
- Cream cheese. I was going to make a no-bake cheesecake for my dad’s birthday, so we had cream cheese in the fridge. That’s why I used cream cheese in the tuna recipe, I could’ve used creme fraiche or sour cream, but I didn’t have those.
- Scallions or red onions. Lots of them. Thinly chopped. No canned tuna recipe is complete without some onions.
- Chopped dill or cilantro. I love, love, love fresh herbs in combination with tuna. My top picks for this salad are thinly chopped dill or cilantro, but basil might go well too.
And of course, finish it off with black pepper and some salt if needed.
How To Make The Easiest Tuna Spread
I could just write it in one word: Mix. But, let’s make it more clear:
- chop scallions/onions and cilantro (or dill) very finely
- drain the canned tuna and capers
- add all ingredients to a bowl
- mix until well combined
Serve with veggie slices or on a slice of toasted bread. And there you go, your lunch is ready!
Serving Options
Since I live in Nostalgia, I chopped a baguette in small slices, toasted those in a pan on the stove on each side for 2-3 minutes. Then put the tuna spread on top, had a bite and I was brought back to that corporate event from the past.
Then my son screamed “Mommy mommy” while showing me the 56th paper “airplane” he made that day and I was back to the here and now. And it’s so much better. And so was this tuna spread.
And also you can serve it on a lettuce leaf if you desire something lighter. Otherwise, toasted bread for a more substantial lunch.
5-Minute Easy Tuna Spread
You can make this easy tuna spread in 5 minutes using five ingredients! It's so good, one of the best canned tuna recipes you can make for lunch!
Ingredients
- 150g/5oz tuna, canned, drained
- 3oz/85g cream cheese*
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/3 cup thinly chopped scallions/onion
- 2 tbsp thinly chopped cilantro or dill**
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop scallions/onions and cilantro (or dill) very thinly.
- Drain the canned tuna and the capers.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl.
- Mix until well combined.
- Serve on toasted bread or on a lettuce leaf for a lighter option.
Notes
*or creme fraiche or sour cream
**can also use other herbs or even arugula (I added whatever I had in the garden)
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 125Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 36mgSodium 398mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 10g
More Things To Do With Leftovers
Don’t know about you, but I’m always suspicious about food that’s been in my fridge for more than 2 days. So I usually like to heat it up in some way. For example, with this tuna cream cheese spread, if there is any left after 2 days you can have it as is, but you can also:
- Spread it on half of a tortilla, put some cheese and maybe some tomato slices or leaves of spinach on top. Then fold the tortilla in half and toast it on both sides in a pan until golden brown.
- You can do the same using sliced bread. Spread on one slice, add vegetables if desired, cheese and the other slice of bread on top, then toast in a heated pan with a little bit of olive oil. You’ve got yourself the tastiest tuna melt.
- You can also bake it into egg muffins similar to this tuna quiche I made a while ago. Mix the tuna spread with eggs, place into a suitable baking pan and bake at 350F or 180C for about 15-20 minutes or until firm and golden.
To be honest with you, it never came to that. In fact, I could barely take a photo of the tuna spread – I have only three pictures and had to make them while I was eating. (I made more when I was updating in 2026).
More Easy Tuna Recipes
I really do hope you enjoy this simple tuna spread – it’s perfect for toasts and sandwiches. For more tasty canned tuna recipes, check out these links:
Originally published in September 2022, last updated with new photos and tips in April 2026.