The Best Tuna Salad

Article by Emily Saladino

Chopped celery and red onion add zest and crunch to this recipe, while mayonnaise and a touch of mustard marry it all together. Want to make it your own? Check out our recipe developers’ ideas for tuna salad variations below.

How to Make Tuna Salad Like a Pro

Drain well. Too much liquid prevents the salad from coming together and makes it unpleasantly watery. Be sure to drain the canned tuna fish completely before adding it to the bowl.

Mince the celery and onion into evenly sized pieces. This helps the tuna salad have a silky texture. Our recipe developers find that 1/8- to 1/16-inch-pieces work best.

Soaking the onion keeps it from overpowering everything else. Put the minced red onion in a bowl and cover with cold water for 5 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. This mellows the onions’ bite and helps them blend into the other tuna salad ingredients.

Add a squeeze of lemon. This step is optional, but our recipe developers strongly recommend adding a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end to brighten the flavors of your salad.

Tuna Salad Variations

We love the classic flavors of this simple tuna salad recipe, but there are all sorts of ways to customize it.

Experiment with different mustards — and relish. Substitute 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for the whole-grain mustard and add 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish.

Try Greek yogurt. To make tuna salad without mayo, substitute an equal amount of full-fat Greek yogurt. It will be richer and creamier and might need a touch more salt, so season to taste.

Add eggs. Fold in one cooled and chopped hard-boiled egg for even more protein. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Add chickpeas. Swap in half of a 15-ounce can of well-drained chickpeas for one of the cans of tuna fish. Lightly mash them with a fork and add to the other tuna salad ingredients, adding slightly more salt and pepper to taste. This chickpea tuna salad recipe has a chunkier texture.

Use different herbs. Try finely chopped dill, cilantro, tarragon or chives instead of some or all the parsley.

What to Do with Tuna Salad

Scoop it onto an English muffin and top with cheddar for an irresistible tuna melt. Serve on rye with lettuce and tomato for a deli-style tuna sandwich recipe. Put a dollop of tuna salad on a salad of lightly dressed greens, or serve it in a bowl garnished with extra parsley alongside buttery crackers for or pita chips for a crowd-pleasing, DIY appetizer.

How Long Does Tuna Salad Last?

Homemade tuna salad lasts for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.