Keto Sesame Tuna and Egg Salad

Name: Keto Sesame Tuna and Egg Salad
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: Two 5-oz cans tuna in olive oil, drained; 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (cooked ahead or leftover); 3 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp tamari; 1 green onion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 4 cups baby spinach, for serving

⏲ ~44 min total · prep 14 · cook 30 · 4 servings

Sides⏱ 8 min total🔥 1.6g net carbs⚡ ≈300 kcal/serving~7% of calories from carbs

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Ingredients

Two 5-oz cans tuna in olive oil, drained
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (cooked ahead or leftover)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp tamari
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups baby spinach, for serving

Instructions

Flake the drained tuna into a medium bowl, breaking up any dense clumps with a fork.
Whisk the mayonnaise, sesame oil, tamari, and pepper in a small bowl until it loosens into a pourable dressing.
Pour the dressing over the tuna and fold it through with the chopped eggs, pressing just enough to bind while keeping some egg pieces chunky.
Taste and add another drop of sesame oil if the salad reads flat.
Mound the spinach on two plates, spoon the tuna mixture alongside, and finish with the green onion and sesame seeds.

Why this recipe works

Tuna canned in olive oil Oil-canned tuna flakes into fat, distinct pieces and brings its own richness, which is why the dressing stops at 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Tuna canned in water would need more to feel whole.
Sesame oil measured small Two teaspoons is enough for the whole bowl to read sesame. Whisked into the mayonnaise with the tamari first, it distributes evenly instead of pooling.
Folded, not mashed The eggs go in chopped and get pressed only until the salad binds. Leaving chunks gives you texture that a fork-mashed tuna salad loses.

Tips for making this recipe well

Drain like you mean it

Press the tuna against the open lid of the can until no oil runs free. Extra oil in the bowl turns the dressing loose and greasy.

Whisk the dressing alone

Mayonnaise, sesame oil, tamari, and pepper loosen together in a small bowl first. Added separately to the tuna, they streak and spot instead of coating.

Keep the eggs chunky

Fold with a light hand and stop when the salad barely holds together. The chunks are the difference between a salad and a spread.

Taste before it hits the plates

If the salad reads flat, another drop of sesame oil is the fix the recipe itself suggests. Tamari carries the salt, so check it before adding more.

Keep the spinach dry and separate

The spinach goes on the plate as a raw bed, not tossed in dressing. Mixing earlier wilts it under the weight of the tuna.

Serving suggestions

1.6 net carbs and 8 minutes, and both numbers are real. Mound a big handful of baby spinach on each plate, spoon the tuna salad alongside, and finish with the green onion and sesame seeds so the plate looks finished rather than assembled. This is a desk lunch as much as a weekend one; nothing here suffers from being eaten cold out of a container.

Storage and meal prep

The tuna mixture keeps 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, and it actually holds together better on day two. Store it apart from the spinach, which wilts under the dressing within hours; wash and dry the greens separately or use them from the bag. Freezing is a poor idea, because mayonnaise breaks when it thaws and takes the texture with it.

Variations worth trying

Lettuce wraps Spoon the salad into large lettuce leaves instead of mounding spinach on plates, and eat them as hand rolls.
Avocado folded in Dice half a ripe avocado and fold it in at the end for a creamier bowl.
Cucumber crunch Add 1/2 cup of diced cucumber with the eggs for a cold crunch that plays well against the sesame.
Extra eggs Fold in two more chopped hard-boiled eggs and add a tablespoon more mayonnaise so the salad stays bound.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use tuna canned in water?

Yes. Since the olive oil carried part of the richness, add another tablespoon of mayonnaise or a teaspoon of olive oil to loosen the dressing.

Is tamari required, or does soy sauce work?

Soy sauce works at the same 2 teaspoons. Tamari is the wheat-free option, which matters if you are keeping the plate gluten-free as well as low in carbs.

How long do the hard-boiled eggs keep?

Cooked ahead, they keep 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge. Chopping them goes fast, so many cooks keep a few on hand through the week.

Can I pack this for lunch?

Pack the tuna mixture in one container and the dry spinach in another, then combine at the table. Assembled early, the greens slump and the sesame seeds go soft.

Mine tastes flat. What is missing?

Usually salt or sesame. The tamari carries the salt, and one more drop of sesame oil often wakes the whole bowl; taste after each addition.

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