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Classic Tuna Salad

3.5

(215)

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Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on June 30, 2015 and was updated by Samar Lazzari in December 2020.

This classic tuna salad recipe doesn’t try to fix what isn’t broken. It has all the essentials for turning canned tuna (preferably oil-packed and salted) into something truly compelling. Just-enough mayo, capers, and lemon for brightness, celery and onion for crunch, and mustard and (optional) hot sauce for a little extra flavor intrigue. Feel free to sub Greek yogurt for mayo, or pickle relish instead of capers.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    2 large or 4 small servings

Ingredients

¼

small red onion, finely chopped

1

celery stalk, finely chopped

6

Tbsp. mayonnaise

2

Tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley or cilantro

2

Tbsp. drained capers, finely chopped

2

tsp. fresh lemon juice

1

tsp. Dijon mustard

1

tsp. hot sauce (optional)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1

5-oz. can tuna, preferably oil-packed and salted, drained

Bread or salad greens (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using a fork, mix onion, celery, mayonnaise, parsley, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and hot sauce (if using) in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

    Step 2

    Mix in tuna, breaking up any large pieces, until well combined. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve on toast or salad.

    Do ahead: Tuna salad can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

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Reviews (215)

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  • I add about a tablespoon of coriander seeds to my tuna salad . They add interesting and delicious flavor plus nice crunch!

    • Anonymous

    • Berkshire Hills of MA

    • 4/21/2024

  • I love tuna salad and this one is so tasty and savory. I doubled the recipe and ended up using three cans of tuna bc there was so much sauce. I might reduce the mayo by half next time since I don’t think I needed as much as it called for. Easy and tasty!

    • Naz

    • Charlotte, NC

    • 12/2/2023

  • Tuna salad is one of my all time favorite lunches and this recipe just took it to new heights. WOW... I LOVE THIS! By the way, I used water-based tuna because that's all I had on hand and it was still amazing.

    • Carter

    • Pacific Grove, CA

    • 8/21/2023

  • This is my favorite tuna salad recipe, I eat it all the time and cannot eat any other kind of tuna salad anymore! It’s seriously so good 💖

    • Emily

    • Portland, Orego.

    • 10/20/2022

  • I make this often and always enjoy it. The tuna in olive oil is a must, but I generally go light on the mayo and swap relish for the capers.

    • TPeterson

    • Los Angeles

    • 8/3/2022

  • I thought it was very tasty!

    • Toni D.

    • Florida

    • 6/2/2022

  • To Annonymous, your fat gram count is seriously off, not to mention your outrage. The average mayo has 10 grams of fat per tablespoon, which is 30 grams per full serving. The tuna clearly says it's drained, so that averages 3-5 grams per can, which is 1.5 to 2.5 grams per serving. My store-bought bread says it has 2 grams per 2 slices, so 1 sandwich, although the recipe clearly states it can be replaced with lettuce. Whether using the FDA and AHA recommendations for fat intake, 1/2 of this recipe clearly falls well below the fat intake recommendations. Further, remaining meals for the day can be fat-limited. This recipe as written is very good. I personally prefer far less mayo, so that is how I made it, but I otherwise used this recipe. It's a keeper.

    • Debs414

    • Tucson, AZ

    • 11/28/2021