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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.
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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.
Hey Meggan, I make mine just like this I love it! I also add lots of cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice I promise you will be thanking me later. The cilantro is the secret 🤫
Hi Jul, thanks for sharing! I appreciate the tips! 😉 Take care! – Meggan
Loved it! Will make it again for friends and my love ones.
I’m so glad you loved it! -Meggan
I’ve been making tuna sandwiches for YEARS (as most probably have). We can our own fresh caught tuna off the coast of WA and THIS combination of ingredients just took the tuna to an entirely new level. YUM. Thanks for putting simple staples together to make a great tuna sandwich!!
You’re so welcome, Natalie! A fresh tuna salad sounds AMAZING! – Meggan
Absolutely the best tuna salad recipe I’ve ever made. Never realized what a delicious difference red onion, fresh lemon juice and freshly cracked pepper could make. I was out of sweet pickle relish and like a little heat so I minced sweet heat pickles instead, added 1/2 t. dill and a tablespoon honey mustard. Heaven!
I’m so happy you loved it, Pamela! Take care! – Meggan
You have the best recipes. I got stuck this morning going thru all of them and fell in love!! Your taste is so similar to mine! If you have a cookbook, please send me the link on where to buy.
Outstanding. Loved addition of garlic and lemon juice to my tuna salad. thank you.
You’re so welcome, CS! I’m happy you loved it. Thank you for trying and trusting my recipe! – Meggan
This was so easy and quick to make for dinner. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it, Emily! Take care! – Meggan
Very tasty tuna salad recipe
I’m so glad you liked it, Dale! Take care! – Meggan
Just made this and OMG ITS AMAZING. I didn’t have pickles but its so good it doesn’t need them. I also used my mom’s trick which is adding a little bit of carrot and fresh bell pepper. Mayonnaise is my favorite condiment so I thought the amount is spot on!
I’m adding this recipe to my favorite finds of 2023 and bookmarking this site!
I’m so happy you loved it, T! I appreciate you taking the time to write and thank you for sharing your mom’s trick! Writing it down to try myself. Take care! – Meggan
I used this recipe with one change of using half Mayo, and half nonfat Greek yogurt and it was the best tuna I ever had!
I’m so happy you loved it, Jess! Thanks for sharing your substitutions! – Meggan