Tuna Macaroni Salad is an easy side dish made with elbow macaroni and canned tuna in a creamy mayo dressing. Sweet pickle relish adds extra flavor while peas, onion, and celery add a pop of color and crunch.
This tuna macaroni salad is a fun twist on classic macaroni salad. The base is pretty similar, though I omitted the cheese in this one and, obviously, added lots of canned tuna. The dressing is also slightly different, made with lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar. It’s a classic dish I’ve been enjoying since I was a kid. Some things never go out of style!
Why I Love This Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
Here are a few reasons why I love this recipe.
- Quick & easy. This tuna macaroni salad is beyond easy to make. The hardest and most time-consuming part is waiting for the water to boil. It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Creamy dressing. The dressing for this tuna salad is mayo-based with sweet pickle relish and lemon juice for extra flavor. The creaminess offers a lovely contrast to the crunchy vegetables.
- Great for potlucks. This recipe makes 10 servings of this salad, making it perfect for gatherings like potlucks and picnics. It’s always one of my go-to’s when I need to feed a crowd.
Recipe Ingredients
This easy salad is made with just a handful of ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Elbow macaroni noodles – Or other preferred short pasta shape.
- Frozen peas – Cooked and cooled ahead of time.
- Red onion & celery – Add flavor and crunch to the salad.
- Hard boiled eggs – I love making hard boiled eggs in the oven and using them in this recipe.
- Sweet pickle relish – Adds flavor to the mayo dressing. Dill pickle relish can also be used.
- Tuna – Be sure to grab tuna packed in water, not in oil.
- Mayonnaise – The creamy base to the dressing.
- Lemon juice – I highly recommend freshly squeezed if possible! It really brightens up the dish.
- Salt & pepper
How To Make Tuna Macaroni Salad
It’s super quick and easy to make this salad. The most time-consuming part is boiling the pasta. The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta. Boil the macaroni to al dente according to package instructions. Drain then set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the mayo, relish, salt, pepper, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- Combine. Add the macaroni, veggies, eggs, and tuna to a bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine.
- Enjoy! Cover and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few things I’ve found helpful to keep in mind when making this tuna macaroni salad, as well as a few easy variations.
- Cool the pasta. After draining the pasta, I like to give it a bit of time to cool. Running it under cold water also helps to cool it and prevent it from continuing to cook.
- Use tuna in water. I recommend using tuna packed in water for this salad. Tuna packed in oil makes the salad very oily plus it adds an olive oil flavor. Some tuna is pre-seasoned so look out for that too.
- Skip the egg. The hard boiled egg can easily be omitted from this recipe if desired. I like to add it for extra protein and to bulk up the salad a bit but it’s completely optional.
- Try it with shallot. If you’re not an onion fan, consider swapping the red onion for a shallot. It has a much milder flavor with hints of garlic, without the bite of biting into raw onion.
- Add-ins. Consider adding in diced or shredded cheddar cheese and/or chopped red bell pepper.
Serving Suggestions
While this tuna macaroni salad can be served as an entree and makes a great lunch on its own, I typically serve it as a side salad. It’s a great addition to potlucks and picnics. I love to serve it in the summer as a side to burgers and hot dogs. It makes such a casual, tasty, and easy dinner.
How To Store Leftovers
Tuna macaroni salad is best enjoyed within 2-3 days. Keep any leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing this salad.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Big Mac Pasta Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
- Doritos Taco Pasta Salad
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounce box elbow macaroni cooked and drained
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas cooked and cooled
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 3 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 3 (5-ounce) cans tuna packed in water drained
- 15 ounce jar mayonnaise (or 1 2/3 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Boil elbow macaroni according to package directions, drain and set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, pickle relish, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Add the macaroni, peas, onion, celery, eggs and tuna to a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the top and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Last Step:
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4 comments on “Tuna Macaroni Salad”
I love this recipe. Great for potlucks.
Thank you Mo!
I am going to make this using dill relish instead of sweet, and it should be amazing!
Dill will work great! Thanks!