This tuna salad recipe will become your new favorite! It’s not your boring, everyday tuna salad. The ingredients in this are mind-blowing and will change your tuna salad life. Just read the comments! It’s not just me saying that!
Quick Overview: In only 10 minutes, this easy recipe will become what you consider, the best tuna salad recipe! It ranks right up there with the BEST Chicken Salad Recipe and this Avocado BLT.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
During the summer months, tuna salad sandwiches are one of my favorite summer recipes to make for a lunch recipe. (But you can have it for main course too! Especially after being outside all day on a hot day!) It’s a great sandwich to rotate between ham salad sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches!
Plus, they’re easy, and don’t require heating up the kitchen!
You can also use the tuna salad to top a bed of lettuce with, eat with crackers and so much more!
Which Type of Tuna is Best?
It’s so nice to be able to keep a can of tuna in the pantry for those last minute meals, like this tuna pasta salad recipe and this tuna casserole, and for this tuna recipe, you can use whatever kind of tuna you prefer: albacore, tuna with olive oil, etc.
However, I think the best kind of tuna is white tuna in water, in case you find that helpful! (See “substitutions” and FAQs below if you decide to use something other than what I used!)
Jump to:
Ingredients for this Tuna Salad Recipe
I’ve had and have made tuna salad sandwiches many different ways over the years but I keep coming back to the classic tuna salad that uses simple ingredients, and that’s what I want to share with you today!
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
- Canned tuna: For this recipe we choose solid white albacore tuna in water and flaked it after draining. You may use other canned tuna if you have a preference.
- Real mayonnaise: Mayo is used as a binder for the ingredients to come together in perfect harmony. There are many options for mayo. For this recipe we prefer to use real mayonnaise. Elevate this recipe by using mayo made with olive oil!
- Sweet pickle relish: You may substitute dill relish or even chop your own favorite pickles!
- Red onion: Depth and savory flavor profile.
- Celery: Celery brings a fresh crunch to this elevated dish.
- Fresh lemon juice and flat-leaf parsley: Both of these ingredients elevate this dish and bring a freshness to the recipe.
- Dried chives and garlic powder: Chives elevate and enhance the flavor profile of this delicious salad.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: Salt and pepper are perfect companions for tuna!
Substitutions
- If you choose canned tuna packed in oil, you may want to reduce the mayonnaise to ¼ cup.
- You may use a number of mayonnaise options including mayo alternatives, such as Miracle Whip, plant based mayo, avocado oil mayo, plain Greek yogurt, etc.
- You may use dill relish or your own minced sweet pickles or dill pickles instead of sweet relish if you prefer less sweetness.
- If you are averse to red onion, try substituting green onion, diced apples or grapes!
- Lime juice instead of lemon juice. (I haven’t tried this but I’m sure it would have great flavor!)
Variations
- Make a tuna melt: Simply make the tuna salad as stated, and then make it like a grilled cheese sandwich!
- Tuna Lettuce Wrap: Serve this recipe on a bed of lettuce or in one giant romaine lettuce leaf as a wrap!
- Additional Mix-in ideas: Looking to kick things up a notch? Here are some extra ingredients I’ve added to tuna salad before, that you may want to try: hot sauce, curry powder (like the flavors in our curry egg salad), garlic clove – chopped, (or garlic powder) a teaspoon of dijon mustard (or so), red bell pepper, or fresh dill!
How to Make This Tuna Salad Recipe
In only 10 minutes you’ll have delicious tuna salad ready for bread, a croissant or even eat with crackers!
- Drain the water from the tuna and place in a medium mixing bowl.
- Next, add ⅓ cup real mayonnaise, ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons red onion, minced, 1 stalk celery, minced, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixing bowl of tuna.
- Then add 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Combine together using a rubber spatula or spoon. Be sure all of the ingredients are well blended.
Hint: To elevate and add heat to this delicious recipe, add 1 small minced jalapeno!
Recipe FAQs
When it comes to tuna and even tuna salad, there may be some questions that you have. Here are answers to the most common questions:
Canned tuna mixes so well with so many things. Mayo, mashed avocado, lettuce salad, pasta, breadcrumbs, eggs, and so much more. Some of these items mixed in with tuna, make amazing dishes such as tuna salad, tuna casseroles, avocado toast, and even tuna patties.
Fresh herbs, seasonings, spices, creamy bases, and veggies for a crunch, are always good options to add to canned tuna to make it better! Using tuna as a protein like you would other proteins like salmon and chicken can be a great idea.
If you find that your tuna at home doesn’t taste as good as it does when eating at a cafe, diner, or restaurant, it’s possibly because the tuna salad was made earlier, and it has allowed the flavors to combine and settle together in the refrigerator. Try making your tuna salad in advance, and then not only will the flavors have time to blend, but it will be a quick meal idea too!
Greek yogurt, plain yogurt or Miracle Whip can be a substitute for mayo in tuna, if desired. If looking for a vegan option though, a vegan mayo can be used. Mashed avocado can also be a great substitute for a creamy base.
No need to rinse canned tuna before using it. It’s safe to eat right out of the can unless it’s in oil, and then you may want to rinse it.
This is a personal preference and it could also depend on how you’re serving or using the canned tuna. Tuna in oil can add a slightly different flavor and more calories. Tuna in water could reduce the calories and help capture the true tuna flavor.
The texture of tuna with oil is something to think about, compared to water as well. As far as blending canned tuna with other ingredients, oily tuna can blend well with the other creamy ingredients too.
What to Serve with Tuna Salad
Tuna Sandwich: You can enjoy the tuna salad on only slices of bread, or you can top the tuna salad sandwich with: crisp lettuce, bacon (you can even do bacon cooked in the air fryer or turkey bacon), a slice of onion, avocado halves (or slices), a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, fresh veggies or more fresh herbs, or even top with potato chips for an extra “crunch!”
Tuna Salad: This is delicious when served with crackers or even your favorite chips. (You could even use sliced peppers or sliced cucumbers to dip if going low-carb.) It’s also delicious when served on top of a leafy green salad.
Storage
You may store this tuna salad in the refrigerator using an airtight container, for up to 5 days!
Due to the fact that there is mayonnaise in this recipe, refrigerate after 2 hours for food safety reasons.
Top Tip
If you choose a solid white canned tuna, you may need to flake the meat after you drain the water.
Related Recipes
If you loved this classic recipe, then you’ll also love this egg salad recipe, this chicken grilled cheese, and this fried peanut butter and jelly!
Recipe
The BEST Tuna Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces can tuna, drained
- ⅓ cup real mayonnaise see substitutions in post
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish see substitutions in post
- 2 Tablespoons red onion, minced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried chives if desired
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the water from the tuna and place in a medium mixing bowl.
- Next, add ⅓ cup real mayonnaise, ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons red onion, minced, 1 stalk celery, minced, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixing bowl of tuna.
- Then add 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and combine together using a rubber spatula. Be sure all of the ingredients are well blended.
- Serve on your favorite bread or a bed of lettuce with crackers. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Kim says
I made this tonight for the first time! Was ready for a new tuna recipe and it’s delicious! Didn’t have chives on hand but my hunny and I loved it. Toasted the buns and added fresh piece of romaine 🤌🏼😘
Jessica says
Oh gosh, it’s SOOO good… isn’t it? I’m so glad that you liked it! Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth Mulgrew says
I love tuna sandwiches and needed a change from my old personal recipe. This fills the bill. My husband also gave it a thumbs up and he’s the Official Food Taster! With some of Jessica’s suggested toppings, this is a boffo tuna sandwich!
Jessica says
Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad that you found this tuna salad recipe then! It’s sooo good, isn’t it? Thrilled that you all loved it too. Thank you for sharing.
James says
Some leaf lettuce and .maybe a slice of tomatoe. Toast te bread. Yum yum.
Jessica says
I LOVE lettuce on a tuna sandwich!! Thank you for sharing!
Janis Powers says
I tried it today it is nothing but good tuna salad
Donna says
I have a family member that hates all shapes, sizes of pickles. Can this be made without the pickles?
Jessica says
Hi Donna! This recipe doesn’t actually call for pickles but it does relish… so if relish is not an option, you can definitely make it without it. Do they like banana peppers? Sometimes I love having that with my tuna for the vinegar “tang” too!
Loreto and Nicoletta says
We are big fans of Tuna Salad sandwiches. Love all your ingredients together.
Thanks for sharing!😋👍👌😍❤️🙏
Amy says
This recipe reminded me of the tuna salad my Mom made and it was delicious. The pickle relish makes the recipe so good.
Ksenia says
Had this for lunch today and I’m a big fan!!! Perfect balance of creaminess and crunch
Erica says
I loved the crunch of the celery and the flavor from the chives such a great add. I did half the sweet relish as it isn’t always my personal fave. It was so yummy.
Tracy says
We love tuna salad and this one is soooo good! Our whole family loved it. The chives are so perfect in it – thank you!
Jenny says
We love a tasty tuna fish salad sandwich. I love minced red onion with tuna salad. Can’t wait to make this again!
Megs says
These sandwiches are absolutely amazing. I love finding some easy recipes that are also budget friendly thanks for sharing.
Lauren Michael Harris says
I hadn’t had a good tuna salad sandwich is so long, but after making this recipe for the kids and I, it will definitely be a regular again – we all loved it!
Jessica says
Oh that is so awesome to hear, thank you so much for sharing!
Heather says
We make tuna sandwiches once a week… but this version was fantastic! Didn’t have relish so swapped with some dill pickles chopped up.. delish!
Jessica says
Oh using pickles instead of relish sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Gloria says
I love a great sandwich for dinner. When the weather is hot, sandwiches are great for patio eating. This sounds delicious. I always have cans of tuna in the house.
Joan says
How do I cut the recipe in half? One 5-6 oz. can tuna? Just to try it for the first time.
April says
Had this for lunch and it was delicious! I loved the addition of chives – it added a lot of flavor! Going to take your suggestion of adding diced jalapeno next time – yum!
Jessica says
Oh good!! I’m so glad that you liked it and I can’t wait to hear if you like the jalapeno! 🙂 Thank you!
Agnes says
So good!! A great lunch, filling and flavorful!
Eden says
We made this for lunch and it was wonderful! So flavorful and good. Pinning to save for later!
Ken says
In your tuna salad recipe steps 2 &3 are identical.
Jessica says
Hi Ken!! I’ve fixed that. Thank you for letting me know!