Mayonnaise, celery, red onion, and pickle relish mix with chunk white tuna to make the best tuna salad recipe that’s perfectly creamy with a bit of crunch.
I pride myself on my sandwich-making talents, but tuna salad sandwiches just might have been one of the first things I made that got me thinking I was a really good cook. Ok, I may have been in third grade, and there was no actual cooking involved, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. Back then my recipe was made up of basic canned tuna, Miracle Whip, and pickle relish. It wasn’t until I had a read-deal tuna salad from a New York City bodega that I discovered the perfection of using chunk white tuna coated in tangy mayonnaise, chopped onion, and celery with a zing I’ve now deduced as Dijon mustard. The pickle relish was absent from that tuna salad sando, but in my tuna salad-loving kitchen, it will proudly remain.
What’s in This Tuna Salad Recipe
There are loads of ingredient variations and additions you can make to the classic tuna fish salad. This is my list for the best basic classic tuna salad:
- Albacore solid chunk white tuna—I like Costco’s Kirkland brand tuna
- Mayonnaise—Duke’s mayo is my favorite with Japanese Kewpie close behind
- Dijon mustard—optional, but I do like the subtle tang Dijon adds
- Celery
- Pickle relish—I go back and forth between sweet and dill
- Red onion—try green onion instead
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Tuna Salad
- Drain the canned tuna well. Nobody likes a watery mayo-based salad. No matter what type of tuna you use, press out as much of the liquid as possible.
- Mash the tuna into small chunks. I use a fork to separate the chunk tuna into smaller bits so each chunk gets evenly coated.
- Cut the celery and onion into a fine chop. I enjoy some crunch in my tuna salad but I don’t want the crunchy veg to take over either.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Mix, taste, and season! If you like your tuna salad more creamy, add more mayo to your liking.
How to Serve Tuna Salad
- My favorite way to serve tuna salad is on toasted white bread stacked with potato chips and a pickle (always!) with or without lettuce
- For a ladies lunch or brunch, scoop and serve alongside classic chicken salad, egg salad, and potato salad on a bed of lettuce
- Hollow out a tomato and stuff it with tuna salad for a retro diner dish
- Serve tuna salad on sliced avocado halves for a protein-rich meal
- Pita bread, croissants, or crackers are perfect serving vehicles or make it a wrap with lavash, tortillas, or red lettuce leaves
What to Mix With this Tuna Salad Recipe
- Use Miracle Whip or Japanese mayo for a sweeter sauced salad
- Swap some of the mayo for Greek yogurt to make it lighter
- Use mashed avocado or cottage cheese instead of mayo for more protein
- Try green onion or chives instead of red onion
- Chop capers, pepperoncini, or banana peppers to add for a briny bite
- Fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, chives, dill, or basil brighten it up
- Add a few shakes of garlic salt or dried dill
- Chop up celery leaves to mix in
- Add diced apple, grapes, raisins, and toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds
Classic Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces albacore solid tuna packed in water
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices white bread
- lettuce
Instructions
- Drain the canned tuna well, pressing out any extra water. Add the tuna to a bowl and mash into small chunks. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chopped celery, pickle relish, red onion, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Toast the pieces of bread and spread with butter, mayonnaise, or both. Layer one slice with lettuce and half of the tuna salad and top with another piece of toast. Repeat with the other slices, cut in half, and enjoy!
Notes
• Try one of these swaps or ingredients to mix into this tuna salad recipe:
- Use Miracle Whip or Japanese mayo for a sweeter sauced salad
- Swap some of the mayo for Greek yogurt to make it lighter
- Use mashed avocado or cottage cheese instead of mayo for more protein
- Try green onion or chives instead of red onion
- Chop capers, pepperoncini, or banana peppers to add for a briny bite
- Fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, chives, dill, or basil brighten it up
- Add a few shakes of garlic salt or dried dill
- Chop up celery leaves to mix in
- Add diced apple, grapes, raisins, and toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds
