Tuna Salad with Greek Yogurt

Quick answer: This tuna salad has about 29 grams of protein and roughly 210 calories per serving of filling, and takes 15 minutes with no cooking. Unlike Tuna Salad Without Mayo, this one doesn’t remove mayonnaise entirely — it uses a small amount alongside Greek yogurt, with tarragon and capers for a French-bistro flavor. Serves 4. Sodium runs moderate-to-high, about 640 mg per serving, mostly from the capers.

This is the “lightened,” not “mayo-free,” option in the collection. A little real mayonnaise stays in for flavor and texture, with Greek yogurt doing most of the volume — a different approach from the fully dairy-based or fully mayo-free recipes elsewhere on the site.

Why This Recipe Has About 29 Grams of Protein

A larger tuna portion than most recipes here, since the mayo and yogurt are kept modest for flavor rather than bulk.

A Note on Sodium

About 640 mg per serving, roughly 28% of the WHO’s 2,300 mg daily limit — capers are the main contributor, same pattern as in Tuna Salad Recipe Without Mayo.

• Canned tuna: ~344 mg
• Capers: ~229 mg
• Mayonnaise: ~64 mg

What helps: rinsing the capers briefly cuts some of their sodium without losing the flavor.

What You Need

Makes 4 servings (filling only — nutrition figures don’t include bread)

• 5 cans (5 oz / 142 g each) light tuna in water, drained (about 550 g drained total)
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup (80 g) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp grainy mustard
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced

How to Make It

1. Drain the tuna thoroughly and flake it into a bowl.
2. Whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice together.
3. Combine with the tuna, capers, tarragon and chives.

Tips

Use fresh herbs, not dried, if at all possible. Tarragon in particular loses most of its character dried.

A small amount of mayo goes further than you’d think once it’s whisked with yogurt — resist adding more.

Substitutions

Tarragon: dill works as a milder substitute. Capers: chopped cornichons, less salty.

Storage

Up to 2 days refrigerated, sealed. The herbs darken slightly by day two.

Tuna Salad with Greek Yogurt

A lightened tuna salad with Greek yogurt and a little mayo, tarragon and capers. About 29g protein per serving.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Salad

Cuisine: French, French-inspired

Calories: 210

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 550 g 5 cans, 5 oz each light tuna in water, drained
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 80 g ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp grainy mustard
• 2 tbsp capers drained
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
• 1 lemon juiced

Method

 

1. Drain the tuna and flake it into a bowl.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice.
3. Combine with tuna, capers, tarragon and chives.

Notes

• Nutrition figures are for the filling only, not bread.
• Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Nutrition

Per serving of filling (recipe makes 4):

Preliminary calculation from USDA FoodData Central reference values, not yet verified against a finished Tuna nutrition workbook. Figures exclude bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from Tuna Salad Without Mayo?

That recipe removes mayonnaise entirely. This one keeps a small amount alongside Greek yogurt for a richer, more classic flavor.

Can I leave out the mayo entirely?

Yes, but at that point you’d essentially be making Tuna Salad Without Mayo instead — a fine outcome, just a different recipe.

What if I don’t have tarragon?

Dill is the closest substitute and widely available.

How do I lower the sodium?

Rinse the capers briefly before adding them — they’re the largest single contributor here.

More High Protein Tuna Recipes

Part of the 🥗 Tuna Salads collection, alongside Tuna Salad Without Mayo (the fully mayo-free version).

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