Tuna Salad

Classic Tuna Salad is an easy recipe that is so versatile for serving. It can be made ahead of time making it perfect for easy weekday lunches! Pile it on a lettuce for a salad or lettuce wrap, make an easy sandwich with bread or scoop into an avocado half for a low carb dish.

Tuna salad, one of the easiest meals out there. I love making a big bowl of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch time. It is especially tasty in summer because it doesn’t require much of my time (meaning I can quickly get back to summer fun!) and it isn’t a hot meal after coming inside from a hot day.

If you don’t know how to make tuna salad, now you can learn! This recipe is really easy and has so much flavor. I love making it couple hours before I plan to serve it and then letting it chill in the refrigerator so that it gets really cold. Tuna salad seems to be extra yummy when it’s really cold!

Whip up a big ol’ bowl of tuna salad and make some sandwiches or wraps for lunch today. Wash it down with blueberry lemonade and some chewy snickerdoodle cookies. Man, that’ll just hit the spot!

Why You’ll Love Tuna Salad

• It will only take you 10 minutes to make tuna salad, then you can get back to your day.
• Tuna is full of good vitamins and minerals, making this a really nutritious meal that you can feel good about serving to the whole family.
• Add itd to your meal prep rotation. It refrigerates well, makes plenty of servings, and lasts for up to 5 days!

Ingredients for this Tuna Salad Recipe

• White flake tuna – White flake tuna will be easier to mix with the other ingredients since it isn’t in large chunks. You can use both the packets of tuna and cans of tuna.
• Celery – Celery doesn’t add much flavor, it’s more there for the texture. But don’t leave it out! The extra crunch is perfect.
• Pickle relish – You can use sweet or dill relish, either will work. So just choose whichever one you like most.
• Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise is the main key ingredient to making tuna salad creamy with just a slight tang.
• Red onion – You can use yellow or white onion if you prefer, but the strong flavor of red onion pairs really well with tuna.
• Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard is my secret ingredient to making this tuna salad extra yummy!
• Garlic powder – Add a bit of garlic powder to season tuna salad.
• Lemon juice – This tart element adds a great depth of flavor to this easy tuna salad recipe.Lemon and fish are a common pairing, so why not use lemon juice in tuna salad. The tart flavor goes so well with all of the other ingredients.
• Salt and pepper – A little salt and pepper helps to round out the flavors and combine all of the ingredients together well.

How to Make Tuna Salad

1. Drain the water from the white flake tuna and then place the tuna into a clean large mixing bowl.
2. Add the mayonnaise, chopped celery, pickle relish, dijon mustard, diced onion, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and lemon juice into the bowl.
3. Stir well with a large spoon until all of the ingredients are thoroughly distributed throughout the salad.
4. Place the salad in the refrigerator to chill, or serve immediately on bread, wraps, lettuce, or anything else!

How to Store Leftover Tuna Salad

Place leftover salad into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. It is not recommend freezing this tuna salad since mayonnaise based salads don’t tend to thaw well after being frozen.

What To Serve with Tuna Salad

If you’re eating tuna salad on an especially hot day, make some frozen yogurt bites to go with it! Or, make a crunchy 7 layer salad to serve with your wrap or sandwich or just add a dollop of tuna salad directly onto it.

Eating tuna salad on it’s own? Make some buttery homemade crescent rolls to go with it! If you need some kid friendly side dishes, make a batch of stovetop mac and cheese to serve with your tuna salad sandwich. Air fryer tater tots and air fryer sweet potato fries are also great side dishes!

What else can I add to tuna salad?

There are so many additions you can throw into this recipe! Just be sure not to overload it too much, choose a few to stick with. Here’s some options

Nuts: chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds

Fruit: quartered grapes, diced apples, raisins, dried cranberries

Fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, green onion

Other: chopped hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bell pepper

What should I serve tuna salad on?

You can eat tuna salad all on it’s own, or eat it with crackers or potato chips. If you want to make a sandwich, add a generous helping of this easy tuna salad recipe to whole wheat bread, thick cut white bread, sourdough, a croissant or anything else you want.

Make a wrap with a flour tortilla or whole wheat tortilla. Or, choose an extra healthy option and use a large piece of lettuce to make a lettuce wrap.

Tuna salad can also be added to lettuce salads and pasta dishes. Get creative and use this tasty dish however you want!

This easy tuna salad recipe is a great thing to keep in your back pocket. You never know when you’ll need to pull an easy lunch out of thin air!

More Salad Recipes You’ll Love

• Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is mouthwateringly good and pairs well with so many different dishes!
• This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a tantalizing combination of sweet and salty!
• A potluck is not complete without a good pasta salad, and this Italian Pasta Salad is perfect.
• Make the Best Potato Salad Ever and wow your guests at your next cook-out!
• Nothing like a classic Tuna Pasta Salad to beat the heat in the summer!
• Buffalo Chicken Jar Salad – Easy, Light and Healthy Lunch Full of Flavor!
• Refreshing, classic Creamy Cucumber Salad is a summertime favorite at any picnic, party or potluck! 
• This creamy Dill Potato Salad is a delicious twist on your traditional version.
• Red, White & Blue Salad is a refreshing, patriotic dessert packed with fresh blueberries and strawberries!