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    Home » Recipes » Fish and Seafood

    Quick Easy Tuna Salad - Perfect for Lunch or Snack

    By Chula King · May 8, 2017 · Updated: Jul 4, 2024

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    Quick and easy tuna salad

    Tuna salad is comfort food at its best. At its most basic level, it's a combination of canned tuna and mayonnaise. There are a lot of variations on that basic mixture. My favorite variation adds celery and sweet pickle relish. This produces a delicious treat that's quick and easy to make.

    quick and easy tuna salad.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
    • Making the Tuna Salad - Simple Steps
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe Tips and Tricks
    • Recipe

    Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need

    This delicious recipe uses only four simple ingredients: Tuna packed in water, mayonnaise, chopped celery, and sweet pickle relish.

    Making the Tuna Salad - Simple Steps

    1. First, I drained as much water as I could from the cans of tuna.
    Draining water from cans of tuna.
    1. Then, I added the mayonnaise, chopped celery, and sweet pickle relish to the tuna.
    Adding pickle relish to the tuna and remaining ingredients.
    1. Finally, I stirred the ingredients together, ensuring everything was well combined.
    Stirring all of the tuna salad ingredients together.

    I covered the tuna salad and placed it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend together.

    This easy tuna salad is comfort food at its best. Yum!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the best type of tuna to use in this recipe?

    My preference is Star Kist chunk white light packed in water.

    How far in advance can this tuna salad be made?

    The recipe can be made in advance, covered, and refrigerated for 2-3 days.

    Is there a substitute for mayonnaise in this recipe?

    Greek yogurt, or a combination of mayonnaise, yogurt, and sour cream, are alternatives to just mayonnaise.

    Can the tuna salad be frozen?

    I would recommend against freezing the this. The reason is that the mayonnaise can separate and become watery when frozen and thawed. Also, the celery can become soggy and lose its crunch when frozen and thawed.

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Finely chop the celery to distribute the flavor throughout the tuna salad evenly.
    • Consider adding a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to brighten the flavors and reduce the fishy taste. The acid in lemon juice and vinegar neutralizes the fish's base pH, giving it a fishy taste.
    • Sometimes, I'll add hard-boiled eggs to the tuna salad for added flavor.
    • Consider adding this tuna salad to your potato salad recipe. The flavors work well together.
    • It's best to refrigerate the tuna salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend together.

    For a real treat, tuna salad with potato salad and coleslaw for a three-salad plate. Alternatively, pile it on my Homemade Slider Buns or store-bought.

    Did you make this recipe? We'd love to know how it turned out! Leave a review below. Then, share a picture on Instagram and tag @pudgefactor so we can see it.

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    Easy tuna salad.

    Quick Easy Tuna Salad

    Tuna salad is comfort food at its best. At its most basic level, it's a combination of canned tuna and mayonnaise. There are a lot of variations on that basic mixture. My favorite variation adds celery and sweet pickle relish. This produces a delicious tuna salad that's quick and easy to make.
    5 from 3 votes
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    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Brunch, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 178 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 4 (5-ounce) cans tuna packed in water, drained*
    • 1 cup celery chopped
    • ½ cup sweet pickle relish
    • ½ cup mayonnaise

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all ingredients in bowl. Stir to combine.
    • Yield: 8 servings.

    Video

    Tips/Notes

    *For one can of tuna use ¼ cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, and 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

    Nutrition

    Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 14gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 398mgPotassium: 159mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 0.6mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1.4mg
    Keyword Easy Tuna Salad, Tuna Salad
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @PudgeFactor or tag #pudgefactor

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