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The best tuna salad recipe is a simple, no frills, nostalgic favorite. Tuna is mixed with fresh ingredients, like lemon juice, celery, onion, and pickle relish for an easy to make lunch that you’ll never get tired of.
With a winning combination of pantry ingredients and fresh veggies, you can make a classic tuna fish sandwich, serve it with crackers, or in lettuce wraps. Or, make a classic grilled Tuna Melt!
Recipe walkthrough
How To Make Tuna Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This is one of those recipes that’s all about personal taste. It’s a great base for you to adjust any way you like it.
Combine the ingredients for the dressing together in a large bowl.
Combine the tuna, celery, red onion, pickle relish and lemon juice, breaking the tuna apart with a fork as you go. Then mix in the dressing.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired, adding more salt and pepper, lemon, or pickle.
What Kind is Best for Tuna Salad?
White chunk albacore tuna – I love the light flavor of this variety, plus it’s packed in water instead of oil. Albacore is my first choice.
Water-packed tuna – For a lighter texture and fewer calories, this tuna is packed in water but still has a great flavor.
Oil-packed tuna – Packed in vegetable or olive oil, this tuna is higher in fat or calories, but the trade off is a more luxurious texture.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for something more exciting than crackers? Try these creative serving options!
- Stuffed tomatoes: hollow out large tomatoes and fill with the tuna.
- Stuffed avocados: Slice in half, remove the pit and fill ’em up!
- Dippers: Serve as a protein-packed dip with crackers, crostini, or cut-up veggies.
- Pita pockets: Stuff inside pita bread and top with bean sprouts and tomatoes.
- Tortilla wrap: Spoon onto a tortillas and top with fresh lettuce and tomato. Wrap it up like a burrito and cut in half.
- Lettuce wraps: Spoon into large lettuce leaves for a low-carb lunch.
- Go fresh: Try fresh tuna for a delicious upgrade. Cook the fish all the way through, let it cool, then flake it up for your salad. It’s a great way to use leftovers.
Recipe Variations
Add more depth of flavor and variety with these simple variations.
- Add a hint of sweetness with some chopped apples, raisins, or cranberries.
- For a lighter salad, replace the mayo with sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mashed avocado. Or, try adding just a little olive oil instead.
- Bulk it up by adding things like peas, bell peppers, or Hard Boiled Eggs.
- Mix in some macaroni for a Tuna Macaroni Salad.
- Add flavor with fresh herbs, like parsley or dill, or a little dijon mustard.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Refrigerating: Tuna salad is best served fresh, and should be eaten within a few days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Because of the mayo and fish, avoid leaving the salad on the counter for more than 2 hours.
Freezing: Transfer the salad into a freezer bag and press out as much air as possible. Then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw fully in the fridge and drain out any excess liquid. Give it a good stir and enjoy!
More Easy Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
- Southern Potato Salad
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
The Best Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces Canned white chunk albacore tuna 1 regular sized can, any variety
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Celery finely chopped
- ¼ cup Red onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Relish
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well combined.
- You can add more or less mayonnaise to taste.
- Serve with crackers, on lettuce cups or as a sandwich.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
