Tuna Salad

As a kid, we ate a lot of tuna our house. Like if we ever said, “Hey, I’m hungry!” the automatic response was, “We have tuna and crackers in the cupboard.” Mayo optional. Suffice it to say that I wasn’t a huge fan of tuna salad sandwiches growing up.

When I was in college and worked in a sandwich shop, I discovered that tuna salad on sandwiches can actually be delicious! Even better is tuna salad’s versatility–I got this recipe from Allrecipes and it has become a favorite for everything from lunch at home, all by myself to wedding luncheons. It’s delicious on whole wheat bread, a croissant, or in a pita with a leaf of lettuce or you could serve it on top of spinach or mixed greens or roll it in a leaf of lettuce. Serve with a bowl of soup and you’ve got an easy weeknight dinner!

Ingredient Notes

  • Tuna – Use whichever tuna variety you prefer. Solid albacore tuna has a mild flavor and large, solid pieces. Chunk light is from a smaller tuna fish species, is a touch more tender, and comes in small flakes. Chunk light tends to have a slightly more fishy flavor than solid albacore.
  • Mayonnaise – Use your preferred mayo– regular, light, avocado, etc. I have not tried this particular recipe with miracle whip, but if you can certainly experiment if you’d like.
  • Apple – Diced apples provide a sweet, crunchy element to this salad. A tart variety like Granny Smith is preferred, but use what you like.
  • Pickle Relish – Again, use your preferred variety. I personally prefer dill.

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine a can of tuna, some diced celery, diced apples, and diced onions. Set aside.

  1. In a small bowl, combine some mayonnaise, honey mustard, curry powder, relish, and salt and pepper.

  1. Pour the dressing over the tuna mixture and toss to combine.
  2. Before serving, add toasted almonds. Serve on bread or over greens for a salad.

Serving Suggestions

Tuna salad is great with crackers, tortilla chips, on toast, in a sandwich, in a lettuce wrap or tortilla; it’s incredibly versatile! If you’d like some accompaniments, consider serving alongside a good soup like one of these:

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can this be made ahead of time? Absolutely. This salad is best when it’s had a chance to chill and for flavors to marry. Make it one day and use it for lunches for a few days!

Did You Make This?

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Tuna Salad

Classic tuna salad is taken up a notch with a few tasty additions like honey mustard, curry, and diced apples in this grown-up version.

Ingredients

  • 1 6- ounce can of your preferred tuna solid albacore or chunk light
  • 1 stalk celery minced
  • 1/2 small tart apple chopped
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon honey mustard Dijon if you’re South Beaching it
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon pickle relish I prefer dill
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds toasted

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine tuna, celery, apple, and onions. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey mustard, curry powder, relish, and salt and pepper.
  • Pour over tuna mixture and toss to combine.
  • Before serving, add toasted almonds. Serve on bread or over greens for a salad.
Author: All Recipes
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
woman in denim shirt holding a salad bowl
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Who knew that plain old tuna could look so great?!? I can’t wait to give this a try, it sounds wonderful!

  2. Apples huh? I am going to have to try this… I love tuna! I might even be able to convince my husband to eat it! I’ll let you know how that goes!

  3. Oh yes! I love this. I love Tuna but I get bored of the “stick some mayo in it and smush it around tuna”. Thanks!

  4. I always like the idea of tuna but usually end up having one bite and that’s all I can handle. I’m pretty sure it has to do with a bad pregnancy experience!

  5. Oh, and I’m really glad that we’re now going to have one more recipe in our sad little seafood section! haha

  6. Becca’s right- I don’t do tuna because it lives in the sea and I’m weird like that. But I have to say that this actually sound good! I’ve never seen tuna salad like that and I’m thinking it would be really good with chicken too, so I might try that and come back to report!

  7. I love apples and curry in tuna salad! I also really enjoy putting dried cranberries, and sometimes red grapes that have been halfed – but never cranberries and grapes together. The cranberries go great with the apples though!

  8. I am very excited to try this. I love tuna but never quite know what to do to make it more interesting.

  9. I eat a lot of tuna, just like my sister. Ok that’s a lie- Sara won’t touch the stuff with a ten foot pole. But I really do like tuna and I am always looking for ways to make it more exciting. I have never added mustard or curry to it, and definitely not apples. I am excited to give it a try!