Tuna Cucumber Cups - Whole30, Low Carb

Name: Tuna Cucumber Cups - Whole30, Keto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 medium English cucumbers (or substitute Persian seedless or garden cucumbers.); 10 oz. canned tuna, drained ((two 5 oz. cans)); 6 Tablespoons mayonnaise; 1/2 cup diced celery; 2 Tablespoons minced red onion; 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (or substitute dill, oregano, or cilantro.); salt and pepper (to taste); 2 teaspoon Everything Bagel Seasoning (optional)

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These healthy Tuna Cucumber Cups are the perfect quick and easy lunch or meal prep! Every bite is packed with protein, fiber, fat, and vitamins. They’re Whole30 compatible, Gluten Free, Keto/Low Carb, and you don’t even need a fork. Make up a batch today!

A hand taking one tuna cucumber bite off a plate.

Table of Contents

🥒 Why We Love It

Get ready for your new favorite lunch! These tuna cucumber bites are great for a quick and easy lunch or meal prep.

👉 It’s Fun! Cucumbers are cut and scooped out to form cup shapes, then filled with a simple and classic tuna salad. Kids (and kids at heart) just love eating with their hands!

👉 It’s Easy! It’s made with just a few simple ingredients, so you can whip up a batch in a hurry and have it on your plate in under 10 minutes. They also travel well, so if you’re packing lunch for the office or on the go, this works well!

👉 It’s Healthy! Like collard wraps and lettuce wraps, cucumber boats are an equally great and healthy alternative to bread and crackers. So whether you’re looking to cut back on bread, grain, or carbs, or if you just like the taste and crunch of cucumbers, try this out!

👉 It’s Tasty! You’ll get a big crunch with every single bite, and best of all, you can eat them with your hands!

🐟 Ingredients

The 6 ingredients in this recipe are all household staples, so much so that you might even have everything you need already!

Cucumber. I prefer to use seedless English cucumbers, because cucumbers with seeds are a bit more difficult to scoop out.
Tuna. I prefer tuna packed in oil, because FLAVOR!
Mayonnaise. Use sugar free mayo made with avocado or olive oil for Whole30 and Keto diets.
Diced Celery. Celery is the classic crunchy element in every tuna salad.
Minced onion. Just a little minced red or white onion adds extra crunch and sharp onion flavor!
Parsley. Herbs are always a great addition to tuna salad. Minced parsley will add aromatics and flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Other herbs like cilantro, dill, or oregano can be substituted if you prefer them.
Everything Bagel Seasoning, optional. I adore EBB seasoning, so I love to sprinkle it on top.

Notes: These cucumber boats are super versatile! You can fill them with any variation of chicken, egg, or tuna salad you like, or even fill them with dips like hummus. And if you don’t like or don’t have mayo, use my Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad recipe!

🧑‍🍳 Step by Step Instructions

Collage showing the cucumbers cut into pieces, then hollowed with a melon baller into cups.

Step 1: Prepare the cucumber cups.

Wash the cucumbers and trim off the stem and end. I don’t bother peeling the cucumbers, but you can if you prefer it!

Cut them into 2-3 inch long sections. They shouldn’t be too tall that you can’t take a bite easily. Aim for a size that would comfortably take about two bites to eat.

Use a melon baller or a small spoon and scoop out most of the seeds in each section, hollowing out each pieces to form a cup shape.

Tip: Set aside the excess cucumber (the scooped out pieces) and use them in my cucumber pineapple smoothie, or freeze them for another day!

Collage showing the tuna salad ingredients added to a bowl, then mixed together.

Step 2: Make the tuna salad.

Grab a bowl and mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

If there are any other additional ingredients you like in your tuna salad like extra vegetables or herbs, mix them in now!

Step 3: Assemble the tuna cucumber bites.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of tuna salad into each cucumber cup. Now get ready to dig in!

You can serve them immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them.

Tips & FAQ

How long will tuna salad last?

Tuna salad should be transferred to an airtight container or covered tightly and refrigerated. It can be stored for 3-4 days, per USDA. I don’t recommend freezing tuna salad, because once it is defrosted, it will become watery.

How many carbs per serving?

There are approximately 14 net carbs in each serving. Use sugar free mayo to make them even lower in carbs!

Can I make them in advance?

Yes! The best way to prepare these more than a few hours in advance is to make the cucumber cups and tuna salad, and store each element separately, covered, in the refrigerator. Assemble the tuna salad in each cucumber cup just before serving.

Once assembled, the salt in the tuna salad will begin to leach some moisture out of the cucumber cups over time, making each bite a little watery. Cucumbers have a high water volume!