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Make Tuna Salad for a delicious, healthy and quick lunch idea. Make a sandwich or serve it with crackers you be amazed how creamy it is and how easy it is to make!
We love making Tuna Salad for a quick lunch, snack, appetizer or no-cook dinners with simple pantry ingredients. If you have made our The Best Chicken Salad Recipe or Egg Salad Recipe then you are going to love this Tuna Salad.
No matter what I mix into this Tuna Salad this dish is always a family favorite. If you are following the Keto Diet, then you may like this Keto Tuna Salad Recipe.
What's in this post: Tuna Salad
Why You’ll Love this Tuna Salad Recipe
- Packed With Protein – I am always trying to get more protein into my diet and this is loaded with lean protein.
- Budget Friendly – Tuna is budget friendly and you can mix in pantry ingredients that you already have to make it your own.
- Meal Prep – If like to meal prep your lunches for the week, make tuna salad and serve it many different ways.
Ingredients
- Tuna – We used tuna that is packed in water
- Rib Celery and Red Onion – Finely Diced into small pieces
- Mayonnaise – I used full fat mayo
- Sweet Pickle Relish – You can also dice up dill pickles
- Lemon Juice – We like using fresh lemon juice
- Dijon Mustard – Feel free to use regular yellow mustard
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make Tuna Salad
Step 1 – In a medium bowl, add the tuna, celery and diced onion. You may need to use a fork to break up the tuna.
Step 2 – In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, lemon juice, chopped dill, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Step 3 – Pour the sauce mixture over the tuna mixture and gently stir to coat all the ingredients with the mayonnaise mixture.
Step 4 – Chill for at least 1 hour and then it’s ready to serve as is or over bread topped with chopped parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Water-Packed Tuna – Generally I use canned tuna for this recipe, but you can use the tuna packed in water in the packets instead if you prefer. I do not recommend the oil-packed tuna for this recipe.
- Fresh Ingredients – For the best flavor, make sure you combination that are fresh and have not expired.
- Chill – We think this tuna salad recipe taste the best when it has chilled for at least an hour. But you can also serve after making it.
How to Serve Tuna Salad
- Sandwich – I generally use approximately ½ cup of the tuna mixture per sandwich and this recipe is enough to make 6 sandwiches. I like to make with whole wheat bread with lettuce but you can use different types of bread. Serve with potato chips for a complete meal idea.
- Crackers – I like to use crackers and scoop the tuna salad for a delicious dip. It is a great combination with an added crunch.
- Lettuce – Top the tuna salad on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves or make lettuce wraps.
- Tuna Melt – Heat your sandwich with a slice of cheese in the oven for a tasty warm sandwich idea.
Variations and Additions
- Hard-Boiled Eggs – Make Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs then dice them and add to your tuna salad for additional protein.
- Chopped Apples – For an added sweet crunch, dice up an apple.
- Spicy – Add a dash of hot sauce or sriracha sauce for a spicy addition.
- Other Variations – Add in diced tomatoes, celery, or bell peppers for delicious taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to the Best Tuna Salad is using quality ingredients. The combination of the fully drained tuna mixed with mayo and your favorite additions gives it balance and texture.
Yes, you can substitute mayo with Greek Yogurt, Mashed Avocado, Mustard, or a combination of lemon juice and olive oil for a healthy tuna salad recipe.
Tuna packed with water is our favorite but you can also use Solid White Albacore or Chunk Light Tuna.
Storage Tips
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. We do not recommend freezing since it is mayo base.
When ready to serve, stir the tuna together if it separates after storing.
More Easy Tuna Recipes
Easy Pasta
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
Easy Sandwich
Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe
Easy Salad
Tuna Macaroni Salad
We love to hear from you. If you make Tuna Salad, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cans Tuna packed in Water 5 ounces each, drained
- 1 Rib Celery finely diced
- ¼ cup Red Onion finely diced
- ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the tuna, celery and diced onion.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, lemon juice, chopped dill, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the tuna mixture and gently stir to coat all the ingredients with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Chill for at least 1 hour and then it’s ready to serve as is or over bread. Enjoy!
Loved the the recipe ,instead of bread I placed it in a juicy red tomato . Tasted so good for a quick lunch .
Beth – That’s a great idea for a low carb option! Yum!
This is a Sunday lunch staple at our house. Serve on salad, crackers, bread with sliced cheese and slice of a beefsteak tomato for a tuna melt! YUM!
Nikki – I love all of those great ideas to use this tuna salad. We love it too for a staple around here!
I’m always looking for a new way to make tuna salad. The Dijon mustard was a nice change for me. And, you can never go wrong with fresh dill. I will definitely try again.
Cathy – So glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Love love love this recipe. So quick and easy to make. Great to serve for a quick lunch with the ladies.
Audrey – So glad to hear! I love tuna salad too!
Use more celery. I like At least one celery rib per can of tuna. I always add diced hard boiled egg- calling it tuna egg salad.
This is a great recipe. It is actually better the next day.
4stars!
Kathie – Thank you SO much! That means a lot.
I love tuna salad and this sounds delicious. I will be making this today.
Jerilyn – I can’t wait for you to try it. Hope you love it as much as we do!
Tuna salad, something I eat a lot of lately. Adding the mustard makes it especially good. As a tip, instead of canned tune that is more water than tuna lately, I use the packets of tuna that contain very little water, if any. On bread with lettuce and maybe tomato slices, it’s a nutritious, tasty and filling meal. Thanks!
Mary – We eat a lot of tuna salad too! So glad you love it!
Made thos Tuna salad recipe, it was delicious, a lot like my own recipe, Just a couple of different ingredients, but very delicious, I will definitely make it again.
Deanna – Wahoo! So glad it was a hit!
This is an amazing tuna salad I add avocado to mine and i also eat mine in a halved avocado , half bell pepper or i cut a cucumber in half an scoop out the seeds and fill it with this delicious tuna salad great for keto and easy to prepare ahead and have for the week.
Alison – I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Love the avocado idea!
I love this recipe so good and quick to make also like the not’s
Kathleen – yay! So glad you enjoyed it.
Tuna salad is a staple in my house but love the dill included in this recipe. It is one of my favorite spices but never thought to add it to my tuna salad recipe. This has become my newest edition and love the tuna/dill flavor.
This is a hit! Not a tuna person usually but so delicious
Amber – Wow! Thank you so much!
The addition of Dijon mustard sounds good. I’ll give it a try. Chopping up a sweet & spicy pickle or dill relish would be my choice on pickles. Thanks for the recipe.
My mother added one chopped hard-boiled egg per can of tuna. This way, one can of tuna feed 5 kids. This recipe brought back memories from 65 years ago. About twice a month, Mom would take us to the park. We’d played in the wading pool, then d a picnic lunch of tuna sandwiches, shoestring potatoes, and Kool-Aid.
This is how I’ve ALWAYS made tuna sandwiches except for the mustard (YUK) Also, I usually throw in some dried cranberries , chopped roasted pecans, and chopped cilantro.
Karyn – Love how you can add in different ingredients to suit everyone’s taste!