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    Home » Recipes » Tuna Salad Boats

    Tuna Salad Boats

    Published: Jan 6, 2020 · Modified: Apr 13, 2021 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Sometimes, an appetizer is just a different way of presenting favorites. Tuna, a fish food favorite (say that fast five times!) and the deliciously sour crunch of a pickle make a fast and easy tuna boat that will sail through the shoals of just about anyone’s tastes. And, if you tack carefully, you can make a tuna salad that will navigate your nutritional goals.

    Using water-packed tuna and low-fat mayonnaise, you’ll find smooth sailing and low calories. Greek yogurt boosts protein. And, the choice of full-fat, low-fat or no-fat Greek yogurt give you the opportunity to ratchet up or down your taste/calorie choices. Since I’m trying for a keto version, I make my salad with full-fat mayo and olive oil-packed tuna. Yum! Talk about maximum flavor and minimal carbs!

    This recipe, found at delish.com, includes directions for making the tuna salad, but of course feel free to season per your preference. In my case, I felt the pickles would provide enough dill taste, so I skipped putting more in the salad.

    Once the salad is made, the only other work is scooping out the pickle seeds.

    scooping middle part from pickles

    This is easier with larger pickles (I used smaller ones and it was trickier, but worth it to have smaller boats to serve).

    This is also when I appreciate having grapefruit spoons. I have a set of four, which, of course, are NEVER used for grapefruit, LOL. But those serrated edges come in handy for scooping stuff, such as fibers from spaghetti squash.

    Once your pickles are hollow, fill them with tuna salad. And, that’s it. The boats are ready to launch!

    tuna salad boats on a white platter

    If you’d like to dress them up, sprinkle on a little paprika.

    keto snack crackers with tuna boats on a small red plate

    These little boats are a great addition to an appetizer buffet. Disclosure: I have been known to make a half-batch and call it lunch! Yum!

    close up of a tuna salad boat
    5 from 40 votes
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    Tuna Salad Boats

    A simple appetizer!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 59kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 10 oz. canned tuna drained
    • ¼ c. mayonnaise
    • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
    • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
    • Juice of ½ a lemon
    • 1 tbsp. chopped dill plus more for garnish (optional)
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 6 dill pickles
    • Paprika for garnish

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, mix tuna, mayo, mustard, celery and lemon juice. Add dill if using. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Cut pickles in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with spoon to create boats.
    • Fill boats with tuna salad and garnish, if desired, with paprika.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Tuna Salad Boat Pin

    An easy and keto friendly appetizer!

    And try some keto spinach artichoke dip, it's a great addition to your game day selection!

    « Pasture Raised Eggs
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    Filed Under: Appetizers, Recipes Tagged With: appetizers, Seafood, Snackatizer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bill Riddle

      January 14, 2023 at 7:36 am

      Sounds/looks great! Always looking for new recipes.
      Have 6 boxes of tuna & always looking for a different recipe!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sula

        January 14, 2023 at 10:40 am

        You're welcome, enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Amanda

      July 04, 2022 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      Very nice idea, adding to my low calorie menu.

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 04, 2022 at 3:53 pm

        Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Big Trouble

      January 07, 2020 at 10:34 am

      5 stars
      THESE LOOK INCREDIBLE!!! TUNA IS SO GOOD! Sorry for yelling; I'm just excited about these! Nom nom nom nom...Also, I've NEVER seen anything like these before, so I'm sure they'd impress at any party!

      Reply
      • Sula

        January 09, 2020 at 5:22 pm

        I love tuna salad AND pickles so of course I love these!

        Reply

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