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Best Tuna Salad Recipes

felice kaufman author bio
By Felice Kaufman · Updated:

Today, I'm sharing our best tuna salad recipes, from classic deli-style tuna salad to easy variations for lunch or dinner. Serve tuna salad on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and red onions, pile it onto a sandwich, or enjoy it with crackers. Canned tuna is affordable, shelf-stable, and always ready for a quick, easy meal.

Homemade tuna salad with diced red onion, celery, and fresh dill, served over lettuce with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, and lemon wedges.

Quick Look: Best Tuna Salad Recipes

  • Best for: Easy lunches, light dinners, and meal prep
  • Main ingredient: Canned tuna
  • Recipe ideas: Classic deli tuna salad, veggie tuna, tuna salad with eggs, tuna macaroni salad, tuna melts, and tuna salad wraps
  • Fresh serving ideas: Stuffed tomatoes, avocado boats, bagels, sandwiches, and lettuce wraps
  • Why you'll love them: Simple ingredients, budget-friendly meals, and plenty of ways to use a can of tuna

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Our Favorite Tuna Salad Recipes

When I was a kid, I lived on canned tuna salad. Though I have a more varied diet these days, I still rely on a can of tuna when I need a quick meal.

I always keep canned tuna in the pantry. Over the years, I've made just about every version, from classic deli-style tuna salad to tuna melts and tuna salad stuffed into tomatoes or avocados.

With a few simple ingredients, you can turn a can of tuna into an easy lunch, and there are plenty of ways to change things up.

Deli Tuna Salad

1
Old-fashioned tuna salad with crisp lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumber, and scallions
Classic New York deli tuna salad made with canned tuna, mayonnaise, and crunchy celery. Serve it on a sandwich, in a wrap, or as a diner-style salad plate over crisp greens. Easy to make and perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
Deli Tuna Salad

Veggie Tuna Salad

The ultimate tuna sandwich is full of crisp veggies including celery, carrots, bell peppers, and a little dill. Serve on a fresh bagel or bialy.

2
Tuna on a bialy.
The ultimate tuna sandwich is full of crisp veggies including celery, carrots, bell peppers, and a little dill. Serve on a fresh bagel or bialy.
Veggie Tuna Salad

Whole Foods Cranberry Tuna Salad

3
Cranberries and Apple Tuna with Mary's Gone Crackers with a spoon in a wooden bowl.
This Whole Foods Cranberry Apple Tuna Salad copycat recipe combines flaky canned tuna with dried cranberries, diced apple, celery, and a creamy mayo dressing. It's perfect for sandwiches, salad toppings, or an afternoon high-protein snack. It's easy to prepare and full of flavor.
Whole Foods Cranberry Tuna Salad

Tuna Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs

4
Homemade tuna egg salad with eggs, celery, red onion, dill, and pickles in a shallow bowl
Creamy tuna fish salad with eggs is made with solid white tuna, chopped eggs, celery, dill, pickles, and celery salt. It's a classic deli-style lunch and it's ready in 15 minutes.
Tuna Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs

Tuna Melt Tortilla

5
tuna fish tortillas and potatoes
Enjoy a quick and delicious tuna melt on a tortilla! Filled with tuna, crispy bacon, and gooey melted cheese, this tuna quesadilla is ready in minutes and makes a great meal. For extra flavor, add sliced tomatoes or avocado. Pair it with a side salad or chips for a complete and easy meal-perfect for lunch, dinner, or a snack!
Tuna Melt Tortilla

Open-Faced Tuna Melt on A Bagel

6
Open-faced tuna melt on a bagel with pickles and chips on deli paper.
This open-faced tuna melt layers creamy tuna salad and melted cheese on a toasted bagel half or sliced bread. Broil in the oven or toaster oven until hot and bubbly, then serve with pickles and chips for an easy deli-style lunch.
Open-Faced Tuna Melt

Tuna Macaroni Salad

7
Elbow pasta mixed with tuna and vegetables in a white serving bowl.
Macaroni Tuna Salad is a cold creamy salad with elbows, canned tuna, and crisp veggies. Simple to make and great for lunch, potlucks, or weekly meal prep. Serve it cold straight from the fridge for an easy main or side.
Tuna Macaroni Salad

Meal Prep and Storage

Tuna salad is great for meal prep because you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for easy lunches throughout the week.

Store tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep bread, crackers, lettuce, and sliced vegetables separate until you're ready to eat so everything stays fresh and crisp.

Stir the tuna salad well before serving. I don't recommend freezing tuna salad made with mayonnaise.

Sides for Tuna Salad

For more serving ideas, see my Best Sides for Tuna Salad guide.

More Deli Favorites

If you enjoy classic deli salads, plenty of other easy recipes are worth trying. These are some of my favorite make-ahead lunches and sides, made with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

Veggie Egg Salad

8
Garden vegetable egg salad with tomato and chips with a side of coleslaw.
This veggie egg salad is creamy with a little crunch from celery, carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, and fresh dill. Serve it on a bagel, in a sandwich, or over salad greens.
Veggie Egg Salad

Baked Salmon Salad

9
baked salmon salad
This baked salmon salad is made with oven-baked salmon, mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, onion powder, and chopped smoked salmon for extra deli flavor. Serve it cold on bagels, flagels, bialys, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
Baked Salmon Salad

Deli Chicken Salad

10
bowl of chicken salad with celery and mayo
This classic New York deli chicken salad is made with white meat chicken, creamy mayonnaise, and crunchy celery. It's an easy, old-fashioned recipe that's perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or serving over a bed of lettuce.
Deli Chicken Salad

Imitation Crab Salad

11
Bowl of surimi crab salad with lemon slices.
Imitation crab salad is a creamy, deli-style favorite made with imitation crab, mayonnaise, and a few simple seasonings. It's easy to prepare and delicious served on a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich, or with crackers for a quick lunch.
Imitation Crab Salad

Scallion Cream Cheese

12
Bagel with scallion cream cheese spread and a knife.
Bagel shop scallion cream cheese spread made at home with just 2 ingredients in 5 minutes. Smooth, tangy, and full of fresh green onion flavor.
Scallion Cream Cheese

Everything Bagel Chips

13
top down shot bagel chips with everything bagel seasoning and a bowl of cream cheese
Homemade Everything Bagel Chips are simple to make and taste just like the ones from a bagel shop. Slice a bagel thin, brush with butter, sprinkle with everything seasoning, and bake until golden. They're great with dips, deli salads, or as a snack.
Everything Bagel Chips

Tuna Salad Recipes FAQ

What is the best tuna to use for tuna salad?

Solid white albacore tuna has a firm texture and mild flavor, making it a good choice for classic deli-style tuna salad. Chunk light tuna is softer and has a stronger flavor. The albacore tastes better.

How do you keep tuna salad from getting watery?

Drain canned tuna thoroughly before mixing it with mayonnaise and other ingredients. Pat chopped vegetables dry, especially celery and onions. Start with a little mayonnaise and add more as needed.

Can you make tuna salad the night before?

Yes! Tuna salad is a great make-ahead lunch. Prepare it the night before, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. The flavors have time to blend, and it's ready to serve the next day.

What can I add to tuna salad for more flavor?

Try chopped celery, red onion, scallions, fresh dill, parsley, lemon juice, or a little Dijon mustard. For a Southern-style tuna salad, add chopped hard-boiled eggs and sweet pickle relish.

What can you eat with tuna salad besides bread?

Visiting Key Largo?

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Check out these posts to make your trip a great one!

If you're planning the drive to Key West, take a look at my guide on Driving from Miami to Key West along Overseas Highway, where I share the best stops, views, and places worth pulling over for along the way.

More Deli Recipes

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