This easy and creamy tuna dip recipe is done in minutes and can be made hot or cold. As an appetizer recipe, canned tuna makes preparation super simple.
This dip can be made for lunch and is terrific on various dippers, including crackers, chips, and vegetables.
In a hurry? No cooking is needed for delicious party food in an instant.
Why you should make Cream Cheese Tuna Dip
Tuna dip is one of the most creamy dips and does not have to be made with mayo. Done in about 10 minutes, this appetizer is a great choice when you need an appetizer quickly.
Party friendly and great for crowds, this cold tuna dip can be altered with various flavors like lemon juice, liquid smoke, or even buffalo sauce for various delicious changes.
And eating this dip hot or cold is up to you! Serve up straight at room temperature or bake in the oven for an even creamier and melty version; tuna dip is game night-ready and snack worthy.
Ingredients
- Canned Tuna – There are various tuna types and flavors to choose from. When constructing a tuna dip recipe, use solid white tuna in water (suggested: Albacore) drained from all excess liquid. Do not use tuna in oil. Alternatively, quality tuna could also be found in pouches – Tuna Creations makes them.
- Cream cheese – When working with cream cheese in recipes, it’s best to take it from the fridge and let it soften on the counter for about 15 minutes before starting the recipe. This makes the cream cheese far more pliable.
- Hot salsa – The heat is really easy to control by picking a favorite mild, medium, or hot salsa.
- Salt & pepper
- Dippers – pretzels, buttery crackers, corn chips, and vegetable sticks for serving
How to make Tuna Dip
Prep time is almost no time at all!
Hassle-free cooking is the name of the game when it comes to making this easy recipe. No food processor is needed; all the simple steps are below to start making and eating!
- Add drained canned tuna, cream cheese, and salsa to a mixing bowl.
- Using a spatula, mix well until smooth.
- Season with salt and black pepper and mix.
- Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Top with sliced green onions for a bit of extra flavor and color.
- Serve with pretzels, crispy potato chips, and fresh vegetables. Add to a wrap or serve with warm toasted bread as lunch.
Make Smoked Tuna Dip
To alter this recipe to be smoked tuna, add 1 tsp liquid smoke to the dip.
Make Buffalo Tuna Dip
Substitute the hot salsa for Buffalo Sauce.
Make Tuna Dip Light
Use light cream cheese or low-fat cream cheese and light tuna (less fatty tuna) in water to alter nutritional values.
Tuna Dip Garnish Options
A garnish of parsley (Fresh parsley leaves), a dash of cayenne pepper or paprika, a squeeze of lemon juice with fresh lemon top, or a dusting of black pepper.
How to serve Canned Tuna Dip
Chunks of tuna make a thicker-based dip, and it’s best to have a stronger snack to dip with.
Vegetables: Try sliced carrots, celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, or even pickles.
Favorite Chips or Crackers: We suggest buttery round crackers like Ritz Crackers, strong dipping tortilla chips (try our homemade tortilla chips recipe), air fried pita chips, bagel chips, or ridged potato chips.
Various: Ways to dip include cheese on a toothpick or rolling up into a soft flour tortilla as a wrap.
Related Seafood Recipes
- This creamy seafood pasta salad recipe is fresh, delicious, and great for summer picnics.
- Have extra cans of tuna? Try this creamy tuna pasta salad recipe with tomatoes creating the perfect pasta bite.
- There isn’t a better ninja foodi salmon recipe online than this.
- Like this recipe, try this shrimp and cream cheese dip recipe for a different seafood taste.
- Thick delicious shrimp pesto pasta salad is THE recipe of the year.
- Light and fresh, avocado and shrimp GO together.
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Tuna Dip (Cream Cheese)
Ingredients
- 5 oz. Canned Tuna in water, drained very well
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese softened for easy mixing
- 3 tbsp hot salsa
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pull cream cheese from the fridge, open packaging, and let sit on the counter at room temperature for about 15 minutes prior to making if possible. This helps cream cheese soften and makes it easier to mix.
- Drain canned tuna fully of excess moisture.
- Add drained tuna, softened cream cheese, and hot salsa to a mixing bowl.
- Using a spatula, mix well until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix.
- Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.
- Serve with pretzels, crackers and fresh vegetables.
Notes
Nutritional information is an automated estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator or app.
Nutrition
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