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Salads · American

Tuna Salad

Bright, crunchy and never watery. The trick is all in how you drain and season the tuna.

Hands-on
15 min
Total
15 min
Makes
480 ml (about 2 cups), enough for 4 sandwiches
Serves
4

No cooking. Add 5 minutes if you soak the onion first (see tips).

  • easy
  • gluten-free
  • dairy-free
  • lunch
  • no-cook
  • quick
  • pantry
  • make-ahead

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Tuna Salad
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: colander · medium bowl · spatula or fork · can opener

Contains: fish · egg

Method

  1. Drain the tuna well

    Tip both cans of tuna into a colander and let them drain thoroughly, pressing gently to push out the water.

    Otto tried this firstOtto skips the colander and scoops the tuna straight from the cans, water and all. The salad turns soupy. Next time he drains it properly, and it holds together on the bread.

  2. Shred it fine

    Break the tuna apart with your fingers until there are no clumps and the texture is fine and even. Put it in the bowl.

  3. Season the tuna first

    Add the 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, the 60 ml (1/4 cup) celery, 2 tbsp red onion, 2 tbsp pickles, 1/8 tsp garlic and 2 tbsp parsley. Mix until everything is evenly spread through the tuna.

  4. Fold in the dressing

    Fold in the 113 g (1/2 cup) mayonnaise and 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard until all the tuna is evenly moistened.

  5. Serve or chill

    Serve in sandwiches, wraps or lettuce leaves, or cover the bowl and refrigerate it.

Swaps

  • Instead of mayonnaise: plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, for some or all of it verified; the salad tastes tangier
  • Instead of Dijon mustard: whole-grain mustard
  • Instead of canned tuna: canned salmon, in the same amounts

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate; eat within 3 days. Don't leave it out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F).

If something goes wrong

  • Watery salad Why: The tuna wasn't drained well.
    Drain it in a colander and press out the liquid before mixing.
  • Bland, even with lots of mayo Why: The seasoning went in after the mayonnaise, which coats the tuna.
    Season the tuna with lemon, salt and pepper first, then fold in the mayonnaise.

Good to know

  • For a milder onion, soak the minced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat it dry.
  • If you use oil-packed tuna, pat off the extra oil and use a little less mayonnaise.
  • Swap the parsley for dill, chives or basil if you like.

Safety

  • Tuna salad is a perishable, mayonnaise-based food. Keep it cold, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
  • Opened cans have sharp edges. An adult should open and press the cans; kids can do the mixing.
  • Gluten-free and dairy-free only if your mayonnaise, mustard and pickles are; check the labels. The Greek-yogurt swap adds milk.