Enjoy the perfect blend of creamy, tangy, and crunchy elements with this easy-to-make and hard-to-forget Tuna Salad
Picnics were special occasions when I was growing up—but we didn’t always wait for a birthday or celebration. Sometimes, azure skies and a perfect light breeze called to us, telling us that there was nothing more important than an afternoon spent together as a family around a picnic table, at the playground, playing frisbee or cards, or even taking a nap on a nubby blanket. And we almost always brought our standby: tuna fish salad. Even now, more than three decades later, the first bite of a tuna fish sandwich reminds me of playing Spades or Yahtzee with my parents and sisters, all keen competitors who strove to be the first to shout “Champino.”
As we got a little older, our tastebuds expanded, and we’d sometimes elevate our picnics with the addition of this Avocado Chicken Salad or homemade Coleslaw, but tuna fish was still the standard main event. We don’t get together as often these days as I’d like. My parents are aging, and my sisters and I have teenage and young adult children who are starting their own traditions—or have social calendars that don’t allow for impromptu picnics, but every once in a while, the park beckons, and we listen.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Don’t settle for lunchmeat. Tuna salad is easy to fix but tastes delicious. You get to enjoy the lean protein of tuna with a mix of crispy and creamy in the salad. It’s a great go-to dish when you only have a few minutes for prep.
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz cans tuna (drained)
- 2 eggs (hard boiled)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup pickles (finely diced)
- ¼ cup celery (finely diced)
- 1 green onion (finely sliced)
- salt and pepper
How to Make – The Steps
Step 1: Peel your eggs and use a knife to chop them up.
Step 2: Add all of the ingredients into a bowl with the eggs.
Step 3: Mix together until everything is well-coated and nicely blended.
Top Tips For a Perfect Tuna Salad
- Make sure to drain the water or oil from the can of tuna before dumping it into the bowl. If you want to control the amount of oil in your salad, opt for the canned tuna in water.
- You can substitute Greek yogurt or avocado for the mayonnaise if you want a different flavor or lighter fare.
- Adjust the quantity of eggs to your liking. I prefer a chunkier salad with lots of hard-boiled eggs, but my husband likes it smoother. You decide.
FAQs
You can definitely add your own flair to this tuna salad. Options include red onions, cranberries (or craisins), diced apples, shredded carrots, or even some cayenne pepper.
You could go with the old-school white or wheat bread, crusty baguette, or hearty rye bread. Croissants are also perfect vessels for a dollop of tuna salad.
That’s really up to you. Experiment a bit. Miracle Whip is sweeter than mayonnaise, so it depends on what you prefer. As a side note, in my house, we’re team mayo when it comes to tuna salad.
Again, this is a matter of preference. In addition to the choice between the fish being canned in water or oil, there are varieties such as albacore and chunk light. Albacore is a white meat tuna, which contains a lot of healthy omega-3 fats but also more mercury. Chunk light is a mixture of lighter, milder tuna varieties like skipjack or yellowfin.
Serving Suggestions
There’s no right or wrong way to serve tuna salad: some like it spooned over a bed of fresh lettuce or spread between two soft pieces of bread. Others prefer to warm it slightly and serve on toasted bread or on crackers. The sky’s the limit!
Make Ahead and How to Store
It’s important to store the tuna fish in an airtight container. Otherwise, your whole fridge will smell fishy! It’ll last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Unfortunately, the mayo goes wonky if it’s frozen, so don’t try that!
Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz cans tuna drained
- 2 eggs hard boiled
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup pickles finely diced
- ¼ cup celery finely diced
- 1 green onion finely sliced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel your eggs and use a knife to chop them up.
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl with the eggs.
- Mix together until everything is well-coated and nicely blended.
Nutrition
