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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.
Perfect! My husband is happy with mayo and tuna but I need more flavor and crunch. Made this for him and he is a CONVERT. There is no going back now! We’v had it as a sandwich and part of a salad…on rice cakes…on crackers…in celery sticks…and in scooped out mini cucumber halves. Satisfies everyone.
Hi Shannon, same here! I’m glad you were able to find a recipe you both love! Take care!- Meggan
where is the recipe list? on my screen there is the heading but nothing else.
Hi there, are you using Firefox by any chance? There is a glitch in that browser that conflicts with the sharing buttons on the site. I checked on our side and am able to see the recipe. I’m so sorry about this! Since you left your email, I will have a pdf of the recipe sent to you. Sorry again! – Meggan
I never could figure out what I was missing in my tuna salad. This is the best tuna salad for sandwiches that I have ever made. I used less than a cup of mayonnaise and an extra tablespoon of relish that we love (Wickles Green.) I had no red onion and used one shallot. Delicious. Thanks, Meggan Hill.
Hi Sherrie, I’m so glad you loved it! Take care! – Meggan
The best!! I refuse to give my husband the recipe so I can keep the families mouth watering.
This is the best tuna salad I’ve ever had!! It’s the perfect combo and my whole family loves it!!!
My son was asking for tuna croissant. I usually buy those pre-packed ones but this time decided to look up for a recipe. So glad I found yours as it was simply delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you!!
Any tuna salad recipe that omits some soy sauce can never achieve the status as “best tuna salad.” A dash of soy sauce is a game changer, try it.
Yum. I added a little harrisa for a kick.
This is a very good, basic tuna salad recipe. As it stands it’s not exceptional. I like lots of crunch in my tuna salad and so added more celery and onion, red and yellow chopped peppers, cucumbers, capers, dill, sunflower seeds, seasoned salt, and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice. I served it over romaine lettuce. It was delicious and very filling.
It’s tuna salad. You don’t need to put your entire pantry into it for it to be ‘exceptional’.
Spot on Jennifer
Absolutely Delicious!
Thanks Tiffany! – Meggan