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.
Recipe ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Tuna: I like to use solid-pack tuna in water with a dolphin-safe label. I usually buy cans, but you can use packets instead. If all you have is oil-packed, you can always 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.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Once you’ve opened the can of tuna, drain the water away. I like to do this by removing the lid and holding it over the sink to drain.
- Add the 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.
It tastes even better if you let it chill for a couple hours, but I usually just eat it immediately, straight out of the bowl. I can’t help it!
Make a tuna melt:
A tuna melt is basically a grilled cheese sandwich with tuna in it (and tomato, or even BACON).
- 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!
Variations and substitutions:
- Healthy: To lighten up your tuna salad, cut back on the mayo, or use plain yogurt instead. Then load up on fresh crunchy veggies and chopped herbs. Don’t skimp on the lemon juice, either!
- Apples: A small amount of diced crunchy apple (I’m looking at you, Granny Smith!) is wonderful in tuna salad.
- Tuna pasta salad: Make a tasty tuna pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni, rotini, or your other favorite small pasta.
- Stuffed tomatoes: Summer’s best tomatoes can be hollowed out and filled with tuna salad for an old-fashioned, and super-delicious lunch entrée.
- Peas: Fresh or frozen peas add color and texture to tuna salad, so go ahead and add a handful.
- Hard-boiled eggs: I love chopped hard-boiled egg added to tuna salad for a little extra protein on busy days..
- 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:
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (5 ounce) cans tuna packed in water drained
- 1 cup mayonnaise (or less to taste)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped celery about 1 rib
- 2 tablespoons red onion minced, about 2 small slices
- 2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish or dill relish
- 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
Make a tuna melt:
A tuna melt is basically a grilled cheese sandwich with tuna in it (and tomato, or even BACON).- 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!
This was the best recipe I ever made. My 96 years old mother in a low never eat tune in her life. I toasted 2 slices of rye bread 1 slice of tomato and a small amount of lettuce. She loved. She sad, please make more. I hand chop all the ingredients very fine. She asks me what was in the tuna. I sad Tuna
Super quick and easy to make. Much more flavorfull than how i used to make it. Delicious!
Best to use Italian tuna in cans packed in olive oil……
I’m allergic to cucumbers, so I omitted the relish. But this was still amazing!
Wow, your recipe is so awesome. I have never known this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I will try to follow your recipe and I hope it looks delicious as your picture. I will share this recipe for my friends and my family. I think they love it too.
Delicious. I made this as an appetizer (my husband thought is dinner 🙂) you don’t taste the actual onion and garlic. Very flavorful.
Easy and super delicious. I was looking for a recipe to mask the fishyness and this hit the spot.
Soooo good!
Perfect tuna salad recipe!!! How long do you think it would stay good in the refrigerator ?
Hi Tracy, it should keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. Just make sure it gets refrigerated as soon as possible after you make it. – Meggan
Radishes..thin, chopped radishes in tuna salad is great crunch.
Love this recipe as it is how my mother made it with one exception: Sub out the lemon juice and use dill pickle juice instead. We use sweet relish to offset the tang of the pickle juice.
On light toast with some crispy iceberg lettuce…yummy.
Delicious!
I used fresh caught tuna, lightly boiled it Added some sliced grapes. Very yummy!!
Keith
I’m glad I found your recipe for tuna salad! It is delicious! Thank you for sharing!
such a great tuna melt recipe. Tried it and love it!
Utterly delicious! I was also dubious about the garlic, but with the apples, it was great!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am in love. I never thought to add garlic to my tuna. It was delicious!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you! -Meggan
Normally I tinker with a recipe but this one seemed to have everything just the way I would expect right from the start. I was very impressed with the balance of this salad, keeping it for future reference! Looking forward to seeing what else you have! :)
I usually don’t leave reviews for recipes, but for this one I had to make an exception. This tuna salad is fantastic. I was a little bit skeptical of the addition of the sweet relish, but I had some so I gave it a shot. Delicious. The fresh garlic was also a lovely touch which I hadn’t thought of adding before. Enough savory power, enough zip, just a touch of sweetness from the relish, it really worked. It all came together to create a lovely combination. My kids–who found the fishy smell of the tuna off-putting–loved it. Also, I used frozen chopped celery. I was worried that it wouldn’t come out well with the frozen celery, but after reading accounts of success with it I tried and it was wonderful. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hi Christina, that’s wonderful! Thank you soo much for the lovely comment, I’m glad your kids loved it. – Meggan
This recipe is very similar to the tuna salad I’ve made for years, with a couple of exceptions…
First, I love good mayonnaise (I use Duke’s), but 1 cup of mayonnaise is just WAY too much, IMO. Only 1/3 – 1/2 cup is needed.
Second, it has more balance and zip with the addition of 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (regular yellow is okay too).
Overall very good recipe, but be careful unless you like a whole lot of mayonnaise.
Hi, I love tuna salad sammiches,but I usually only use mayo and relish. I’m going to try it with the other ingredients you listed, especially the lemon juice (fresh squeezed, of course) and garlic.Also, I love to cook salmon on the grill, with a little bit of butter and dill weed, over hickory chips. I always cook a big fillet, and use the leftover salmon and to make this salad with salmon instead of tun. Delicious!!!
That sounds simple and delicious! YUM! I hope you enjoy the tuna! – Meggan
I love tuna but I’ve always found it difficult to make just right at home. This recipe is amazing! I use it all of the time! Definite winner!!!
I like to substitute avocado for the some of the mayo. I’ll also add sun dried tomatoes, finely diced up into the tuna mix. I do not like red onion as much as white onion (which is a little sweeter in my opinion). I also do not add extra salt. There really is no need. It’s one of my go-to meals!
Excellent comprehensive coverage of one of my favorite sandwiches.
This really is the BEST tuna salad recipe! I usually just throw a little of this and that I to my tuna when I make it and sometimes it just isn’t quite “right”. But this recipe takes all the guesswork out and the result is the perfect tuna salad. It’s worth putting in the fresh ingredients rather than dried— so take the few extra minutes and do the chopping!
Great taste. Made with dry onion and garlic salt. Loved the relish in the recipe!!
I love this recipe and added a little mustard.
Does albacore make a difference?
Thank you.
Lizzy
Hi Lizzy! I have honestly never made this with albacore. I tend to stay away from it because of the higher mercury levels, I just love tuna and I’m always eating my limit. So if I eat albacore, that just means less. So I’m not sure! I imagine it’s just personal preference. I love the idea of mustard. I might try some Dijon next time. Thank you! -Meggan
It’s how I usually make it so good recipe.
I add fresh dill .
I also add sautéed onions in butter to the melt and sliced tomatoes! Killer☺️. Only problem is turning over😋
Wonderful Recipe! I like more relish and more salt and pepper.
thank you
To make it even healthier, add a tin of sardines. Even better is a tin of sardine and small can of salmon.
We make ours a tiny little bit differently than this but the most important thing to remember is: buy quality, wild caught albacore. In a side by side taste comparison, salad made with the cheap stuff tasted like it washed up on shore and laid in the sun for awhile before processing. The good stuff does not have that off-putting “hey I’m a fish” odor. 😊
A word of caution on Albacore. It has the highest mercury content. Best choice is Skipjack, also labeled as chunk light. Even Yellowfin is safer but it’s larger than Skipjack. It’s best to go for smaller varieties.
I’m SOOO glad to see that you didn’t add mustard (gaaag)! I make my tuna almost the same way, except that I add a bit of fresh minced dill when I have some. Also, try using “Duke’s” mayo. It’s absolutely delicious.
This is excellent! I made a tuna melt with a toasted pita, melted sharp white cheddar, tomato and sprouts. the sprouts give it a fresh nutty flavor. I work on a yacht and will be making this for my crew!
Sounds amazing Shan! -Meggan
The Nutrition Facts per serving seems way off. I have 167 cal per serving, not 400.
Hi Mike, agreed. Sometimes the nutrition calculators have values that are totally wacky. I recalculated it within the recipe card and got 264 calories per serving without bread. That’s assuming about 2/3 cup tuna salad, so if your portion is smaller, your calorie count might be smaller. I’m assuming 6 servings per batch. Thanks for pointing that out! So sorry about that. -Meggan
Best over leafy green lettuce with tomato slices. I put it on lightly toasted Oro wheat with buttermilk ranch dressing for lunches. The addition of garlic & lemon put the right touch on this recipe.
I just made this yesterday and it is so easy and so good! I can’t wait to try it as a tuna melt. Thanks!
You can also substitute avocado instead of mayo or mix reduced amount of mayo with avocado (using a food processor to mix the avocado with the mayo–or just use all avocado. Another option is to use the mayo that’s made with avocado oil.
So easy and yes, it is really the BEST!
I used kalamata olives instead of pickle relish. I don’t want my tuna salad to be sweet. I also added water chestnuts for extra crunch. And I added some Italian seasoning. It was very good! I think the mayo amount is a bit too much so I added an extra can of tuna. Next time I will just use a little less mayo. Maybe 3/4 cup.
I used dill relish, added some chopped bacon and apples…this was so good! Thank you!
I used Veganaise instead of Mayo and added avocado, serrano, tomato, cashews, and a little bit of mustard and it was FANTASTIC! Thank you!!
This is one of the best tuna salads I have had in quite some time!!
Just made this for lunch and we both loved it. I didn’t find that it needed any additional salt since the pickle relish is already salty, but that’s just a matter of personal preference. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is my favorite tuna salad recipe!
Won’t use any other recipes from now on!
Can i add boules eggs
Yes! I used to do this all the time, I had a friend from Ukraine and that was his preferred salad. Tuna with eggs. It is literally so good, and I haven’t thought of it in years. Thank you for the reminder! -Meggan
I made this tuna recipe for my family. Now this is the only tuna recipe I make. They love it. Thank you.
What great news! Thanks Michelle! -Meggan
how many calories for one serving?
230 calories
Made it, with homemade pickles, thanks.
Awesome recipe
Easy to follow, simple and yet so delicious and nutritious! This will be on top of my favorites now.
DELICIOUS!!!!!
This is soooo good! I added half the mayo and had it with a simple salad on the side & Croûtons. It was delish!
Thank you so much Marina! I am happy to hear you liked it! -Meggan
It looks so healthy and yummy. My son loves to eat so much and ask me make it for her whenever i have free time. It helps to enrich my recipes for my family. not only this recipe, i also love all your recipes. Thanks for your sharing.
Good tasting – I subbed Sweet Pepper Relish, white onion, and celery salft for the celery and left out the garlic (inadvertently), and it was excellent. Bookmarked.
I agree with all, except the sweet relish..I detest sweet relish in deviled eggs as well. Both always reminding me that as a boy I had to suffer through what seemed to be many endless Presbyterian “after church pot luck lunches” with my family! What I do is add two teaspoons of Wright’s “Liquid Smoke” with two of the large cans of solid white tuna IN OIL, and mix in well at the end. This addition tastes exactly like “smoked” tuna fish salad, and it’s a very pleasant change,. The upshot of my doing this is that I get many compliments on my “Smoked Tuna Salad”! Try it…for a pleasant change!
I LOVE tuna salad. It’s my comfort food and I’ll order it anywhere as well as make it at home a good bit. I was looking for a new recipe today because my current one just wasn’t hitting the spot.
This. Is. The. Best. Tuna. Salad. Ever.
Trust me. I was worried the garlic might be too much but I used a normal size clove and just went for it. I’ll never use another recipe. This one is incredible.
Im worried about the relish, but might add some dill, looks yummy 😊 about to make it an put in a soft white roll as that’s all I have !
Thanks for the inspiration 😊
Teena
My wife is catholic and since it’s lent we eat fish on Friday. Being that co-vid 19 has shut down all the restaurants, this was awesome! Thanks
Trying to find different things to eat during our national quarantine and this recipe really kicks up the tuna fish sandwiches from days past. I used cajun spice and black pepper and served open face on wheat thins. Awesomeness! How do you keep from eating it out of the bowl before you get it on your plate? Thank you for making day 13 lunch exciting and flavorful!
Started trying to eat healthier and this mostly ticks the boxes for me. Thanks! Any tips to help reduce sodium?
Loved it with extra honey mustard
This tuna salad is the bomb!
I will be trying this recipe!!
I just finished making and eating this one with my mom and oh my god. It was amazing.
I added capers and skipped the salt. But what a delicious recipe thanks for sharing such a delicious treat. I’m making tuna melt sandwiches tonight. But I’m also doing a tuna wrap for myself. YUMMY 😍
Wow, you’ve covered all the bases on possible variations of tuna salad. Not much more to add, except these two ideas: Sometimes I mix in shredded cabbage (sort of a glorified coleslaw!). Also, for wraps, I use tortillas or raw (veggie) wraps. I like to use vinegar a lot and absolutely don’t use any other kind other than balsamic.
Made this exactly as written, will be our new go-to recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
The minced garlic clove was overpowering. I’d leave that out unless you really like garlic.
The best tuna salad recipe ever!!! This is the first tuna salad recipe I’ve tried to make. To my surprise, it’s better than then deli!!! I also added it to my regular salad! Now I can save money by making my own sandwiches for lunch!! Score!! Thanks!
Thank you so much Christina! Such high praise. :-) I’m really glad you like it! -Meggan
Its good stuff.
Great Tuna salad. Wonderful.
Thanks for the tip about lemon juice! I didn’t know that.
Why not use tuna that’s packed in rice brain oil? You won’t need mayonnaise. I looked up rice bran oil, and it’s very healthy stuff. Tastes good, too. Pour off some of it. I always chop up an onion and stir in some sweet relish.
This will surprise you: Forget the salad and the bread. Heat the tuna up in the microwave and eat it with a spoon.
Hot tuna!
Thanks from Jim Shea in Thailand
Yum! Thank you Jim! I will have to try your hot tuna trick!
Thanks James this sounds amazing. Where do i find tuna with rice brain oil?
Husband and I tried this tonight. We kept the ingredients as listed except halved the mayo and even then that was way too much and had to add more tuna to compensate. Still, it is an interesting recipe with a crisp, fresh-feeling, fresh-tasting crunch that I think we are going to keep around for a while.
I have never been able to make good and tasty tuna salad. Never! This recipe is exactly what I’ve been trying to do. It is absolutely delicious. It has all the right taste bud flavors. I seasoned it a little Cajuny, so it lights up and pleases. So tasty!!! Thank you fir this recipe. My search is over.
Wow! I’m glad you like it! Thanks Dorese! -Meggan
Great recipe! I had way too much tuna on hand and I love how you even mentioned what to do if you only have oil-packed tuna and your tips of how to adjust the tuna salad recipe to personal tastes. Overall, great recipe and great suggestions! Thanks!!!
Best Tuna Salad I have made in 40 years. This is a keeper.
Best tuna salad I have made in 40 years. This is a keeper
Twas vera good. I added Celery salt and a pinch of white pepper.
Has anyone made this recipe without onions and celery? I would prefer not to use these ingredients.
Hi Amy, I definitely have. Sometimes I’m just too lazy to chop veggies. I do like the crunch though, and the flavor. If you don’t want to use them, just omit them entirely (you will obviously have less salad overall) or you could replace them with something you DO like, such as carrots? It sounds weird but I’ve tried it, I like it. Or just nothing. You could also add in hard-boiled eggs if you’re feeling crazy. But just leave out whatever you don’t like! Thanks. -Meggan
Great recipe, I love this so much!
Hi Joanne, we have no idea why Amy was thinking of leaving those out (she hates them? allergies? who knows). -Meggan
Yes I have and it was great..just not a heavy crunch. I dont like the onions and celery either. And it was still good to me. Had a light crunch from the sweet relish. I also added a little honey mustard to mine for a little extra flavor.
Yes. I added eggs, honey mustard and extra sweet relish for crunch. I dont like those either. I ommitrd the garlic as well. It was really good on a sandwich and I ate some chips with it.
Hello,
How long can the Tuna Salad last in the fridge? I would like to use this for lunch meal prep.
Please let me know
Thank you
Hi Kazekage, 4 days at the most. That’s the standard CDC amount of time for leftovers. The texture might also change a little bit after a few days. So as far as food safety goes, 4 days yes. But as far as your personal taste, you’ll have to see if you still like it at Day 3 and 4! I have never had a problem but everyone is different. It’s a great meal-prep idea. Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Meggan!
This tuna salad recipe looks so yummy! My tuna salad usually comes out different each time because I just throw a bit of this and bit of that, each time.
I’m going to have to actually make THIS recipe because it looks divine!
I also wanted to let you know that I featured this recipe on my “49 Easy, Healthy and Nut-Free School Lunch Ideas” post round-up, with full credit back to you and your wonderful website.
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe with us!
-Cherelle
Great sandwich for lunch or snack. The recipe is clear. Many thanks.
You’re so welcome! :D
Excellent recipe, still don’t understand why every single recipe online has to jibber jabber for fifteen minutes before getting to the point, list the ingredients and quantities first then put your big ol’ spheel after because I’ll already have my browser closed and be eating by then.
Hi Bob, you should ALWAYS look for a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every recipe website you go to. Most sites (such as mine) have them, so it saves you the trouble of scrolling. It takes you right to the recipe. As for why we jibber-jabber, that’s how we make money. So just look for that button! Sorry for the trouble. -Meggan
I add as much celery as tuna practically as I <3 celery. I use a lot of relish but prefer Cain's Tangy Dill Relish instead of sweet, and use Old Bay Seasoning as it already has paprika in it. I use white onion as that's what is always on hand. I add extra lemon juice and lots of fresh ground pepper, but have never tried adding garlic … hmmm.
Awesome recipe! I was looking to jazz up my standard tuna,mayo, boiled egg, and relish recipe and this is it. The lemon,red onion and garlic just give it something extra that my go to recipe did not have. I also added celery salt instead of celery I like the flavor of celery just not the celery itself. Does that even make since? LOL Thanks!
Thanks so much Jennifer! Yes, that makes sense about the celery. Celery can take a lot of effort to eat! :D -Meggan
I usually make tuna salad as side dish in my busy day. That’s great you share tips and a lot recipe for canned tuna, thanks so much.
Tuna Salad is great! It is a perfect combination, I always love fish, they are always on my menu. added Tuna Salad to the menu for the weekend. Thank you for sharing the recipe to do it
Best. tuna. salad. EVER! I can’t wait to try the tuna melt recipe. I sampled the final product before adding salt and pepper and it was perfect… I added the salt and pepper and tasted it again. I died and went to heaven. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Thanks Brian! I love that you think it is the best! Maybe I should put ‘ever’ at the end of the recipe title? :D Thanks for your feedback! -Meggan
I followed your instructions. It is really delicious and fragrant. a special recipe, only a little celery, I don’t seem to fit its taste
The ingredients are on point but the bread is completely too burnt for my liking. I honestly wouldn’t even have use that bread for the picture , it throws the whole mouth watering idea off. Yet I’m sure it taste good just wayyyyy to burnt to sell to the public.
The photographer that shot this recipe for me was fired in January. It’s on my list to reshoot, so hopefully soon I can get this fixed. Thank you, sorry about that! -Meggan
This is the basic recipe I have always used but I add 2or 3 chopped hard boiled eggs, lemon juice and finely chopped red and green pepper!
Very good recipe. I think dill relish may be better but that’s also personal preference
1 Cup of mayonnaise is way too much. I had to add another 5 oz can of tuna into the mix just to make it reasonable, and even then it was too much mayonnaise. I suggest people start with half a cup of mayonnaise and adjust accordingly.
It makes my life is more easier than before to enjoy tuna salad. I love it
Your ingredients/proportions worked out fine….love tuna salad. But I love as a sandwich. In the store debating between french bread and potato rolls???? This time went with the soft and chewy potato rolls.
One of the best tuna salads with a sandwich I’ve been tried.
Thank you so much Robert! That means a lot. I love it too so it always makes me happy when someone is willing to try it. :D -Meggan
FOUNDATION TO A GREAT RECIPE. I’m admittedly a bit obsessive about following a recipe to the letter the first time I try it (to be as objective as possible in my review), but it’s rare that I have all ingredients on hand to do so. This time I did. and went for it. One cup of mayo sounded like too much, but given all the positive reviews, I just threw it in. I should have gone with my gut and started with half that amount and added more if necessary–with the full cup, it looked like a mayo soup. Fortunately I had a six-ounce can of tuna on hand to mix in. With that, the consistency was just right for my taste.
With extra tuna salad, I split the batch into two before seasoning. One I seasoned with salt & pepper per the recipe, the other I used Old Bay seasoning (and also added two diced hard-boiled eggs). Both were excellent, but will go with less mayo, Old Bay and eggs as my permanent go-to. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi,
This was great. It taste like a deli-style tuna sandwich with rye. It taste fresher and better. Instead, I used a quarter of squeezed lemon to replace of the lemon juice. Also, Albacore. Thank You for this fresh receipe.
Thank you so much! Yes, albacore. Good call. :) Take care and thanks again! -Meggan
Girl, tuna never gets old! This recipe is really good. I make my own mayo to keep the sodium down. I had NO idea Hellman’s was so salty! Keep the recipes flowing, thanks for this classic!
Yum! Gotta have that pickle on the side when having a tuna sandwich! I used a dill pickle instead of sweet for the relish (personal preference), but it was delicious! What kind of pickles do you usually prefer? I like Bubbies because they don’t use vinegar in their brine. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sam! I’m super delinquent in replying to your comment. I ADORE Bubbies products, I always have the kraut in my fridge. A spoonful a day for gut health at minimum, or it’s the easiest way to add a side of vegetables to my plate without any prep at all. I love the pickles too! So much better than the shelf-stable ones (gross). Do you ever work with bloggers? I love you guys. Have a great day! :D -Meggan
I am probably really late to the party but I love a good tuna sandwich. I am on board with most of this but the sodium content is a bit high for me. I also meal prep my lunches for the week and had to think of ways to keep my tuna from becoming too watery over the course of a couple of days. I borrowed an idea from subway. I use tuna in water but take the draining of the water a bit further than most so that I get the tuna very dry and very well mixed. Their technique is on youtube & it works very well for the water I always seemed to have at the bottom of my mixing bowl.. I also add only lemon or lime, celery and mayo. However, i am experimenting with using both greek yogurt and mayo for the extra nutrient boost. For the yogurt I will try to drain it of whey so that it does not become watery over the couple of days it takes for me to consume the tuna salad. I also add the veggies to the sandwich as toppings. I typically add spinach, lettuce, bell pepper, red onion, shredded carrot & mushroom. For the meal prepped sandwiches for lunch I add a slice of cheese (preferably a cheese with a lower so sodium content and as few additives as possible) & little Dijon to the bread and pack that separate from the tuna. The veggies are also packed separately in either a baggie or reusable container.
This is a little extra work when I am ready to eat at lunch but allows me to get a serving of veggies in a D.C. Meal prep my lunches for a couple of days at the same time.
FOr the grilled sandwich I recently read that using mayo instead of butter works very well. Ive not tried that yet but I’d like to try mayo made with olive oil for this’d technique as it would be slightly be lower in saturated fat.
Will definitely add minced garlic to this.
One last thing finely chopped dried fruit like tart cherries or cranberries are also great additions.
I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I love your recipes. However, I do have to modify them for sodium & fat as I am on a weight loss journey. I like the flavor profiles of your recipes. 🙂
Thank you so much for your wonderful posts.
Great great recipe! I usually add dash or 2 of curry powder…..try it!
Such a great idea! I make curried chicken salad on a weekly basis, I’ve never tried adding it to tuna salad. I’m sure I will love it. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks Barbara. :D -Meggan
Just made your tuna salad recipe. Wasn’t in the mood for bread so used butter lettuce to wrap. May never eat it any other way! Thank you!
Hmm. Thanks for the advice as I never thought of adding pickle relish
or lemon juice
& garlic. It taste Great already…
Now for the tuna, are there not more omega 3’s in oil pack tuna?
Well I grabbed my cans of whitefish & tuna as only had that lying around, but just before adding I finally realized that its Friskies tuna n whitefish :-O
A close call but at least the cat is happy. I’ll have to wait till I get to the store tomorrow so I can be happy :-(
Wonderful recipe! I am a bit finicky when it comes to tuna salad but the ratios and flavours in your recipe were PERFECT!
Hi Meggan,
. I Love a good Tuna Salad but I lost my receipe over the years. I came across yours online and decided to give it a try. I did make a few modifications though. I pretty much followed your receipe as you have it. What I did change, was I finely chopped sweet pickles in the processor instead of Sweet pickle relish. I used the same amount as your receipe called for. I also added 2 Hard Boiled Eggs, finely chopped. I used 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip and 1/3 cup Kraft Mayo, instead of 1 cup of Mayo.
I’ve been told that this is THE best Tuna Salad I’ve ever made. Thank you very much for getting me back on track with Tuna Salad. Very Sincerely, Teddy
Hello Meggan,
I’m old, like really old. Growing up and until I think like the 80’s all tuna was packed in oil. Then someone figured out packing it in water. Now you can buy either way. I prefer the oil packed as I grew up with it. I just take the tuna out of the can in my hands (well washed) and squeeze the heck out of the tuna over the sink. Then I make whatever I want with it. Like your yummy tuna salad recipe. I think the oil gives the tuna more flavor. But everyone can decide for themselves. My grandchildren swear they only like water packed tuna. But they gobble down my oil packed tuna every time. I think I’ll wait a few years to tell them.
Hilarious, Nora! And actually, I’m obsessed with oil-packed tuna now. I finally tried it. And it makes sense because more fat, and fat is DELICIOUS. So yes. I’m a changed woman. :) I appreciate your comment!
I used dill pickle
Relish and not sweet relish very good also do you have a melt recipe
Hi Joe! I like both kinds of relish, glad you made it to your taste. To make a melt, spread butter on two pieces of bread (1 side of the bread). Take 1 piece of bread and place it butter-side down on a pan over medium-high heat. Add a piece of cheese and 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup of tuna salad. Top with a second piece of buttered bread (butter side out). When the bottom piece is golden brown, flip it over and cook the other side. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! Take care.
Thanks for the recipe by any chance do you have a recipe foe these Mina melts
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! :)