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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
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
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).
- 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.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a medium bowl, add tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, relish, lemon juice, and garlic.
- Stir to combine and 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 tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 3 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches (½ cup per sandwich).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- More mix-ins: Add a small amount of cut apples (Granny Smith would be perfect), a handful of thawed peas, or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs to your tuna salad.
- Tuna Melt: Add melty cheese, juicy tomatoes, and golden brown, buttery grilled bread for the perfect tuna melt.
- 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 deli salads: If you love this Tuna Salad, you might also love my Chicken Salad, Turkey Salad, Egg Salad, Ham Salad, classic Potato Salad, and my favorite Macaroni Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Instead of mayonnaise, you can make tuna salad dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu. You can also add lemon vinaigrette (¼ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard, fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or chives and salt and pepper to taste).
Yes, oil-packed tuna tastes great in tuna salad (feel free to decrease the amount of mayonnaise if you do).
If you prefer water-packed tuna but only have access to oil-packed, you can remove the oil yourself. Add the tuna 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.
More delicious salads
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The Best Tuna Salad
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 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).
- 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 3 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches (½ cup per sandwich).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Best tuna I ever tasted!! Thank you
Thank you Rosalba! – Meggan
I made this with only one can of tuna, and substituted a bok choy stalk for celery. I’m not a huge fan of celery. It is delicious and a little less tuna-y for my husband who hates tuna, but liked this. Simple, easy, and most of all, delicious.
Thanks Stephanie! – Meggan
Nothing left to be said…..Absolute Perfection. I used hot dog relish since it’s what I had in the house. BOOM! I’m convinced that this recipe must have snuck out of a restaurant somewhere!
Thank you so much James! It really is one of my favorites, glad it’s yours too! – Meggan
I just finished making this and taste tested it. Made a half recipe, used celery seed instead of celery (since there’s no celery in my house, and I have some sensory issues with celery anyways), decided to use about a 1/4 of an apple as a mix-in, and went a little easy on the relish and the onion.
I must admit I was a little nervous since I don’t like relish or onions, but one taste and I had to stop myself from shouting! This is amazing, and I appreciate all the little tips you give for substitution. Going to have to make this again next time there are hard boiled eggs in my house.
Wow Lindsey, I am so glad you ended up liking it! The hard boiled eggs will definitely be a great addition next time. – Meggan
Simple and fabulous!
Thanks Judson! Glad you enjoyed. – Meggan
Best tuna I ever made.
Glad you enjoyed Paula! – Meggan
Good recipe. very tasty. But ever since I discovered Dill pickle relish, that’s all I ever use in recipes.
Thanks Alex, that relish sounds great! – Meggan
This is nearly identical to what I’ve been making for fifty years, with the addition of two hard boiled, chopped eggs. Also, I use sweet white onions, and don’t usually have celery to include. IMHO, the sweet pickle relish is what sets it apart.
Hard boiled eggs sounds delicious for this recipe, I’ll have to try! Thanks Karen! – Meggan
This is how I make mine. I love it.
I’ve never much liked canned tuna, but this combination of ingredients has sent my taste buds to the clouds! I recommend this recipe to everyone I know!
Thanks Adrienne, I’m so glad you ended up liking it! – Meggan
I love this tuna salad. I did not have celery, used red, yellow, orange peppers instead. Fantastic, I added extra red onions, delish!!! I never thought of adding fresh lemon juice or garlic….perfect!!
Sounds delicious Cindy! Glad you liked it! – Meggan