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Overhead shot of Ecuadorian tuna potato salad mixed together and served in a shallow white dish.
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Ecuadorian Tuna Potato Salad (Ensalada de papa y atún)

Ecuadorian tuna potato salad, also known as ensalada de papa y atún, is made with boiled potatoes, canned tuna fish, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin American
Keyword Canned tuna, Comfort food, Curtido, Easy lunch, Pickled red onions, Potatoes, Tomato
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4-5 medium potatoes washed and cleaned, but leave them unpeeled
  • 1 red onion finely sliced
  • 4 tomatoes diced
  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 cans of tuna fish in olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil can use the olive oil from the tuna cans, add more or less to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Place the whole unpeeled cleaned potatoes in a pot and cover them with plenty of water and add some salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook until soft, about 30-40 minutes depending on size. You can try to poke a knife through the middle of a potato to check for doneness.
  • Put the cooked potatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool them and then proceed to peel them and cut them into small square pieces.
    Ingredients needed to make Ecuadorian tuna potato salad on a counter.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, soak the sliced red onions in cold water to remove the spiciness/bitterness. If they’re very spicy you can soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse them well after soaking,
    Soak the sliced red onions in cold water to remove the bitterness
  • In a medium sized bowl add the rinsed onions , the diced tomatoes, the chopped cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. Mix well and let marinate for about 30 minutes.
    Lime marinated tomato and onions with cilantro
  • In a large salad bowl mix together the cooked and peeled diced potatoes, the tuna fish, the marinated onions and tomatoes, olive oil and salt to taste.
    Potato tuna salad in a bowl with the tuna mixture on top of the bed of tomatoes in a white dish.
  • Mix well and adjust any flavors as needed (more salt, extra lime juice, more cilantro, more olive oil, etc). This salad can be served immediately, but the flavor does improve if you make it ahead of time and let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
    Overhead shot of Ecuadorian tuna potato salad mixed together and served in a shallow white dish.

Notes

  • Feel free to add extra vegetables to this salad, you can add diced bell pepper for extra crunch. Or diced jalapenos for a spicy variation. You can also serve it on top of lettuce leaves or with a side of cooked white rice.
  • If you don’t like cilantro, you can use parsley or basil instead.
  • For an extra colorful variation you can use half regular potatoes and half purple potatoes.
  • If you are an avocado lover, you can add some diced or sliced avocado on top right before serving.