Spicy Tuna Cucumber Boats

Recipe by Jacqui Toumbas, food and travel creator sharing Mediterranean-inspired recipes shaped by time spent cooking and eating in Italy and Greece.

A fresh, crunchy, high-protein snack with a creamy, spicy tuna filling that comes together in minutes.

There’s something about a crunchy, fresh snack that still feels satisfying and these spicy tuna cucumber boats have quickly become my latest obsession. They’re light, creamy, spicy, and honestly… a bit addictive. Perfect for those days when you want something quick but still high-protein and delicious.

I made these on a whim the other day after craving something fresh for lunch, and I wanted the filling to be good. Not your basic tuna-mayo situation, something creamy, spicy, tangy and packed with flavour. So I played around with a few ingredients and ended up with the perfect mix: tuna in oil, a good-quality mayo, a boiled egg yolk (the secret to that velvety texture), some heat, and the crunchy cucumber bits mixed back through.

If you’re someone who loves flavour but also loves feeling good after you eat, this one is for you. They take less than 10 minutes, they’re budget-friendly, and they taste like something you’d get at a Japanese café.

Below you’ll find the full recipe, plus a few cooking tips to make them even better. Trust me, once you make them, they’ll be on repeat.

Spicy Tuna Cucumber Boats

Serves: 1-2
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Tuna Mix

• 1 × 95g tin tuna in oil (keep a splash of the oil)

• 1 boiled egg yolk

• 1 tbsp Good Fat Mayo

• 1–2 tsp sriracha

• ½ tsp chilli crisp oil (just the oil)

• ½ tsp soy sauce

• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp rice vinegar or squeeze of lemon

• A small pinch of honey or sugar (about ⅛ tsp)

• 2 Tbsp sliced shallots

• 2 Tbsp chopped coriander

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional for garnish)

• 2 cucumbers, sliced in half with the seeds removed.

Method:

Mash the boiled egg yolk into a smooth paste.

Add tuna + a splash of the tuna oil.

Stir in Good Fat Mayo

Add all the spices, chilli, soy, vinegar, honey, lime, garlic.

Fold through the shallot and herbs

Spoon into the hollowed out cucumbers and top with sesame seeds

Cooking Tips

• Use tuna in oil, not springwater.
  It gives the mix way more flavour and helps it stay creamy without needing heaps of mayo.

• Don’t skip the egg yolk.
  It’s the secret to that ultra-smooth, restaurant-style texture. Mash it really well before mixing.

• Meal prep tip:
  Keep the tuna mix and cucumber boats separate and fill them right before eating.