Tuna salad sometimes gets a bad rap—or a bad wrap, as it may be! This tuna wrap recipe, however, will change the mind of any skeptic. A flavorful tuna salad filled with crunchy, colorful vegetables gets roll up in soft spinach tortillas. This 10-minute recipe makes two wraps, and it’s easy to scale up to feed a household. Or pack it in a cooler with other picnic food ideas for an afternoon outside. Sandwich wraps like this make busy weekday lunch a breeze, too.
The best part is how easy it is to tailor this tuna wrap to your own taste. Change the tortilla, increase the vegetables, or add some herbs or spices, and you have a quick and easy lunch anytime.
Tuna Wrap Ingredients
- Tuna: Our recipe uses light tuna packed in water. The best tuna brands come in pouches, jars or cans. Whichever you use, drain it well first. You can also use tuna packed in oil. Just use a little less mayonnaise in the mixture.
- Crunchy vegetables: This tuna salad has some crunch thanks to a blend of chopped veggies: scallions, celery, canned water chestnuts and red bell pepper.
- Mayonnaise: Use reduced-fat or regular mayonnaise or Miracle Whip if you prefer. Homemade aioli is also delicious in this tuna salad.
- Mustard: A little mustard adds some zip to the tuna salad mixture. Use a mild Dijon mustard or brown mustard for real zing.
- Lettuce: Any lettuce variety works, from shredded romaine to iceberg. Or lay whole leaves of soft, silky butter lettuce in the tortilla before adding the tuna salad and rolling it up.
- Spinach tortillas: For these wraps, pick up large, 8-inch flour tortillas. The spinach flavor goes well with the tuna and fresh veggies, but you can try other flavors like jalapeno, whole grain and sun-dried tomato.
Directions
Step 1: Make the tuna salad
Drain the tuna, and add it to a small bowl. Add the celery, green onion, water chestnuts and bell pepper. Spoon in the mayonnaise and mustard, then stir everything together until the mixture is well combined.
Step 2: Assemble the wraps
Spread the tuna salad over two tortillas, and sprinkle with lettuce.
Roll up tightly jelly-roll style.
Editor’s Tip: Leave the tortillas at room temperature or warm them to make them easier to roll without cracking. To serve, slice each wrap in half to make them easy to hold and eat, and secure the wraps with toothpicks so they won’t unroll.
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the veggies: Try other crispy vegetables in these wraps, like sliced or diced radishes, cucumbers, fennel, jicama or sugar snap peas. Or try substituting diced sweet onion like Vidalia for the green onions.
- Add herbs: Mix in fresh or dried herbs that pair well with tuna, like dill, black pepper, parsley, chervil, basil and thyme.
- Spice it up: Add a little (or a lot, if you like things spicy) of Sriracha, Tabasco or chili crisp. Or try a dash of cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Wrap in different greens: Instead of shredded lettuce, assemble the wraps with leafy greens like kale, baby spinach or peppery arugula.
- Turn the wrap into a melt: Add sliced or shredded cheese—we recommend Swiss, American or cheddar—into the wrap. Then grill the wrap in a skillet over medium heat or panini press to warm the sandwich and melt the cheese.
How to Store Tuna Wraps
Seal the assembled tuna wraps in an airtight container or food wrap, and store them in the fridge. Serve the wraps within a day for the best texture. If left too long, the tortillas will become soggy. For a longer storage option, keep the components in separate airtight containers in the fridge; use the tuna salad within five days. Then, assemble the tuna wraps the day you want to serve them.
Tuna Wrap Tips
How do you fold a tuna wrap?
The simplest way to fold your tuna wrap is to roll it up jelly roll-style. With the tuna filling in the center, start at one end of the tortilla and roll it up tightly, leaving both ends open. Secure the wrap with toothpicks. Or use the method for when you fold a burrito to seal the filling inside: Bring two opposite edges of the tortilla to meet in the middle, then roll it up from the bottom.
What can you serve with tuna wraps?
Crispy chips are an excellent side to serve with tuna wraps. On cooler days, serve the wraps with a hot bowl of soup, like this simple potato soup or cheesy cream of asparagus.
