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With just a few ingredients, this Homemade Tuna Salad recipe makes a quick and easy lunch. Serve on bread for a tuna salad sandwich, in a lettuce wrap, or straight from the bowl.
As a child, I wasn’t a huge fan of tuna salad sandwiches. But, thankfully, my tastes have changed as an adult! This classic tuna salad is just what you’d expect for a quick and easy lunch. With canned tuna, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, and a few other ingredients, it’s super flavorful and creamy.
Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy and tangy. Made with creamy mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, tangy lemon juice, and crunchy celery, every bite of this tuna salad is packed with flavor.
- Super simple to make. There are essentially two steps to this easy recipe: drain the tuna and combine the ingredients. (Draining the tuna is a very important part, though, to avoid a watery dish.)
- Great for lunch or dinner. You can make this tuna salad recipe in advance to enjoy chilled for lunch, or dig in right away as a light dinner. Either way works!
- Adaptable. There are so many ways to switch up a homemade tuna salad. You can add mustard, diced apples, herbs, and more – check out the variations section below for more ideas.
What You’ll Need
This easy tuna salad recipe requires just 8 ingredients. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts and the full set of directions.
- Tuna – Tuna packed in water is best. Oil will make this salad a bit too greasy.
- Mayonnaise – Be sure to use a quality brand of mayo, like Hellman’s.
- Celery – Adds some crunch to the salad.
- Sweet pickle relish – Dill relish can be used as well, but I like a hint of sweetness in my tuna salad.
- Lemon juice – Tangy lemon always pairs well with tuna and really enhances the other flavors.
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
How to Make Tuna Salad
- Combine the ingredients. Mix the drained tuna with all of the other ingredients.
- Serve. Serve as desired (see suggestions below). You can also let it chill for a few hours before serving if you like.
Tips & Variations
- Make sure to drain the tuna well. The dish will come out too watery otherwise, and it won’t be possible to make sandwiches/wraps.
- How to change up your salad with more mix-ins. Green/red onions, Dijon mustard, parsley, diced apples, diced cucumbers, and shredded cabbage would all work fabulously in this salad.
- Substitute the mayo. Not a huge fan of mayonnaise? No problem, use some plain yogurt instead. (You can also partially substitute with yogurt, if you would like.)
- Kick up the heat. If you like a little heat in your tuna salad, try adding some curry powder!
Serving Suggestions
- Sandwiches: The most common way to use this recipe is in a sandwich. Personally, I love making tuna salad sandwiches on croissants with tomato and lettuce, as you see in the photo. You can also use regular bread.
- Lettuce wraps: You can make a tuna salad lettuce wrap with a nice, crispy iceberg lettuce leaf.
- Pasta: If you want to make this a slightly more substantial meal, cook some pasta and add it in to make a tuna pasta salad.
- Crackers: Or, enjoy this easy tuna salad recipe as a snack with crackers right from the bowl!
Proper Storage
Homemade tuna salad will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it covered in an airtight container. It’s perfect for making in advance and having lunch ready to go for the next few days!
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
More Easy Salad Ideas
Tuna Salad
This easy tuna salad is made with creamy mayo, sweet pickle relish, tangy lemon juice, crunchy celery, and more. It's perfect for sandwiches and lettuce wraps!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 cans tuna packed in water drained (5 ounce cans)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup celery minced
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. Then, add the tuna and the rest of the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Serve the tuna salad as-is out of a bowl, wrapped up in lettuce, or in a sandwich.
Last Step:
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- Storage: Homemade tuna salad will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it covered in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 907mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg
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2 comments on “Tuna Salad”
Delish, but I must add onion to mine!
I add chopped onion and hard boiled eggs to mine. Sometimes I add diced pickled Jalapeño peppers instead of pickle relish. Just for that extra kick. I always toast my bread.