Tuna Salad

Crunchy bites of diced red onion and crisp celery add texture to a creamy, classic deli-style tuna salad recipe. Mayonnaise, relish, fresh lemon juice and a little bit of mustard dress up the canned tuna.

Because of its simplicity, it’s our go-to recipe when we’re whipping up tea sandwiches for afternoon get-togethers or when we want more filling picnic food. Multigrain bread, tuna salad, a slice of cheese, and butterhead or romaine leaves also create a great lunch sandwich when you’re looking for Lenten fish recipes. You could also add the best tuna salad recipe to a green salad, eat it on crackers or heap a spoonful on half an avocado.

Ingredients for Tuna Salad

• Canned tuna: The base of this tuna fish salad recipe is water-packed tuna, drained and flaked into shreds. You can absolutely use drained oil-packed tuna in its place or an equivalent amount of tuna sold in pouches.
• Celery: Chopped celery adds pleasant crunch and textural contrast to the tuna. Choose light green stalks with vibrant leaves that haven’t begun to wilt.
• Red onion: Chopped red onion adds pungency and crunch to tuna salad recipes. If your onion is particularly spicy or if you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw onion, you can soak the diced onion in ice water to temper its flavor. Drain it well and pat it dry before adding it to the tuna mixture.
• Mayonnaise: Classic store-bought mayo is the base of the dressing for this tuna fish salad recipe. You can also use homemade mayonnaise, or avoid the eggs by mixing up a batch of our vegan mayonnaise using aquafaba.
• Sweet pickle relish: A spoonful of jarred relish adds a touch of sweetness to the dressing for this best tuna salad recipe. Feel free to substitute dill pickle relish or chopped pickles instead. If your relish is particularly watery, drain it first so as not to make your tuna salad soggy.
• Parsley: Minced fresh parsley adds a touch of green and an herbal note to the finished tuna fish salad recipe.
• Lemon juice: Citrus is such a great pairing with seafood that lemon juice feels like a natural addition to tuna salad recipes. Add the zest, too, if you like. You can also substitute white vinegar.
• Dijon mustard: A little Dijon mustard adds depth and horseradish heat to the dressing. Feel free to use spicy brown mustard instead.
• Salt and pepper: Salt and pepper are essential seasonings in tuna salad recipes. Tuna salad can take a lot of black pepper heat!

Directions

Step 1: Assemble the tuna salad

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In a small bowl, combine the tuna, celery and onion.

Step 2: Make the dressing and combine

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In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.

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Stir the dressing into the tuna mixture until everything is evenly coated.

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Tuna Salad Variations

• Add some heat: Use store-bought spicy mayonnaise in place of the regular mayonnaise, or fold in chopped pickled jalapenos or pepperoncini.
• Start with specialty tuna: Several tuna brands offer tuna options in a can or pouch with added seasonings such as Thai chili, lemon pepper, ranch seasoning and more. Start with one of these options to add an additional layer of flavor to the best tuna salad recipe.
• Swap in fresh herbs: Parsley has a great all-around flavor in tuna salad recipes, but you can easily replace it with another tender herb such as cilantro, dill, chive or basil. If you have lots of fresh herbs to use, try a combination!
• Add a sweet element: Similar to the grape and chicken combination in the classic Waldorf salad, some people love a sweet ingredient in the tuna salad mix. My personal pick would be diced or grated green apple tossed with a little lemon juice to resist browning, but you can also add dried cranberries or another fruit of your liking.

How to Store Tuna Salad

Store tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If it separates slightly, give it a good stir before serving.

Can you make tuna salad ahead of time?

You can make the tuna fish salad recipe a day or two ahead of time, but for the best texture, make it the same day you plan to eat it.

Tuna Salad Tips

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How do you make tuna salad less pungent?

If it’s the aroma of the tuna that gives you pause, the likely culprit is the type of canned tuna. Options labeled “chunk light” contain skipjack tuna, a variety that has a stronger, more pronounced ocean aroma. Opt for milder albacore (sometimes labeled “white”) or yellowfin instead. Here are some of our Test Kitchen’s favorite tuna brands.

How do you prevent tuna salad from getting watery?

Even if you’re draining your tuna and pickle relish well, the best tuna salad recipe will still get more watery as it sits in the fridge. This is because the onion and celery in the tuna salad mixture will soften once dressed. The moisture will migrate from the interior of the vegetables to the salt in the dressing mixture. This means that the longer the mixture sits in the fridge, the looser the dressing will be.

For the best texture, store the tuna and vegetable mixture separate from the mayonnaise dressing in the refrigerator. Combine them right before serving.

What can you substitute for mayonnaise in tuna salad recipes?

Whether you’re avoiding mayonnaise for health reasons or just don’t like it, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayo in this tuna fish salad recipe.