Incredible Tuna Dip Recipe (Tuna Pate)

This tuna dip recipe (tuna pate) has been in our family for generations. Made in just 5 minutes in a food processor, and with simple ingredients you have at home, like canned tuna, pickles, mustard and onion.

Why we love this delicious dip recipe:

• ready in 5 minutes
• made from canned tuna
• healthy tuna dip for crackers, crudite or bread
• tuna dip without mayonnaise or egg
• dairy-free and gluten-free
• great for a snack or appetizer

Ingredients

• canned tuna - use either olive oil or water packed tuna. Any other oil is just not that good for you. Also make sure you are buying BPA free canned tuna. Tuna with the lowest mercury content is "skipjack tuna" . Do not give tuna to babies under 2 due to mercury exposure. Canned wild salmon is a better option in that case.
• pickels
• onion - prefer red onion but white works
• garlic
• mustard - you can use any kind of mustard you have. We prefer dijon mustard but have also made this tuna pate with wholegrain mustard
• lemon juice - high in vitamin C and give the recipe the acidity it needs
• olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is the best kind, packed with heart healthy mono-saturated fats. If you are using canned tuna then you most likely won't need to add any extra olive oil to the tuna dip.

How to make tuna spread?

This healthy tuna pate is so easy to make it will become your go-to recipe for appetizers.

1. If using tuna packed in water then open the canned tuna and drain the water. If using canned tuna packed in olive oil then you don't need to drain it.
2. Place the pickles, onions, garlic and mustard in the food process and process into smaller chunks.
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and process until you have a smooth tuna pate. If it is too dense you can add more olive oil.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Maybe more salt, maybe more lemon juice. This will depend on the tuna, the pickles and the mustard you have used.
5. Serve with crackers, on freshly baked bread or crudite.

Tips

• if your tuna dip is too loose then add another half can of tuna. The consistency of your tuna spread will depend on what type and brand of tuna you use so you may need to adjust as you go
• if your tuna dip is too dense add a bit more olive oil and process more
• taste the recipe once you made it and you may need to add another pickle, a bit more salt or pepper or lemon juice.

Variations and add-ins

• spicy tuna dip - add chili flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper to spice it up
• serve with carrot spears, cucumber spears, celery sticks, crackers, healthy potato chips, tortilla chips or on delicious buckwheat bread

Storage

• fridge - store in airtight container for up to 3 days
• freeze - up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight and mix thoroughly before serving
• serve at room temperature (take out of the fridge about half an hour before serving)

FAQ

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Incredible Tuna Dip Recipe (Tuna pate)

This tuna dip recipe (tuna pate) has been in our family for generations. Made in just 5 minutes in a food processor, and simple ingredients you have at home, like canned tuna, pickles, mustard and onion.

5 from 4 votes

Author: Dora

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

1x2x3x

Servings 4

Fridge Life? 3 days

Freezable? 3 months

EQUIPMENT

• ▢
  Food Processor

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 small white onions
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon mustard
• ▢ 2 small garlic cloves
• ▢ 3 small pickles
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 tsp lemon juice
• ▢ 2 cans tuna packed in olive oil ideally
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• If using tuna packed in water then open the canned tuna and drain the water. If using canned tuna packed in olive oil then you don't need to drain it.
• Place the pickles, onions, garlic and mustard in the food process and process into smaller chunks.
• Add all the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and process until you have a smooth tuna pate. If it is too dense you can add more olive oil.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Maybe more salt, maybe more lemon juice. This will depend on the tuna, the pickles and the mustard you have used.
• Serve with crackers, on freshly baked bread or crudite.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 17gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 433mgPotassium: 243mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 102IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

References

1. Environmental Working Group. (2014, Sept. 18). EWG’s Consumer Guide to Seafood: Executive Summary. Retrieved January 27, 2020
2. Tuna. Solid Starts. Retrieved May 1, 2022