Making Tuna Salad Sandwiches is one of the easiest meals to throw together, especially if you keep good canned tuna in your pantry. This Tuna Salad recipe is so simple mix together and can be served on bread, croissants, crackers or a bed of lettuce. It even makes amazing Tuna Melts!
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The nice thing about Tuna Salad Sandwiches is that you probably already have all of the ingredients on hand; canned tuna and onions in the pantry, celery, mayo, relish, and Dijon in the fridge, and seasonings in your spice cabinet. So it can become a last minute dinner at lunch… any time!
Canned Tuna
Since this is the main ingredient in Tuna Salad Sandwiches you want to make sure and buy a high quality canned tuna. We have found that Albacore Tuna has the best flavor and texture combo. Also look for tuna packed in water, not oil for this recipe.
Not all canned tuna brands are created equally. We like to look for brands that are wild caught using sustainable practices, such as pole-and-line, troll, or purse seine without a fish aggregating device (FAD). FADs are floating objects that attract tuna, but also other marine life that can become bycatch. You can also look for certifications like the MSC, which indicates the fishery meets international best practices.
You might also find some terms to describe the tuna:
- White: This refers to albacore tuna.
- Light: This label can include a variety of tuna species; it’s often skipjack, but may also be a mix of skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, or tongol.
- Chunk light: This means it is light tuna (see above) in smaller pieces, instead of a packed filet.
Here are some brands that we have found to be amazing:
- Kirkland Albacore Solid White Tuna (Costco)
- Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna (readily available)
- Trader Joes Albacore Solid White Tuna
- Sea Tales, Scout, Good & Gather (Target), and Star-Kist has also received high praise from Bon Appetite
Ingredient Details
Tuna – read more about canned tuna above.
Mayonnaise – this is the base for the creamy dressing on your tuna salad sandwich. Use a high quality mayo, not miracle whip, for your dressing. We have found that Hellmann’s and Aldi brand are two great mayo’s!
Celery – adds a nice crunch to the tuna salad mixture. Make sure to dice the celery so you don’t end up with huge chunks in the mix.
Onion – we have found that red onion is our favorite in tuna salad. If you have an onion that is really strong, you can cut a chunk off the onion, then rinse it under cool water before dicing it. This rinses away the enzyme that will have the raw onion taking over your dish.
Pickle Relish – we recommend using sweet pickle relish, but if you prefer a dill pickle relish that will work too.
Dijon Mustard – mixes perfectly with the mayo to make a creamy tuna salad. It also adds a vinegary tang to the dressing.
Spices/Seasonings- a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper is all you need to season up the tuna salad.
How To Make Simple Tuna Salad
These are simple picture instructions for making your Tuna Salad. For more detailed instructions and measurements, skip down to the recipe card.
Step 1
Drain the tuna in fine mesh sieve.
Step 2
Mix the dressing. Add tuna, onions and celery to dressing and stir to combine.
Step 3
Build Tuna Salad Sandwiches.
Serving
There are a few ways you can serve and eat Tuna Salad. The most classic is building a Tuna Salad Sandwich. Use bread or croissants and layer with lettuce, salted and peppered tomato slices and scoops of tuna salad (pictured above).
Some other options are:
- Tuna Melt
- Scoop up tuna salad with crackers, like Ritz Crackers or Club Crackers
- Lightly dress lettuce with vinaigrette (House Vinaigrette from Aldi is our favorite), then add scoops of tuna salad on top.
Storing
Just like chicken salad, tuna salad gets better in the fridge (within reason!!). Store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
Recipe Tips to Remember TL;DR
Too long didn’t read, here are the things to remember when making the best Tuna Salad recipe:
- Use a high quality Chunk White Albacore Tuna, see the list above.
- Buy tuna packed in water, not oil.
- Thoroughly drain the water from the tuna for the most flavor.
- Dice the onions and celery so they are not huge chunks in the mix.
- Use a high quality mayonnaise for best flavor (Hellmann’s or Aldi Brand).
More Sandwich Recipes
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Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 4 cans (4-5 oz each) chunk white albacore tuna - packed in water, drained well
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup celery - finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion - heaping cup, finely diced
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Serving
- Bread
- Lettuce & Tomato
Instructions
- Place the tuna in a fine mesh sieve and press down with the back of a fork or spoon to drain as much liquid from the tuna as possible. (The key to a really good, flavorful tuna salad is to make sure your tuna is completely drained of all liquid).4 cans (4-5 oz each) chunk white albacore tuna
- After draining, leave the tuna in the sieve and set it aside to continue to let it drain while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a medium size bowl combine the remaining ingredients (mayo, celery, onion, pickle relish, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper) and stir to thoroughly combine.¾ cup mayonnaise, ¾ cup celery, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add in the drained tuna and fold it into the mayo mixture until combined.
- To serve, cut a croissant in half or lightly toast your bread of choice. Top with a generous amount of tuna salad, lettuce, tomato and cheese (optional).
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Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Use a high quality Chunk White Albacore Tuna, see the list above.
- Buy tuna packed in water, not oil.
- Thoroughly drain the water from the tuna for the most flavor.
- Dice the onions and celery so they are not huge chunks in the mix.
- Use a high quality mayonnaise for best flavor (Hellmann’s or Aldi Brand).
Susie Weinrich
Really, Really great Tuna salad. Love eating it with Ritz Crackers.