Tuna salad is the perfect meal when you’re craving something light, fresh, and healthy. Made with simple ingredients like canned tuna, mayonnaise, onion, celery, and fresh herbs, it comes together effortlessly. Enjoy it in a sandwich, wrapped in lettuce leaves, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Tuna Salad
Fast and easy salads have always been a staple in my meal prep routine. And I’m not talking about leafy green salads that wilt quickly. Instead, I’m referring to hearty, durable, and delicious options like chicken salad, shrimp salad, salmon salad, egg salad, and my personal favorite—this tuna salad. Not only does it come together in 15 minutes, but it’s also:
- A high-protein meal. Since tuna is low in fat and calories, it’s pretty much pure protein. One can is about 26 grams of protein!
- Great for meal prep. It will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge, which makes it great for a delicious lunch (especially for kids) or a light and fresh dinner that can be served in many ways.
- Endlessly customizable. While this classic version is delicious as is, you can get creative and make it your own, whether that’s creamier, chunkier, or spiced up. More on that below!
Tuna Salad Ingredients
- Canned Tuna: My favorite canned tuna is Wild Planet wild albacore tuna packed in water. I’ll link it in the recipe card below! For more info on why this is my go-to, check out the next section.
- Mayonnaise: Use your favorite brand or better yet, try making my homemade mayonnaise for the freshest flavor and texture. You can also use Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
- Dijon Mustard: This ingredient might not appear in every tuna salad recipe, but it’s a game-changer. It adds a sharp, tangy contrast to the lighter flavors, making it a must-have in my book!
- Celery and Red Onion: These add a fresh, crunchy texture to every bite.
- Parsley: Fresh herbs like parsley pair beautifully with seafood, especially tuna, adding a burst of freshness.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Best Tuna To Buy
For tuna salad, I recommend wild albacore packed in water. Albacore has a light, mild flavor that’s less strong or fishy compared to other varieties. Also, water-packed tuna allows the natural flavor to shine while giving you the flexibility to adjust the seasoning.
How To Make Tuna Salad
Prep the tuna and other ingredients. First, drain each tuna can before adding the tuna pieces into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, prep all the other ingredients and add them to the bowl—mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, and parsley.
Mix and serve. Use a fork to mix everything while breaking up any large pieces of tuna for your desired texture. Then, season with salt and pepper and give it another mix.
Tuna Salad Variations
- Tuscan Tuna Salad: This is a delicious no-mayo option that’s layered with bright and fresh Tuscan flavor—from briny olives to sun-dried tomatoes and an abundance of herbs and lemon juice.
- Broccoli Tuna Salad: Give your tuna salad an extra green spin with broccoli rice, diced green onions, and extra herbs.
- Tuna Salad with Pickles: For another briny, tangy flavor, mix in chopped dill or sweet pickles and capers. The sharpness pairs wonderfully with the creamy salad.
- Curry Tuna Salad: Mix in some curry powder, diced apples, raisins, and chopped almonds for a sweet and savory twist. You could also use a bit of Greek yogurt to replace some of the mayo for a creamier consistency.
- Egg Tuna Salad: Add chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra protein and a super filling, satisfying meal.
Ways To Serve
- Tuna Sandwich: Turn it into a classic sandwich with a layer of lettuce and tomato. For a twist, try a tuna melt by preparing a grilled cheese sandwich, then gently pulling apart the bread to layer spoonfuls of tuna salad inside.
- Tuna Wrap: Wrap the salad in tortillas (like my cassava flour tortillas) or use butter lettuce leaves for a light, low-carb option.
- Layer on a salad: I love this tuna salad on a bed of mixed greens or baby spinach for an easy, throw-together lunch. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice for a fresh dressing.
- Stuffed Avocado or Tomato: Scoop the salad into avocado or tomato halves for a fresh and flavorful presentation, like my tuna stuffed avocados!
- Serve as a delicious dip: Pair it with crackers or chips for a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack.
Storage Tip
Tuna salad is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Since it contains fish and mayonnaise, avoid leaving it at room temperature for extended periods.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Classic Potato Salad: A classic side dish everyone loves.
- Broccoli Salad: Another meal prep favorite!
- Greek Salad: The best throw-together salad.
- Lentil Salad: A great protein-packed side dish.
- Or enjoy these other salad recipes and summer salads!
If you make this tuna salad recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
BEST Tuna Salad Recipe – Easy & Healthy
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, chives and/or other herbs
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. Then, add the tuna, mayonnaise, diced celery and red onions, herbs, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper to a mixing bowl.
- Mix the salad. Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Enjoy the tuna salad plain out of a bowl, wrapped in lettuce, or in a sandwich. I've got more ideas above!
Lisa’s Tips
- If you’d like a creamier texture you can always add more mayonnaise.
- My favorite tuna is albacore tuna and I always purchase Wild Planet brand.
- Storage tip: Tuna salad is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Since it contains fish and mayonnaise, avoid leaving it at room temperature for extended periods.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published April 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Perfect proportions, right up my alley! Added a dab of sweet relish. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Happy you loved it!
I made this last night but didn’t have any parsley. As I started making it, I had a brainwave and decided to use some celery leaves instead. I took the lighter ones from the inner stalks and chopped them fine and added them in. It turned out delicious!
Glad this tuna salad still turned out great Hannah!
I made this recipe as part of your meal prep on a budget and my husband, and I loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Loved it! It was so easy to make, so fresh and you can eat it many ways. I added a little extra Dijon mustard and it was fantastic!
Any recommendations on brands of gluten free bread?
I typically buy Canyon Bakehouse.
I have been looking for healthy recipes that taste good. I’m glad I found this. It’s really good. I can’t help but experiment with recipes, so I added a few hard-boiled eggs in the mix, and since I didn’t have celery on hand, I used dill relish. Thanks for sharing this.
Glad you enjoyed this tuna salad Mark!
perfect served in a gf tortilla wrap with roasted red pepper
Couldn’t agree more!
very nice food tuna salad
Great recipe! I added fresh dill and parsley, a bit of lemon juice, olive oil, extra dried dill, green onion, and a bit of garlic powder and paprika powder. Absolutely divine! I will start making this once a week for lunches.
This is good stuff!! I sometimes add seasoned salt instead of sea/Kosher salt and we love ours as a sandwich with a slice of your favorite cheese lightly toasted in a tabletop sandwich maker. Yum!
How long will they keep In fridge
This will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
I always add 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced and diced. That’s how my Mom made it and I can’t make it any other way.
Best tuna salad I have ever had. I will be serving it at an upcoming picnic.
I added 1/4 lemon juice as suggested in the video and a few Basil leaves since they were next to my parsley.
Only comment is I mixed all the ingredients other than the tuna. Then flaked up the tuna and incorporated it into the other ingredients. Oh yea, I did add a splash of lemon juice. Ate with boston lettuce leaves which ended up a delicious healthy meal.
My hubby said it tasted fresh and good. I agreed with him. I added no salt and only 1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper and finely diced Serrano pepper. We had the tuna salad with fresh tomatoes and hard boiled egg on the side. It not only tasted good, but it was a colorful plate.
YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!!!!! The only thing missing was avocado and lime juice, but that was my personal tweak. My son added capers. The base of this recipe is AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Simple and delicious!!! I used a sweet onion. Red onions give me heartburn 😞 but everything else I followed!! Defiantly a keeper ❤️
Glad you enjoyed this tuna salad recipe Jessica!
Are the nutrition facts for the 4 servings and how much is each serving?
The nutritional information on my website will always be per serving. For this recipe, each serving is between 1/3 or 1/2 cup!
I love tuna salad and tuna casserole!
Recently discovered you on You Tube, and I’m devouring all your videos. Thumbs up for your refreshing approach to food prepping, genius.
Wasn’t to sure what to prepare for lunch this afternoon. I looked in the fridge and pantry and realized I had all the ingredients, so I gave it a try. Placed it on a bed of lettuce. It came together in record time.
It was delicious and filling. The celery was a great additional surprise.
Welcome to the Downshiftology community Michael! Happy to hear you’re loving the recipes so far – especially this tuna salad! Excited to see what you make next :)
Just made this today. Delish!!
Can I use sweet onion if I don’t have red onion?
That’s fine!
Whoa! Awesome, I added some toasted chopped walnuts, mashed avocado, & fresh dill. Great recipe.
thank you. well presented, did I hear gluten free bread? what I need.
Yes! I always use the brand Canyon Bakehouse :)
This was the best tuna salad I’ve had. Thanks for the great recipe!
Add diced apple to this tuna recipe, really takes away the fishie taste.
Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s so easy to add what fresh herbs you have on hand, and it makes each salad quite different! Nice for variety in the lunches. All I had was coriander/cilantro, and I put it in a corn tortilla, it was fabulous! Thank you!
Absolutely! Glad your tuna salad turned out great Margaret :)
This is a wonderful recipe. I used Lummi Island’s canned Wild Albacore tuna from Washington State. Your recipe is the perfect measurement and content of ingredients to allow this beautiful tuna to be appreciated true to its wonderful flavor and texture.
Happy to hear you loved this tuna salad recipe Larry! :)
This recipe is absolutely great!
Tastes amazing, and it’s well suited for breakfast or lunch. I had it inside of an avocado pit and it was the best breakfast I’ve had in a while.
Thank you for such an easy and tasty recipe!
It truly is a versatile salad! Glad you enjoyed it Victoria :)
Can confirm: BEST tuna salad! So simple, so easy, so delicious.
Glad you enjoyed this tuna salad recipe!
Made this recipe for lunch yesterday and my husband said it was the best tuna salad he’s ever had and I have to agree! 10/10 recommend!!
Amazing! Glad to know both you and your husband enjoyed this tuna salad :)
So yummy! I like to steam the celery to soften it a bit before mixing it in! We love having it on buttery croissants! 😋🥐
I soften the celery because it is a texture preference for me. I still love the fresh flavor the celery gives! 💗
Made this for my family and 5 out of 5 people agreed it was perfect!
And SO easy to make!
Thank you.
This is the perfect pairing with croissants :)
I LOVE this tuna salad. I’ve been making it weekly for about three months! Thanks for sharing :)
Happy to hear you love this tuna salad Virginia! It’s definitely a Spring/Summer staple.
I made this today and I’m already restocking the ingredients because it’s that good. Will be on high rotation.
Wonderful! This is such an easy recipe to keep on hand :)
I made it yesterday and my husband stole the leftovers for lunch today, now I have to go to the store and get stuff to make it again today as well 🤣 definitely going to be a popular one in my house!
This is the best tuna recipe I’ve ever made! The parsley and red onions really make it a standout. I love it and serve it over spring mix to reduce my caloric intake.
So glad you love this recipe Denise!
Is there really only 1g of Carbs? Surely this is a misprint?!
Hi Courtney – There is actually about 1.75g of carbs in this recipe, but the recipe card calculates this to be about 1g.
Lovely! We enjoyed this so much with just a tiny bit of chopped pickle. Not sure about the health balance this way but man alive was it good!
Love the idea of adding chopped pickles to this Nick :)
So good! I thought, hmmm to the Dijon but wow, it’s really tasty!
It really does add delicious taste to this tuna salad!
I use veganize and sweet gerkin pickles diced.
The best tuna salad I’ve had!
So glad you loved this one Dlanie!
Your tuna salad does deserve the name “BEST Tuna Salad Recipe.” The tuna brand recommendation and the lower amount of mayonnaise were on point. In a daring move, I added fresh tarragon :-))
Happy to hear you loved this tuna salad recipe Marian! The tarragon really does make a difference.
What is the serving size?
I was never fun of tuna and in Argentina we usually eat it with rice.
Love the combination of flavors. Now I have a simple and healthy way to eat tuna. Thanks
Glad you loved this one Cuky!
Looks delicious! In your opinion, how long would leftovers last in the fridge? Thanks!
This will last for about 3-4 days in the fridge.
I made the recipe,I used Miracle Whip instead of Mayo.Used green onions instead of red onions. It was still great. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad this recipe was a success Norma! :)
Ok, all these salads are SOOO amazing. They made me actually love eating salads, and excited to make them!!!!!!!
Happy to hear that Bella! ;)
How big is knee serving size? Thanks!
Hi Megan – I would say between 1/3 or 1/2 cup.
By far the best tuna salad recipe! So happy I found it!! I normally don’t make tuna sandwiches often, but I’ve made this 4x in 1 month. It really is delish!! Thank you so much.
Happy to hear you loved this tuna salad Karen! :)
Ur Recipe Is Excellent !!
It Is Almost Identical To The One I Used @ 42nd Street
But We Also Added Some Capers And A Drizzle Of White Wine
Give It A Try…. It Is To Die For Too…..
What’s the point in sharing a recipe when you don’t indicate how much of each ingredient to use…
Hi there – The ingredients and full instructions will always be listed out towards the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
There are millions recepies for tuna salad.
But THIS IS THE BEST one! It is my favourite!
Hi Suzana – I’m thrilled that you love this tuna salad recipe! Sometimes it’s just those little tweaks that make it the best. Enjoy!