A recipe that is as delicious as it is simple, this Best Tuna Salad recipe is easy to make, creamy, crunchy, flavorful, and oh so versatile!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
My goal is to get through this post without bringing up the “Is tuna salad really a salad?” debate. Uh-oh! Did I already fail???
No matter, as the real debate is, which tuna salad is the best. Well, you can all stop arguing; we have a winner. THIS tuna salad is not only incredibly simple to make—6 ingredients!—it strikes the perfect balance between creamy and tasty and crunchy. I’ve found some recipes complicate matters to the point where it’s an hour later and I’m still no further ahead in making it. What’s more, there’s so much going in these other tuna salads that my taste buds can’t tell whether they’re coming or going!
With this tuna salad, we get back to basics and realize there’s no need to add half the kitchen pantry and three-quarters of the spice rack to make a good one.
Is Tuna Salad Actually A Salad?
Haha… I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t resist. As a food blogger, though, I do have some thoughts on the matter. First of all (or, Exhibit A, if you will), there also exists potato salad and macaroni salad. If we stopped calling tuna salad a salad, we would have to change their names as well. Just think of the paperwork! As well, there are vegetables in a tuna salad (well, one) but it still counts! Plus, if we define salad as a mix of ready-to-eat ingredients then tuna salad would fit the bill, right? Last, THIS tuna salad is healthy so it’s totally in line with what we usually ascribe to a “traditional” green salad. The defense rests.
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz.) cans tuna, drained
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice the peeled eggs then add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Mix until well combined.
- ENJOY!
FAQs & Tips
Prepping (that is, making it ahead of time) is not only OK, it’s encouraged. By letting the completed tuna salad sit covered in your fridge overnight before serving, the flavors of the ingredients are able to meld. The taste will be greater than the sum of their parts (if you know what I mean).
Don’t do it. That would be sacrilege in some tuna-salad circles (assuming they exist). Miracle Whip has a distinct taste that may not vibe with the other ingredients.
If you want some heat, call upon sriracha or hot sauce, as well as sliced jalapeños or crushed red pepper flakes. Any combination of those should do the trick.
Want a super-duper-protein-packed tuna salad? Replace the mayo with plain Greek yogurt (or find a happy medium by using a 50/50 split). The yogurt will bring a tang to the tuna salad that may not be for everyone, though, so perhaps test it first by combining a little bit of each ingredient in one spoonful.
Sure. It will add an extra step or two, though. Season a tuna steak with salt and pepper then sear it on both sides in a pan of oil on MED-HIGH heat. Let it cool then dice it up. You can now commence with the recipe as it’s laid out here.
Serving Suggestions
When I think of tuna salad, I think of summer barbecues outside, or neighborhood pot lucks. It lines up nicely with corn on the cob, potato salad, and macaroni salad. But you can make it the star of the meal by serving with it crusty bread (served with the salad on top or as part of a sandwich) or crackers crumbled on top of the tuna salad. You can also serve it in a wrap along with grilled veggies and cheese OR put the “Is it a salad or isn’t it?” debate to rest by serving the tuna salad on top of a bed of greens, cucumber, and tomato.
The Best Tuna Salad Recipe (Really!)
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz.) cans tuna drained
- 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup celery finely diced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice the peeled eggs then add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Mix until well combined.
