My delicious tuna salad recipe is made with simple ingredients is one of my favorite sandwiches.
The secret to making the best tuna salad is preparing it at least 12 hours ahead of time. This gives the ingredients time to come together and the flavors to bloom.
Our homestyle tuna salad is a little different from a classic recipe you’ll find at delis, but it’s always been a family favorite. I’m sure your family will love it, too!
Our tuna salad makes a great topper for a tossed salad. For a low-carb option, you can also use lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to try my deli-style chicken salad and deviled ham recipe.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy tuna salad recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What are some of the substitutions I can make?
Our easy tuna salad recipe uses mayonnaise, but you can also use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
We used sweet white onions, but you can also use red onions or green onions. If you’re not an onion fan, leave them out altogether.
We prefer Albacore water-packed tuna, but packed in olive oil can also be used. It’s all a matter of personal preference. In either case, drain it well before using it.
How to Make Tuna Salad
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make tuna salad in your home kitchen.
- Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, and dill pickle juice to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Drain the excess liquid from the canned tuna and dump it into the mixing bowl with the dressing, diced sweet onion, chopped parsley, and diced celery.
- Stir to combine thoroughly, breaking apart large chunks of tuna. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
*If time permits, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour before serving. Overnight is best.
I love tuna salad sandwiches on toasted brioche bread, with a side of potato chips and dill pickles! That’s a perfect lunch!
Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my tuna macaroni salad and tuna casserole recipe.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is easily adaptable and can include many other ingredients. Some popular add-ins are chopped green olives, chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped apples, avocado, green peppers, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sweet pickle relish, and jalapeno peppers.
You can also add bleu cheese crumbles, feta cheese, and any of your favorite fresh herbs.
Draining and squeezing the juices from the can will help keep the salad from getting watery. Using fresh, crisp celery and onions will also help keep additional moisture out of the salad.
The main reason it tastes better is because it’s made ahead of time and will sit for a day or two before being served. This gives the flavors time to come together, creating a more flavorful salad.
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Tuna Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz tuna two 5 oz cans
- ½ cup olive oil Mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice
- 1 cup celery fine dice
- ½ cup sweet onion fine dice
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and pickle juice to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine all the ingredients.
- Drain the excess liquid out of the tuna and dump the tuna into the mixing bowl with the dressing
- Add the diced onion, parsley, and celery to the mixing bowl and stir together to combine thoroughly making sure to break apart and large chunks of tuna.
- Add sea salt and black pepper to taste
- If time permits, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerator for a half hour prior to serving.
- Serve on toast, slider rolls or on top of your favorite garden salad
Lori says
Do you use sweet or dill pickle juice?
Chef Dennis Littley says
We used dill pickle juice.
Kevin says
I can’t wait to mix this up, Chef. I’ll use oil packed tuna… because that’s how I roll. 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley says
I look forward to hearing how you like the tuna salad.
Lisa says
It looks delicious!!