Meet your new go-to lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad. With flaky tuna, hearty chickpeas, sweet pickled relish, and creamy mix of Greek yogurt and mayo, it's a fresh, satisfying twist on a classic. High in protein and easy to prep, it's perfect for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or straight-from-the-fridge snacking.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This is a quick and easy recipe that take only 5 minutes to make. Not gourmet, and that's okay, lol!
- Excellent for meal prepping. Since it's made without celery or onion, this tuna salad recipe doesn't get watery while sitting in the fridge.
Ingredient Notes
- Tuna Use canned tuna in water. For a richer flavor, use canned tuna in oil.
- Chickpeas Canned chickpeas work perfectly - just rinse and drain. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein and fiber.
- Sweet Pickled Relish Adds a touch of sweetness and acidity that balances the flavors. Sweet relish is a classic, but dill relish works for a more savory twist.
- Greek Yogurt & Mayo This combo gives you the best of both worlds - creaminess from the mayo and a lighter, tangy boost from the Greek yogurt. Use plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt.
- Optional Add-Ins Red onion, diced celery, fresh herbs (like dill or parsley), lemon juice, or a little Dijon mustard for extra flavor.
Dietitian Tip
Not all tuna is created equal. As for canned tuna, both chunk light tuna and albacore tuna work well for making tuna salad.
While albacore tuna is higher in protein and omega-3 fatty acids than chunk light tuna, it's also higher in mercury.
How to Make Tuna & Chickpea Salad
- Mash about half of the rinsed and drained chickpeas in with the drained tuna in a medium bowl.
- Mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and sweet pickled relish in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- Stir dressing into the tuna and chickpea mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- Drain tuna and chickpeas well before mixing to avoid a watery salad. I use a fine mesh strainer and press the tuna and chickpeas down using the back of a fork to get the most water out.
- For the best texture, lightly mash at least half of the chickpeas to help the salad hold together.
Questions You May Have
Yes! This salad actually tastes just as good (if not better) after a few hours in the fridge as the flavors meld together. Store it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
You can, but the flavor will be tangier and less rich. Using a mix of both gives the best balance of creaminess and flavor.
Yes! Just replace the Greek yogurt with more mayo or use a dairy-free yogurt alternative.
Chunk light or albacore tuna work well. Albacore has a firmer texture and milder flavor, while chunk light is softer and more budget friendly. I like to use chunk light tuna because of the texture.
More Salad Recipes
- Simple Egg Salad with Greek Yogurt (No Mayo)
- Green Goddess Salad with Green Goddess Dressing (Homemade)
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing (No Oil, No Mayo)
- Simple Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing
Did you make this easy tuna salad with chickpeas recipe and love it? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below to let me know. A 5-star review is the best compliment!
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📖 Recipe
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ounce canned tuna One 5 oz can of tuna, drained.
- ½ cup chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt plain, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon sweet pickled relish
Instructions
- Rinse and drain tuna and chickpeas well.
- Mash at least ½ of the chickpeas in a medium bowl. The back side of a fork or food masher work well for this.½ cup chickpeas
- Add drained tuna to the chickpeas.4 ounce canned tuna
- Make the dressing: mix mayo, Greek yogurt, and sweet relish together in a separate small bowl.2 tablespoon Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon sweet pickled relish
- Stir dressing in with the tuna and chickpea mixture.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Drain tuna and chickpeas well before mixing to avoid a watery salad. I use a fine mesh strainer and press the tuna and chickpeas down using the back of a fork to get the most water out.
- For the best texture, lightly mash at least half of the chickpeas to help the salad hold together.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
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