Quick And Easy Tuna Dip

This easy tuna dip is made with just 5 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Enjoy with your favourite vegetables or crackers, or serve with fresh bread for a quick and delicious lunch.

This has been my go to tuna dip recipe for years as it is: quick, made from basic ingredients, and delicious! Serve it with vegetables, crisps (chips), even spread on fresh bread. Like my smoked salmon pate, this dip is made with a base of cream cheese and yogurt. It is creamy, with a slight heat from curry powder, and not too rich.

Jump to:

• Why we love this recipe
• Ingredients notes and substitutions
• How to make this tuna dip recipe
• FAQs
• My recipe tips
• Serving Ideas
• Variations
• Storage
• More dip recipe
• Easy Creamy Tuna Dip

Why we love this recipe

• This easy tuna dip recipe is so quick to put together and is made from simple basic ingredients. It is great for last minute entertaining or impromptu guests, or enjoyed as a healthy snack or lunch.
• Many tuna dip recipes use mayonnaise, which I find to be quite heavy. Using tangy yogurt is a healthier – and I personally think is a tastier – alternative to mayo.
• This dip is so versatile – it is great for parties and entertaining, or enjoyed as a dip sat on the sofa watching a movie.

Ingredients notes and substitutions

This creamy tuna dip is made with a handful of pantry staples.

Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.

• Tinned / canned tuna – I prefer to use tuna in olive oil or water. I do not recommend using one in a flavoured dressing in this particular recipe. Use chunks of tuna rather than sandwich tuna flakes for the best texture. Drain the tuna before using.
• Cream cheese – block Philadelphia cream cheese. You can use Philadelphia spread if that is what you have in (I have often made this dip recipe to use up the cream cheese in both block and spread form!)
• Yogurt – plain yogurt. I often use plain Greek yogurt as that is what we always have in the fridge, but you can use plain yogurt if you prefer, or sour cream.
• Curry powder – a mild curry powder. I use a teaspoon and a quarter of mild curry powder, but you can use slightly less, around a teaspoon, if you prefer less of a curry powder taste.
• Salt – sea salt or kosher salt.
• Black pepper.

How to make this tuna dip recipe

Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.

1. Tip the cream cheese in to a large bowl and beat with a spoon until soft.
2. Add the yogurt and curry powder, season with salt and black pepper, and whisk to combine. TIP: You can do this step with a spoon, or in a stand mixer or with hand beaters if you prefer.

3. Stir in the drained canned tuna.
   • TIP 1: If you want chunks of tuna in your dip then stir lightly, but if you want a more blended dip then stir well.
   • TIP 2: Taste a little bit of the dip to check for seasoning, adding a little more salt or black pepper if required.
4. Serve straight away, or store covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.

FAQs

My recipe tips

• Use room temperature cream cheese as it will be easier to mix with the other dip ingredients.
• Whisk or beat the cream cheese before adding the yogurt to avoid having lumps in your dip.
• Adding the tuna last means you can control the texture of your dip.
• If you want your dip to be slightly runnier in consistency, add a little more yogurt.
• The flavours of both the tuna and curry powder become stronger when made ahead.

Serving Ideas

• With your favourite crudite – sticks of raw carrots, celery sticks, slices of bell peppers / capsicum and cucumber.
• With crackers, pita chips or breadsticks.
• With potato crisps / chips.
• Spread on top of warm buttered toast or Turkish bread.
• In vol au vent cases for a cute canapé, appetiser or starter:

Variations

• Lemon and herb: if you don’t want to use the curry powder, prepare the cream cheese and yogurt base but add ½ teaspoon lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice or some finely chopped fresh herbs (such as fresh parsley, or chives), then stir in the tuna.
• For a spicier tuna dip: sprinkle over some cayenne pepper or stir through Sriracha instead of the curry powder.
• Onion / garlic: Add a finely chopped green onion / spring onion, or ⅙ – ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.

Storage

Fridge: this dip will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, although it is best eaten on the day that it is made as it can go a little watery. If I have any leftover dip, I often stir it through warm pasta.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this dip as the cream cheese and yogurt can change texture in the freezer.

More dip recipe

Looking for more dip recipes? Try these: