I never get tired of an excellent tuna salad recipe, and of the hundreds of versions I’ve made, this version is the best. Serve on toast, crackers, a bed of greens, or grilled as a very delicious tuna melt.
No matter how you mix it, making tuna salad at home is one of the easiest, most satisfying meals you can whip up from pantry ingredients
Start with my recipe and enjoy it just as it is, or throw in your own favorite must-haves. It’s ready in minutes and always handy to have when hunger strikes.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Tuna: I prefer tuna packed in water with a dolphin-safe label. I usually buy cans, but you can use packets instead. Or, substitute oil-packed tuna (feel free to decrease the amount of mayonnaise if you do). To remove the oil from oil-packed tuna, add it to a fine-mesh sieve, rinse vigorously with cold water, and press with a spatula to extract all of the liquid out of the fish.
- Mayonnaise: This recipe is heavy on the mayonnaise. Start with ¼ cup if you prefer and add more to taste.
- Sweet pickle relish: Or substitute dill relish or minced dill pickles if you prefer that flavor.
Tuna salad instructions
- Add the drained tuna to a bowl. Stir in the rest of your ingredients : Mayo, celery, onion, pickle relish, garlic, and lemon juice. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tuna melt instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, butter one each side of two slices of bread. I like a white or wheat bread with lots of toast-able surface area.
- Lay one piece of bread in the skillet and top with a thick layer of your tuna fish salad. Top with a piece of cheese (preferably American) and a second piece of buttered bread (butter-side up).
- When the bottom bread is golden brown, carefully flip the entire tuna melt. Continue cooking until the second side is browned. Remove and devour!
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches (2/3 cup per sandwich).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Mayo-free: Instead of mayonnaise, try making the dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu. You can also add lemon vinaigrette (¼ olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard, fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or chives and salt and pepper to taste).
- More mix-ins: Add a small amount of diced apple (Granny Smith would be perfect), a handful of thawed peas, or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs to your tuna salad.
- Lettuce wraps: Tuna salad is delicious wrapped in lettuce leaves or piled on a bed of lettuce.
- Tuna pasta salad: Make a tasty tuna pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni, rotini, or your other favorite small pasta.
- Stuffed tomatoes: Hollow out juicy tomatoes and fill with tuna salad for an old-fashioned, and super-delicious, lunch entrée.
- Ahi Tuna Salad: Is the Ahi tuna looking fabulous at the fish market, or have you got an extra bit of ahi tuna from last night’s dinner? Splurge and make tuna salad with it. Cook it through, then flake it up in this recipe.
More delicious deli salads
Salad Recipes
Easy Potato Salad
Sandwich Recipes
Egg Salad
Salad Recipes
The Best Macaroni Salad
Salad Recipes
Easy Cold Pasta Salad
The Best Tuna Salad
I never get tired of an excellent tuna salad recipe, and of the hundreds of versions I’ve made, this version is the best. Serve on toast, crackers, a bed of greens, or grilled as a very delicious tuna melt.
Ingredients
- 4 (5 ounce) cans tuna packed in water drained (see note 1)
- 1 cup mayonnaise or less to taste (see note 2)
- 1/3 cup celery finely chopped (about 1 rib)
- 2 tablespoons red onion minced, about 2 small slices
- 2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, relish, lemon juice, and garlic.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Tuna: I prefer tuna packed in water with a dolphin-safe label. I usually buy cans, but you can use packets instead. Or, substitute oil-packed tuna (feel free to decrease the amount of mayonnaise if you do). To remove the oil from oil-packed tuna, add it to a fine-mesh sieve, rinse vigorously with cold water, and press with a spatula to extract all of the liquid out of the fish.
- Mayonnaise: This recipe is heavy on the mayonnaise. Start with ¼ cup if you prefer and add more to taste.
- Sweet pickle relish: Or substitute dill relish or minced dill pickles if you prefer that flavor.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches (2/3 cup per sandwich).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Mayo-free: Instead of mayonnaise, try making the dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu. You can also add lemon vinaigrette (¼ olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard, fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or chives and salt and pepper to taste).
- More mix-ins: Add a small amount of diced apple (Granny Smith would be perfect), a handful of thawed peas, or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs to your tuna salad.
- Lettuce wraps: Tuna salad is delicious wrapped in lettuce leaves or piled on a bed of lettuce.
- Tuna pasta salad: Make a tasty tuna pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni, rotini, or your other favorite small pasta.
- Stuffed tomatoes: Hollow out juicy tomatoes and fill with tuna salad for an old-fashioned, and super-delicious, lunch entrée.
- Ahi Tuna Salad: Is the Ahi tuna looking fabulous at the fish market, or have you got an extra bit of ahi tuna from last night’s dinner? Splurge and make tuna salad with it. Cook it through, then flake it up in this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.66cupCalories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 19gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 516mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 164IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
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Just surfing through Pinterest this morning & found this recipe. I got right up & made it (I cut it in half) & love it. I did add a little more celery & relish than the recipe calls for.
Hi Jen, thanks so much for your comment!! You know, sometimes I add more celery and relish too. I think it’s totally a personal preference on how much crunch you want. I’ve also added carrots which I love, especially when I’m feeding it to my kids. My mother-in-law adds green olives. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love tuna salad and tuna casserole. I prefer the water packed also, and found it interesting that you don’t like it warm but you’ll make it into a melt? lol.. to me the oil makes it slimy. ;)
Patti, my mom shares your opinion. No idea what my deal is. :) I think I like the contrast of hot bread with cold salad? Same reason I like to dip hot pizza in cold ranch. There is probably a technical name for what is wrong with me. :)
I love a good tuna sandwich, and this one looks perfect! And your tuna melt sounds amazing too!
Erm … I actually do like tuna in oil, Meggan! I like it because the oil soaks into the bread and makes it yummy. I usually try to choose olive oil, though. ;-)
I really love that you’ve given me a proper tuna salad recipe here. I usually just open up the tuna and slap it on some bread with some mayo and tomato!
Well that’s awesome, Helen! I do think it is likely that there is a difference between the tuna in oil you’ve had and the stuff in the US. Not positive but it’s entirely likely! And even if it’s exactly the same, I certainly haven’t given it a fair shake. I only ever make tuna salad with canned tuna and the oil + mayo combo seems like overkill to me. But I trust your foodie judgement. :)
I love a good tuna salad sandwich. I often make them when I want a quick lunch. In fact, I have all of the ingredients – I can have this for lunch today :)
It is one of the quickest lunches around! I pretty much always have the ingredients on hand too. So convenient. Thank you so much!
I like packed in water as well, it’s too rich for me in oil. This is a very tasty sandwich and I have to say I’m a tuna melt kinda girl.
Like I said… put “melt” on the end of anything and it sounds better. Hot fudge sundae melt? Check. Oreo melt? Check. ;)
You’ve just made me to start thinking lunch now. And it’s only 10:30 in the morning… :P
It’s never too early for lunch! I’ve always preferred having lunch for breakfast, anyway. :) Thank you for visiting !
Yes, a standard and a favourite for me!
Thanks Rachel! :)
Meggan, I am totally with you on preferring water packed tuna. Once upon a time you could only get oil packed tuna, but since I found water packed, I’ve never looked back. I think people think tuna is more flavorful when packed in oil, but I like the flavor of water packed and certainly don’t need the calories.
Susan, I have heard that about tuna packed in oil. Specifically when I was googling something along the lines of “why would anyone eat tuna packed in oil” that was the general feedback. Perhaps because I’m not a big consumer of fish in general, I don’t necessarily WANT more flavorful tuna! Ha! ;)
I’m with you on that, Meggan!
Personally I’ve always like tuna in oil. I adore the extra flavor. Tuna in water tastes flat to me. Tuna in oil has the flavor I grew up in with my Italian famly
I was planning to make something with tuna today, but might as well make a tuna sandwich for myself! Looks so delicious!
Thank you, Mira! :)