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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.
Just a comment on the metric conversations While the US measurements are given in volume the metric are in weight and therefore do not work. 1cup = 227ml not 224g. 1tbs = 15ml
Cheers
The conversion is correct, Jeff. European recipes measure by weight, not volume.
Love it. Great add-on suggestions! I added chopped pecans and dried cranberries and about 2 tsps of Dijon. Addictive!! Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Theresa! Happy you loved it! – Meggan
I usually add mustard to my tuna salad but my daughter prefers to not have it. This is a great recipe and I didn’t miss the mustard! I added some slices of avocado and tomato onto the toasted bread…it was delicious!
Hi Jodi! So happy you loved it! – Meggan
Thank you! I loved this recipe. I’d never added the garlic before and its definitely a go to now. You taught a old dog a new trick.
Hi DJ, you’re so welcome! Thank you for trusting me and trying it out! Glad you loved it! – Meggan
Best tuna salad I have ever had. I replaced red onion with shallot, and dill pickle for sweet, only because I didn’t have those. The garlic really rounds out the flavor.
I would serve this to company.
Hi Carol, I’m so glad you loved it! Take care! – Meggan
The best tuna sandwich we’ve ever made! Followed the recipe to a T and it did not disappoint.
So happy you loved it, Robin! THank you for your comment! – Meggan
Hi Meggan,
This looks so delicious! Do you have any bread recommendations to accompany the tuna?
Hi Tammy, I love it grilled on sourdough as a tuna melt and I love it on Oatnut bread from Oroweat. I love it on buttery croissants. Also, any basic honey wheat is my go-to, like Nature’s Own. I hope you love it, too! – Meggan
Hi. I haven’t tried your recipes yet but they look very good to me. I am especially interested in the vegetarian recipes. Thank you for your emails. I wondered if you have a book published on some of these recipes. Thank you, Iris
Hi Iris, thank you so much for your comment! You’re welcome! I don’t have a book out, but I do have quite a few vegetarian-friendly recipes that can be found here: https://cash-surge.live/eats/vegetarian-recipes/%3C/a%3E. Hope you enjoy them! Take care! – Meggan
This is excellent tuna salad. Thank you for a good simple recipe.
You’re welcome, Joe! – Meggan
Great recipe! Something I have always done is pop the can or cans of tuna in the fridge for an hour or two or overnight. This way your salad is chilled and ready to eat as fast as you mix it!! YUM!!
This is such a great tip, Lisa! I love it! – Meggan