This quick and easy Classic Tuna Salad recipe is light and fresh, packed with protein, flavor, and texture thanks to tender tuna, crunchy dill pickles, celery, and chopped boiled eggs. Make it once for meal prep, and you will enjoy tasty lunches for days.

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Helpful Reader Review
“I can’t tell you how many times I have made this tuna sandwich recipe since discovering it. I love it. So simple and so good. Thank you so much.” – Monica ★★★★★
Tuna Salad Video
Make the best tuna salad in minutes with only 7 ingredients, so try this recipe the next time you’re looking for make-ahead meal ideas.
The Best Tuna Salad Recipe
I grew up eating tuna salad for lunch since tuna is one of the less expensive ways to enjoy seafood, and it’s a crowd-pleaser. Tuna salad is packed with protein, quick to throw together, and made from pantry and refrigerator staples. When we’re anticipating a full week, we’ll double the recipe a day or two ahead to have it on hand for quick homemade lunches. I’m especially happy that my daughter loves my tuna salad sandwiches!
Serve in a kid-friendly tuna sandwich or stuffed inside a toasted Croissant, or fresh Pita pocket. Toast it on a piece of Sourdough Bread with a slice of cheese on top for the best Tuna Melt, or you can serve it over mixed greens or in lettuce cups for a low-carb option. The versatility makes this tuna salad recipe one of my favorite meal prep ideas.
Ingredients
My favorite tuna salad recipe calls for just a handful of pantry staples.
- Tuna – I like to use the tuna flakes or chunks that come in water for a lighter salad (see below for details). Remember to fully drain the water from canned tuna or your tuna salad will turn out wet, which dilutes the dressing.
- Hard-boiled Eggs – Check out my tutorial for how to cook Hard Boiled Eggs.
- Dill Pickles – We love the salty crunch that pickles bring to this salad. If you aren’t a fan, feel free to leave them out.
- Celery and Onion – Diced celery and onion for added flavor and texture.
- Mayonnaise – Use the real stuff for the best flavor, or as a lower-calorie option, use plain Greek yogurt or avocado as in my Avocado Tuna Salad Recipe
- Sour Cream – I add this to mayo for extra tang.
- Salt and Pepper – add these to taste since there is plenty of flavor from the pickles and dressing.

What is the Best Tuna for Tuna Salad?
- Canned – When making my tuna salad recipe, we prefer albacore tuna in water as it’s healthier and has a fresh, light flavor, but oil-packed works too (consider reducing the mayo a bit). I prefer wild-caught tuna.
- Packets – Another option is tuna in tear-open packets, which doesn’t require any draining, with 17g of protein per package.

How to Make Classic Tuna Salad
It couldn’t be easier to make this creamy tuna salad recipe. Once you have everything chopped, it comes together fast.
- Combine all the ingredients on the list and then mix gently until all the ingredients are coated in dressing. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Pro Tip
Tuna salad tastes even better the next day, since the flavors have had a chance to mingle together. See further on for make-ahead and storage tips.
Tuna Salad Recipe Variations
Tuna salad tastes the best when it brings you back to your childhood, so the recipe is easily customizable to make the salad your own.
- Swap the tuna for chicken instead (or, see my recipe for Chicken Salad)
- Stir in cooked macaroni for a tuna pasta salad
- Add spices, like dill, paprika, garlic powder, and curry powder to fit your taste.
- Stir in a spoonful of Dijon mustard or squeeze in fresh lemon juice
- Shake in some crushed chili flakes for a spicy kick.
- Add fruits, nuts, or veggies to the ingredients, like Avocado, Crumbled Bacon, cherry tomatoes, chives, capers, green apples, toasted nuts, raisins, or craisins.

How to Serve Tuna Salad
My tuna salad recipe is the ultimate make-ahead meal, because one easy recipe makes 5 or more exciting lunches.
- Lettuce Cups – scooped onto Bibb lettuce, butter lettuce, or Romaine hearts or leaves.
- Sandwiches – Choose toasted whole wheat slices for a healthier option, or roll them into Homemade Tortillas or Pita Bread.
- Tuna Salad – Add mixed greens to a bowl, scoop tuna salad over top, and enjoy as a gluten-free option.
- Croissant – Fill a Croissant and then toast it in the air fryer or toaster oven until it’s just crisp on the outside. It tastes like it’s fresh from the bakery!
- As a Dip – Serve this tuna salad with your favorite crackers (we love Sourdough Discard Crackers, Ritz crackers, Pita Chips, or artisan crackers).
Helpful Reader Review
“I grew up enjoying tuna salad “stuffed” home-grown tomatoes, with a bit of lettuce underneath. Especially best during summer tomato season! Vinegar tip sounds perfect!” – Tracy ★★★★★

Make-Ahead
Fresh or refrigerated, this tuna salad recipe tastes amazing! Here’s how to store it:
- To Refrigerate: Spoon into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the tuna salad since mayo can separate and change textures.
- Serve: drain off any accumulated liquid and stir chilled just out of the fridge.

I grew up eating creamy tuna salad, and it’s still one of my favorite classic comfort foods. We’ll never run out of ways to turn it into a healthy weekday lunch packed with protein and veggies.
Tuna Salad

Ingredients
- 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water, well drained
- 2 boiled eggs, peeled and diced
- 3 baby dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise*
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- fine sea salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently mix until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Salad Recipes
My tuna salad recipe is one of our favorite lunches. Once you try it, you’ll want to check out these other delicious salad recipes:
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Egg Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Maroulosalata
We use sweet pickles in our tuna salad (potato salad too!) as that’s the way my mom always made it and it’s a hit!!!🥰
Great recipe but I use sweet gherkins instead! A family thing…
Was quick and easy but most of all it was delicious
Was browsing looking for your tuna salad. Will make it on friday as we have a bring and share event. I will omit the pickles , can’t digest it. Btw thank you so much for all your recipes. Really appreciate all your efforts posting your recipes and vidéos.
Delicious. This recipe reminds me of my mother’s dinner recipe where she also added chopped american cheese, chopped green pepper in place of celery, stirred up and then placed in hotdog buns, wrapped in foil, and heated in the oven for 30 mins. Thanks Natasha. This is a great recipe I will use for lunch!
You’re very welcome, Juls!
excellent. Easy to make and my wife loved it. Thanh you.
This tuna salad is the best, it’s not boring like the stuff I make, thank you.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Thank you Natasha! I introduced your channel to my daughter who is studying overseas and she is now your top fan. Thank you for keeping the recipes simple and wholesome. Love you!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Minnie!. I’m all smiles to hear this!
Every thing you make is delicious! Enjoy all your videos and your fun to watch 💕
This sounds outstanding but I do not recall ever seeing baby dill pickles. Sweet yes, but not dill. Is there a certain brand I need to look for?
Hi Cynthia! I don’t have a specific brand to recommend. Any pickle can work, but we like using baby dill pickles because they are crunchier.
I’ve been making this since I was a kid(now 73)my mother used to make it except she always scooped it out with a big ice cream scoop & served it on a bed of iceberg lettuce.
You are my number one go to, Natasha! I’m never disappointed. I love your video tutorials and I watch even when I don’t need to! 🙂
Thank you so much, Tami!
Is the eggs a typo? Just want to make sure.
HI Jaclyn, there are boiled eggs in this recipe. Can you share where the typo is? I’m not exactly sure what the question is.
lol. I thought the eggs were the typo. Never seen eggs in tuna salad recipe before. i will give it a try.
Thank you
Mmmm
I would use 2-3x the eggs.
I love tuna with eggs.
Me too. Somehow discovered that/this years ago, and would not make tuna salad without!
None of your recipes have failed me so far!
As for this tuna salad, it was one of the best I’ve tasted.
The only change I made was that I replaced the sour cream with plain greek yogurt!
Thank you🙌
Hi Margaret! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Thank you for sharing.
After twenty-five years of marriage, my husband told me today, that he really likes tuna salad. I quickly started looking for your website in the hope of seeing a tuna salad recipe. We just had a dinner with your tuna salad. I have never had such a delicious tuna salad as this in my life. Thank you.
Hi Jarmila! Wow, that’s awesome. I’m so glad I had a recipe for you. Thanks so much for sharing that with me.
I have made this salad twice now. So delicious!! I added chopped fresh parsley and replaced the yellow onion with red. Love the crunchy and creamy texture combination 😋
I also use red onion in tuna salad so it’s pretty.