Tuna Tostadas Are The New Tuna Sandwich You Can't Stop Making

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This Tuna Tostada is a walk on the lighter side of lunch, starring canned tuna dressed up with fresh lime juice and herbs and minced onion.

The urge to eat lighter, healthier always hits me right before the holidays, which is very inopportune timing. Perhaps I subconsciously dread the inevitable weight gain of overindulging in comfort food. Or am hard-wired to get a jump-start on those New Year's resolutions which also, inevitably, focus on weight loss.

But I'm a home cook, not a psychoanalyst, so when this urge hits me I get creative and get into the kitchen. When I want something lighter - and easy to make! - canned tuna comes to mind, as well as fresh produce. And of course, it's a plus if it's Mexican-adjacent. This Tuna Tostada is the perfect meal for one; especially if you're looking for something on the lighter side.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
What is a Tostada?
Treat 'yo self
Ingredients
Alternatives and Substitutions
How to Make Tuna Tostadas - Directions
Garnishes
Recipe FAQs
Recent Recipes on Midwexican
Tuna Tostadas

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Ready in Just Minutes, No Cooking Required. Since we are relying on canned tuna to play center stage, this recipe features ingredients designed to doctor up your favorite flaky tuna fish. I like to include avocado and chunky salsa.
Easy Ingredients. Pantry staple canned tuna, a ripe avocado, shallot, lime juice, and a few carefully curated seasonings are all you need to make this super simple lunch.
Perfect for Lunch. Shout out to the work-from-homer's who prefer to make their lunch but don't want it to be a sad lunch. IYKYK. This tuna tosada requires some effort, but not too much; just the perfect balance to achieve a delicious 30-minute lunch break meal. If you need more lunch inspiration, take a look at Pulled Pork Tostadas, which are perfect for using leftover pulled pork of any kind. Or these super easy Chipotle Sloppy Joes - a rare recipe without ketchup that's smoky and brings a little heat.

What is a Tostada?

Underrated, that's what! Tacos tend to get all the love because you can eat them more neatly, with your hands. A tostada (which means toasted) is a crisp, flat tortilla that you pile delicious toppings onto. Think of it sorta like an open-faced sandwich; an open-faced taco if you will. You can pick it up a tostada and eat it, though it's a bit precarious. Or you can tackle it with a fork.

Treat 'yo self

The tuna is the star here, so treat yourself to a nice quality can. I fancy Genova yellowfin canned tuna because it's a good balance between value and quality. And it's available at my local supermarket. Or hit the link to find it online. It's a brand I like to use in this recipe for Tuna Salad with Potato Sticks.

You might also enjoy this Chipotle Chicken Salad, made with Rotisserie chicken. Or this salad with a lighter bite while remaining protein-packed, Mexican Dense Bean Salad.

Ingredients

2 tostadas
1 can yellowfin tuna
1 tablespoon red onion or shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon parsley or cilantro, finely minced
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)
½ avocado, cut into small cubes
salt, to taste
crema (optional)
chunky tomato salsa

Alternatives and Substitutions

If you're a canned tuna must be mixed with mayo type, then you have to try making these Tuna Tostadas with Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mayo. It's life-changing. It changed this self-professed mayo hater into someone who tolerates mayo (at least when it's enhanced with bold flavors).

You could also mix the canned tuna with the avocado, or better yet, this guacamole (which features roasted garlic and is super delicious!).

I suspect this tostada recipe would also be fantastic if you swapped out tuna for shredded crab meat or shredded chicken.

If you don't have tostadas on hand or don't feel like putting forth the effort to make them, you can also lay down a small bed of tortilla chips. I won't tell.

How to Make Tuna Tostadas - Directions

Strain the canned tuna, quickly, and then add to a bowl (you just want to strain most of the liquid off not all of it).
Add in 1 tablespoon finely diced shallot or red onion, 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lime juice, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon minced parsley or cilantro, and 2 dashes of cayenne pepper (optional).
Using a fork, mix until just combined. Taste and add salt, to taste.
Set two tostadas on a plate. Divide the tuna mixture evenly between the tostadas.
Add cubed avocado, a spoonful or two of chunky tomato salsa, and a drizzle of crema to each. Enjoy!

NOTES

I purchased my tostadas, but you can certainly make your own tostadas.
I used tuna packed in olive oil, but tuna packed in water is fine to use here too.

Garnishes

Ah, the fun part! Here are a few garnish ideas to get those wheels turning:

Avocado; cubed, sliced, smashed, or in guacamole form
Fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
Salsa or hot sauce
Thinly sliced radish, fresh or pickled
Fresh cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
Finely diced bell pepper
Finely diced cucumber
Sliced green or black olives
Finely diced jicama
Sour cream or crema
Pepitas
Feta or cotija cheese (cheese and seafood!? YUP, go ahead; these two kinds of cheese serve more of a salty umami role anyways)

You could also top this with a simple slaw - perhaps dressed with a homemade Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette? Or this Creamy Salsa Dressing.

Recipe FAQs

What pairs well with Tuna Tostadas?

This is a light lunch and if you're looking for something similarly light to pair with it, I would recommend giving this refreshing Mexican Fruit Salad with Tajin a try. A great snack to pair alongside Tuna Tostadas are tortilla chips with fresh, homemade salsa, like this addicting Tajin Cucumber Salsa or this acidic and zesty Citrus Jalapeno Salsa.