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These easy Tuna Cucumber Boats are the perfect healthy lunch for summer. Crisp cucumber is loaded with creamy tuna salad, for a refreshing dish that is low calorie, low carb and high protein. Make this recipe for when it’s hot and you don’t want to cook. Clocking at 95 calories, it’s great for weight loss.
It’s a hot summer day and you’re hungry, you want something healthy but still satisfying. A salad sounds too boring and you are tempted to grab a wrap or sandwich. Wait a minute, why don’t you take some cucumber and tuna and make these low carb boats?!
Quick and easy to prepare, tuna boats are the best lunch for weight loss or dieting. They are low carb and keto friendly, high in protein, and ridiculously low in calories. One boat has just about 95 calories, but so much taste that you’ll feel satisfied for hours. Together with cucumber tomato salad and watermelon salad, this is one of my favorite side dish to enjoy from May straight to August.
Recipe ingredients
- English cucumbers. I recommend making cucumber tuna boats with English cucumbers. They are larger in size, with a thin outer skin, a sweeter flavor and almost no seeds. You may also find them under the name of seedless or European cucumbers.
- Greek yogurt. For low calorie cucumber boats with tuna, this recipe replaces part of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. I used 2% Greek yogurt, but also nonfat or regular yogurt works.
- Mayonnaise. Two tablespoons of mayo make a rich and creamy cucumber tuna salad. You can swap it out for light mayonnaise or more Greek yogurt.
- Red onion. Tiny dices of red onion add crunch and flavor to the tuna salad. As an alternative, yellow or green onion can be used.
- Fresh dill. For flavor and color, feel free to replace with dried dill or omit it entirely.
- Seasonings. Add taste to your low calorie tuna salad with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Of course, you can experiment with additional seasonings such as chili powder for spicy cucumber boats.
Choosing the best cucumber
The best cucumber for tuna boats is a large English cucumber. English cucumbers are also known as European cucumbers, hothouse cucumbers, or seedless cucumbers. They have a long, thin shape, a mild flavor, and a thin skin that doesn’t need to be removed. Regular garden cucumbers may still be used, but you will probably need to peel them. Most of the times, regular cucumbers have a thick skin that is almost inedible.
How to make tuna cucumber boats
Prepare cucumber. Wash the cucumber very well, then pat it dry with a clean towel. With the help of a knife, cut the cucumber lengthwise into 2 halves, then cut each half into 2. In total you should get 4 cucumber boats. Scoop out all seeds to make space for the tuna.
Fill cucumber boats with tuna salad. In a medium bowl, combine drained tuna with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, diced onion, fresh dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir all ingredients together until you get a creamy tuna salad. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if it is necessary. Scoop tuna salad into the prepared boats and serve immediately.
Success tips
- Tuna recommendations. For cucumber tuna boats that are both high protein and low calorie, use can tuna in water. This simple swap will save you more than 100 calories, without compromising protein and taste. If possible, try to choose low mercury tuna. Drain the tuna very well, before mixing it with Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. You don’t want to end up with a tuna salad that tastes a way too fishy.
- Variation ideas. Customize this recipe to your own likings, by adding extra ingredients, seasonings or hot sauce. Great variations are avocado tuna salad boats and spicy tuna on cucumber. Just add some chili powder and a drizzle of hot sauce like sriracha. Or cut cucumber into slices and make cucumber tuna salad bites for party appetizers!
- Serving tips. Serve fresh, right after you have stuffed cucumbers with tuna salad. This is when the low cal boats are tastier and fresher, with creamy tuna salad and crunchy cucumbers. As this recipe uses Greek yogurt, it does not stay fresh for long in the fridge.
Make-ahead tuna cucumber boats & Storage
High protein tuna cucumber boats can be served immediately, or they can be made ahead for later. To store cucumber with tuna, place the boats into a large airtight container, without stacking them one over the over. Put in the fridge and keep refrigerated until eating. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
One cucumber boat has about 95 calories, and it provides 8.4 g protein, 3.2 g carbohydrates, and 5.7 g fat. Please note that nutritional values may vary based on ingredients used.
No, English cucumbers do not need to be peeled because their skin is very thin. But if you use regular cucumbers with thick skin, then you may want to remove it.
You can set it aside and use for cucumber salad, cucumber tomato salad, and other delicious summer meals.
Of course, salmon cucumber boats are a great alternative. They’re tastier and packed with nutrients, such as omega 3 fatty acids. Just keep in mind that the nutritional values of this dish may change.
More healthy Summer recipes
- Italian pasta salad
- Mexican street corn salad
- Watermelon salad
- Air fryer corn on the cob
- Creamy cucumber salad
- Cucumber tomato salad
- Frozen lemonade
- Banana bark
- Blueberry yogurt clusters
Tuna Cucumber Boats
Ingredients
- 1 large English cucumber
- 5 oz can tuna, in water, drained well
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise, or more Greek yogurt
- ⅓ red onion, diced
- 1 to 2 tsp fresh dill
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber very well, then pat it dry with a clean towel.
- With the help of a knife, cut the cucumber lengthwise into 2 halves, then cut each half into 2. In total you should get 4 cucumber boats.
- Scoop out of the cucumber all seeds to make space for the tuna.
- In a medium bowl, combine drained tuna with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, diced onion, fresh dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir all ingredients together until you get a creamy tuna salad. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Scoop tuna salad into the prepared boats and serve immediately.
Tuna and cucumber is an excellent combination! And is healthy ?
Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot for your feedback. Oh yes, I completely agree. 100%! This is such a great recipe for summer. Healthy, delicious and so refreshing. Plus, it comes together in just 5 minutes without cooking?
Have a fantastic weekend,
Matteo