The Best Tuna Salad Recipe
The best tuna salad is the one you make for yourself. Maybe you’ll make variations here and there, but we’re hoping you’ll trust us on the mayo-mustard-acid ratio proffered in our classic tuna salad recipe. Ours also calls for a shallot, celery, and relish to add a little crunch and extra flavor. There’s something wonderfully simple in cracking open a couple of cans of tuna fish and minutes later having a very satisfying meal ready to eat.
Tuna Salad, That Timeless Deli Staple
Tuna salad has been around for over one hundred years (the centenary was in the early 2000s) and remains a staple for its ease of preparation combined with the nutritional punch it packs. The first tuna salad was a simple combo of tinned tuna fish and mayonnaise, and appeared around the time that tuna was first canned in 1904. After a successful marketing campaign, canned tuna fish made its way into homes across America, and soon after we were all eating tuna fish salad (for more notes on the subject, check out our guide What To Do With Tinned Fish). Easy tuna salad recipes were a way of using up what was leftover, highlighting crunchy bits and bobs like briny pickles and olives. So if you’re wondering, “What can I mix canned tuna with?” the answer is pretty broad. While we rely on shallots, celery, and relish for crunch, you can find anything from potato chips to raisins in tuna salad!
How To Make Tuna Salad
Prepare your mise en place (aka arrange all of your ingredients). Chop one small shallot. Mince one rib of celery. Squeeze a lemon (or measure the vinegar). Measure seasonings. Open and drain two cans of tuna.
Mix. In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, shallot, celery, relish, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, and sugar (if using) until combined.
Sandwich or scoop! If making into a homemade tuna fish salad sandwich, divide the tuna salad between 4 slices of bread. Top each with a lettuce leaf and remaining slices of bread. If serving deli style, scoop tuna salad onto lettuce leaves. Bonus points for sliced tomato.
How long does tuna salad last? If you don’t finish your healthy tuna salad in one meal, make sure to eat it within the next 3-5 days of making it.
Tools You’ll Need
A can opener–maybe! So much of the tinned fish at the market has a pull top lid.
A fork, or other mixing implement
More Tuna Ideas
Tuna salad isn’t made just for sandwiches! You can always pair it with pasta for an easy pasta salad. If you’re looking to go the extra mile, our Tuna Salad and Chickpea Stuffed Avocado is out of this world. Speaking of avocado, if you’re trying to make a tuna salad recipe without mayo, mashed avocado is a great substitute for the creaminess of mayonnaise in tuna salad. There’s also the Easy Niçoise Salad or Seared Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Salad for a real stunner of a salad. One of our hands down favorite ways to enjoy fresh tuna is in a Poke Bowl.
Join The Tinned Fish Fan Club
Tuna fish, the original tinned fish! If you’re part of the tuna fish salad fan club, we wanna see. Snap a photo of your tuna salad sandwich and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
