These tuna lettuce wraps are a quick and easy lunch, made with tuna salad, chopped veggies and fresh lettuce leaves! They take just 20 minutes to make and can easily be prepped in advance to save you time on busy weekdays.
If you love tuna salad sandwiches or wraps, you’ll love these lighter tuna salad lettuce wraps! I’m using my recipe for tuna salad without mayo and loading it with even more veggies and serving them up on butter lettuce leaves.
I normally make a batch of tuna salad on the weekends, so I can have easy tuna wraps ready to go for lunches during the week. You can enjoy them on their own or serve them with fresh fruit, carrot sticks, pretzels or potato chips.
Why you’ll love these tuna lettuce wraps
- Great for meal prep. You can prep the tuna salad in advance so all you need to do before serving is wash and dry the lettuce.
- Quick and easy to make. You can have everything prepared in about 20 minutes. You just need to chop some veggies, mix together the tuna salad and prep the lettuce.
- No oven required. These tuna salad lettuce wraps are perfect for warm summer days when you’re craving a tuna melt but just don’t want to turn on the oven!
- Dairy-free and gluten-free. The recipe as written is dairy-free and gluten-free. Just make sure to check the label of your ingredients to ensure they are free of dairy and gluten.
- You can make this recipe your own. It’s versatile and I’ve included lots of recipe variations and substitutions below.
Details on the ingredients
Below is just an overview of the ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients and quantities used, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tuna salad – I’m using this no mayo tuna salad recipe that’s also dairy-free. Feel free to change up the tuna salad recipe to suit your tastes. For this recipe, I’m using flaked white albacore tuna, lemon juice, vinegar, whole grain dijon, capers, red onion, celery, cane sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Dill pickles – While the tuna salad is already well seasoned, I like to add some dill pickle slices for extra crunch and tanginess!
Red pepper – The tuna salad is loaded with red onion and crunchy celery, but I wanted these lettuce wraps loaded with veggies, so I added chopped red pepper. Feel free to use green pepper if you prefer, or a little jalapeño pepper for a spicy kick.
Cucumber – Again, I wanted these wraps packed with veggies, so I added some diced cucumber, which also adds some extra crunch.
Lettuce – The tuna salad mixture is piled onto Boston lettuce leaves. You can also use Bibb lettuce. Both varieties are a type of butter lettuce. I like butter lettuce for its soft, tender texture and vibrant green colour. Butter lettuce is easily found at most grocery stores. You will normally find it in dome shaped packaging and the leaves will still be attached to the root to maintain freshness.
Garnishes – Totally optional, but I usually serve these wraps with fresh lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley.
How to make tuna wraps with lettuce
Start by making a batch of no mayo tuna salad and add in the chopped red pepper and cucumber. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Carefully remove the butter lettuce leaves from the root and gently wash and dry. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a serving platter or plates.
Add a pickle slice to each piece of lettuce. Place 2 spoonfuls of the tuna mixture on top of the pickle slice. You should have enough tuna salad for about 8-10 lettuce wraps.
Once the lettuce is topped with the tuna salad, it should be enjoyed right away.
Storage tips
The tuna salad and additional veggies can be prepped and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Since the lettuce is stored with the root attached, I like to keep it attached for as long as possible to prolong the freshness of the lettuce. For that reason, I usually wait to wash and dry the lettuce until just before using.
The assembled lettuce wraps should be enjoyed right away. I don’t recommend storing the wraps in the fridge for any length of time as the tuna salad will start to make the lettuce wilt.
Substitutions and variations
- For an even heartier tuna lettuce wrap, stuff your lettuce leaves with this white bean tuna salad.
- Serve with diced tomatoes, chopped avocado or even a dollop of guacamole.
- Top with some chopped fresh dill. Chopped fresh chives would be great too.
- If you don’t need the recipe to be dairy-free, feel free to add some shredded cheese.
- For even more crunch, serve the wraps topped with some crispy air fryer chickpeas.
- Instead of butter lettuce, use romaine lettuce.
- If you don’t want to use lettuce, feel free to use tortillas for your tuna wraps.
FAQs
I love to use butter lettuce such as Boston lettuce, but any variety can work. Just make sure the lettuce leaves are big enough and sturdy enough to hold the tuna salad. Another option I like is romaine lettuce (specifically romaine hearts). The pieces are large enough to hold a few scoops of tuna salad and they’re crispy and sturdy.
Absolutely. While I would wait to wash and dry the lettuce until just before serving, you can prep the tuna salad in advance as it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also prep any extra veggies or toppings ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
We love to serve them with fresh fruit and carrot sticks, just to keep things light. Pretzels and potato chips are also a great option. (Make sure you go with thick cut chips so you have a sturdy chip to scoop up any leftover tuna salad). You can also make some homemade air fryer pita chips or air fryer tortilla chips to serve on the side.
Key recipe tips
- When washing and drying the lettuce leaves, be gentle. They can tear and bruise easily.
- Dice your veggies into small pieces so they mix in well with the tuna and fit neatly in the lettuce wraps.
- Make sure the canned tuna is drained well before making your tuna salad. Otherwise, your lettuce wraps could end up soggy.
More easy meals to try
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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PrintTuna Lettuce Wraps
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 wraps
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Mix & Assemble
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These tuna lettuce wraps are a quick and easy lunch, made with tuna salad, chopped veggies and fresh lettuce leaves! They take just 20 minutes to make and can easily be prepped in advance to save you time on busy weekdays.
Ingredients
- 1 batch of tuna salad without mayo
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 2–3 dill pickles, thinly sliced
- 8–10 Boston lettuce leaves, washed and dried
- Optional garnishes:
- chopped fresh parsley or dill
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Make the tuna salad according to the recipe. Stir in the chopped red pepper and cucumber. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Gently wash and dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in a single layer on a serving platter or plates.
- Add a pickle slice to each piece of lettuce. Place 2 spoonfuls of the tuna mixture on top of the pickle slice. You should have enough tuna salad for about 8-10 lettuce wraps.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- When washing and drying the lettuce leaves, be gentle. They can tear and bruise easily.
- Dice your veggies into small pieces so they mix in well with the tuna and fit neatly in the lettuce wraps.
- Make sure the canned tuna is well drained before making your tuna salad. Otherwise, your lettuce wraps will end up soggy.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
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