Classic Tuna Salad

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This Classic Tuna Salad is made with canned tuna and tastes absolutely delicious. The tuna is combined with mayonnaise, celery, pickle relish, parsley, lemon juice and yellow mustard so packs a real punch of flavor. Serve with your favorite crackers which are perfect for dipping.

Classic Tuna Salad

When it comes to simplicity you can’t beat this classic tuna salad recipe. The tuna is combined with dill relish which adds great flavor, and finely diced celery for added crunch and texture.

This is my best tuna salad recipe and the one my family most enjoy at home. I like to make my tuna salad recipe without egg if I am serving it with crackers, or as a sandwich filling. I would add hard boiled egg on the side, if serving as part of a larger salad main dish.

My simple tuna salad recipe with mayo can be whipped together in just 5 minutes, perfect for a quick and healthy lunch served with a side of crackers.

Tuna salad is a healthy, high protein lunch option. If you are looking for a lower carb option, swap the bread or crackers and pile the salad into some crunchy lettuce leaves instead.

Tuna salad ingredients

• TUNA: I use 2 6-ounce cans of tuna in water to serve 4.
• CELERY: some finely chopped celery adds not only a great fresh savory flavor, but also added crunch and texture to the salad.
• RELISH: I add sweet pickle relish for extra depth of flavor.
• PARSLEY: adds a great burst of fresh herb flavor.
• LEMON JUICE: use freshly squeezed lemon juice as it has the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch.
• MUSTARD: I’ve added yellow mustard as I want the intense flavor to pair with the strong flavor of tuna.
• MAYONNAISE: use any brand of mayonnaise and regular or low fat will work in the salad.
• SEASONING: there’s so much flavor in this classic tuna salad that I keep the seasoning simple with some sea salt and ground black pepper.

How to make a Classic Tuna Salad

Stir together the tuna, celery, pickle relish, parsley, lemon juice, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Flavor variations

• I prefer to use canned tuna in water, but you can also use tuna in oil. However be aware that this will make the salad extra oily. I don’t recommend using tuna in brine or tuna with any added salt, as the whole salad will taste too salty, so look for tuna with no added salt.
• Swap the yellow mustard for some Dijon mustard.
• For crunch, add some extra veggies like de-seeded and chopped cucumber, chopped red bell pepper, or thin slices of radish.
• Add some finely diced red onion or sliced green onions.
• Swap the freshly chopped parsley for a little chopped dill.
• Stir through some shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• Add some canned beans to the mixture.

Serving suggestion

This easy tuna salad recipe is really easy to whip up and makes a great filling for sandwiches or as a dip for crackers. I also love to serve tuna salad on top of some toasted bread. You can also add extra layers to your sandwich, try slices of tomato, cucumber or avocado with the tuna.

A classic tuna salad also makes a great salad main. Place on top of a leafy green salad, add some chopped tomatoes and cucumber and serve with and handful of olives and a boiled egg for a filling and delicious lunch or light dinner.

Tuna salad also travels really well, so place some in an airtight container for the perfect easy lunch on the go.

Recipe hints & tips

• Take time to properly drain the canned tuna otherwise the tuna salad will be too wet.
• If you don’t like celery leave it out, but swap it with another crunchy salad vegetable like red bell pepper or de-seeded cucumber. The added vegetable adds great crunch and texture to the salad.
• If the tuna salad has been in the refrigerator for a couple of days I recommend giving the salad a good stir to combine all the ingredients together again before serving.

FAQs

Try some of my favorite salad recipes here at When is Dinner

• Egg Salad
• Easy Peasy Pea Salad
• Mediterranean Tuna Salad
• Southwest Spicy Chicken Salad
• Caesar Salad Bacon Cups
• Apple & Pear Salad
• BLT Salad