Tuna Salad
Tuna Salad is a classic for a reason. It’s light and fresh, delightfully retro, and has made mid-day meals effortless for decades. My version adds Greek yogurt for tanginess (and extra protein!), dill pickles for crunch and zip, and grainy mustard for zing. Forget ho-hum, gloopy, bland tuna salads. This one is lively and refreshing. You’ll love it!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Tuna Salad Recipe
- Just the Right Balance of Textures. With tuna salad, texture is equally important to the taste. This is a dish we love for that contrast between meaty tuna, creamy dressing, crisp celery, and crunchy pickles.
- A Classic, But Better. Flavor-wise, this is your classic tuna salad recipe, but a little bit elevated. It has the taste you love (and expect), but it’s brighter, fresher, and zippier. Best tuna salad ever? I think so!
- Ideal for Meal Prep. The thing about meal prep lunches is that they can start feeling repetitive and boring. Tuna salad has you covered here because just like Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad and Ham Salad, once you make it, you can serve it so many different ways—it never gets old!
How to Make Tuna Salad
The Ingredients
- Water-Packed Tuna. I always use solid, sustainably-caught tuna.
- Greek Yogurt. If you’re a purist, you can use mayo, but I love the tangy flavor (and added protein) of plain Greek yogurt.
- Celery and Onion. Both of these add crisp-crunch, with celery adding fresh flavor and onion delivering some pungent savoriness.
- Dill Pickles. Some recipes call for relish, but I prefer chopped dill pickles because they also add texture to the tuna salad.
- Lemon Juice. Always freshly squeezed, which has a brighter flavor than bottled.
- Mustard. Dijon and a grainy mustard, or just use all Dijon. Mustard adds a sharp flavor that makes the dressing sing and keeps it from falling flat.
- Herbs. Fresh parsley, tarragon, or dill.
The Directions
- Prep the Tuna. Drain it and flake it into a bowl.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients. Everything—into the bowl!
- Stir. I like to use a fork.
- Finish. Season to taste and serve. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Eggs. If you like your tuna salad with egg, fold a diced hard-boiled egg (or Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs) into the salad with the rest of the ingredients.
- Swap the Pickles for Relish. If you prefer relish to pickles, you can swap that in—or use both.
- Add Avocado. Diced avocado makes a delish addition to tuna salad, but be warned—it won’t work if you’re making this for meal prep because the avocado will brown during storage.
- Try Capers Instead of Pickles. They’re another way to introduce some tangy, briny flavor to tuna salad.
- Make It With Pasta. Try this Tuna Pasta Salad.
How to Serve Tuna Salad
- In Lettuce Wraps. Tuck the tuna salad into Bibb or Boston lettuce for a low-carb lunch.
- Over Greens. Or just put the lettuce on a plate and serve a scoop of tuna salad on top.
- With Bread. Add the tuna salad to toast, make it a sandwich, or try a Tuna Melt.
- Crackers. Use the salad as a dip for your favorite crackers.
- Tortillas or Pitas. Tuck the tuna into pita pockets or roll it into a tortilla burrito-style.
- In Other Vegetables. Serve your salad inside halved red bell peppers, tomatoes, or avocados. (Technically these are all fruits, I suppose, but details schmetails.)
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make Sure Your Lettuce Is Dry. Whether you’re scooping the tuna into lettuce or serving it over a bed of greens, you want to make sure there isn’t any leftover water droplets clinging to the leaves. Wet lettuce makes for messy lettuce wraps, and extra liquid will water down the creamy dressing, making it less rich.
- Chill Before Serving. First, I think tuna salad tastes better chilled. Second, letting the salad rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes gives the flavors a little time to mix and mingle.
- Put Your Own Spin on It. This is one of those recipes where everyone has their own way of making it. Feel free to use my recipe as a base for adding your own favorite mix-ins and tweaking it to your liking.
- Don’t Microwave It at the Office. Your co-workers will thank you.
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Tuna Salad
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Ingredients
- 2 (5-ounce) cans solid, water-packed tuna, drained look for sustainably caught
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt nonfat or low-fat
- 2 small stalks celery ¼-inch diced, about ⅓ cup
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard or additional Dijon
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley tarragon, or dill
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional to taste
- For serving whole grain bread, lettuce leaves, crackers, optional
Instructions
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Drain the tuna as thoroughly as you can. Flake it into a bowl.
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Top with the Greek yogurt, celery, pickles, red onion, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, salt, and pepper. With a fork, stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. I usually add a few pinches of salt.
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Serve as a sandwich or wrap, use for a Tuna Melt, place over salad greens, enjoy as a dip with crackers, or simply eat it right out of the bowl.
Notes
- Adapted from my Tuna Melts
- TO STORE: Transfer the tuna salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe because the fresh vegetables will lose their texture and flavor.
Nutrition
Related Recipes
When you’re looking for an affordable protein to bulk up your meals, don’t overlook canned tuna! Here are a few more recipes that put it to use.
Seafood
Avocado Tuna Cakes
Salads
Chickpea Tuna Salad
Salads
Italian Tuna Salad
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