Easy Tuna Salad

A classic tuna salad recipe is an easy lunch and can be made ahead of time for meals throughout the week.

This recipe combines flaky canned tuna with celery, onions, dill pickles, and mayonnaise. I sometimes sneak potato chips right into my sandwich… anyone else?!

Perfect for tuna salad sandwiches or creamy tuna melts with some coleslaw on the side! Whip up a salad or sandwiches or even scoop it into half an avocado for a fancy (and low carb) dish!

Ingredients for Tuna Salad

This tuna salad recipe is simple, but of course, you can jazz it up however you’d like!

Tuna – I prefer water-packed albacore tuna because it’s lighter but oil packed works just as well. Canned salmon works in this recipe too.

Dressing – This tuna salad has an easy mayonnaise-based dressing. Lemon juice and a bit of Dijon mustard are added for some tang.

Add-Ins – Diced celery, chopped dill pickles (or sweet relish if you prefer), and sliced green onion add flavor and crunch. The dill pickle can be replaced with sweet pickle relish.

Variations – Swap up the mix-ins with fresh herbs (like flat-leaf parsley or dill), diced red bell pepper or red onion, or even a chopped hard-boiled egg. Add a pinch of your favorite spice mix if you’d like!

tuna , mayonnaise , onion , celery , pickles , lemon juice , dijon mustard and salt and pepper in a bowl to make Tuna Salad with labels

How to Make Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is so easy and requires very little prep.

Drain flaked tuna and place it into a medium bowl. Use a fork to gently separate the pieces.
Add the mix-ins per the recipe below.
Gently fold in the mayo and seasonings, and enjoy!

I like to serve tuna salad sandwiches with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread or a darker loaf like rye. It’s also delicious on croissants like a shrimp salad!

Lighten It Up a Little

If you’d like to cut some of the calories, replace some of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. It will have a slightly more tangy flavor but still, just as tasty!

Tuna Salad mixed in a bowl with bread next to it

Serving Suggestions

We love how easy tuna is to add to recipes like tuna casseroles but did you know there are lots of great ways to repurpose tuna salad?

Stir in pasta to make a tuna macaroni salad.
Cut the carbs and make it a lettuce wrap! Fill lettuce leaves with the mixture or even just top a bed of romaine lettuce.
Spoon it on a cracker with cheese or fill a wrap with tuna salad and fresh veggies.

How Long Does Tuna Salad Last?

If it doesn’t get eaten up first because it IS that good, tuna fish salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Because it has fish and mayonnaise in it, be careful to not leave it out on the counter for too long.

Make a tuna fish sandwich and put the tuna salad back in the fridge in an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible!

More Light Lunches

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This easy tuna salad recipe is a quick lunch time fix on a sandwich or bed of lettuce.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Drain the tuna well.
In a medium bowl, combine drained tuna, mayonnaise, dill pickles or relish, celery, green onion, Dijon, and lemon juice. Gently toss them together. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Use to top a salad, in sandwiches, or to add to pasta salads.

Tuna salad can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Serve tuna salad as a sandwich, over lettuce, or as a wrap in a tortilla.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Fish, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine American

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