The Best Tuna Sandwich Recipe

This tuna sandwich recipe comes together in about 15 minutes and is LOADED with fresh flavors. It’s got a bit of crunch from celery, pickles, and red onion along with a delicious combination of spices and dried herbs. Add it to freshly sliced bread and you’ve got a stellar lunch that’s anything but boring.

Easy Tuna Salad Recipe

• I’ve been *perfecting* this tuna salad recipe for years and years and years. It is LOADED with flavor, and plenty of crunch, and isn’t dry or boring. This is the tuna salad recipe that you’ll come back to again and again – trust me!
• Whether you’re into tuna melts, tuna subs, or just cold tuna sandos, this tuna salad mixture works for them all! And the best part is you can make it ahead and it will stay fresh in the fridge for days. This tuna salad is delicious when served with crispy crackers too!

Ingredients for Tuna Salad

• Tuna: I like to use solid white albacore tuna in water. You can also use oil-packed tuna.
• Mayonnaise: Use a full-fat mayonnaise for this tuna salad recipe. It will give you the best flavor and texture. Kewpie mayo works well for this tuna salad! Start with 1/2 of a cup and add more as needed.
• Celery: Diced celery adds such a delicious crunch to this tuna sandwich.
• Dill Pickles: Diced pickles add a bit of texture along with a signature tangy dill flavor.
• Pickle Juice: Don’t skip the pickle juice! It adds extra moisture and infuses that dill pickle flavor throughout the tuna salad.
• Red Onion: Finely diced red onion adds so much flavor. You could also use white or yellow onion instead. Thinly sliced green onion would be delicious as well!
• Capers: Capers are my absolute FAVORITE thing to add to tuna salad. They have the perfect salty, briny flavor and such a wonderful texture. If you’ve never tried tuna with capers you need to give it a try right away!
• Herbs & Seasonings: Dried dill, Old Bay seasoning, Lawry’s seasoning salt, and celery salt are my go-to combination. Feel free to add your favorites.

How to Make a Tuna Salad Sandwich

Add ingredients to a medium bowl.

Mix until well combined and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add more seasonings and herbs as desired and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Tuna Sandwich

• Pick a quality tuna. I like to use Bumble Bee brand solid white albacore tuna in water. I find that it has the best flavor and texture.
• Be sure to drain the tuna well. This will prevent the tuna salad from getting watery.
• Add mayo to taste. I like to start with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and then add more as needed. There is nothing worse than dry tuna salad so use as much as you need. The liquid from the pickle juice is also going to moisture as well. If you’re using oil-packed tuna, you can probably get away with slightly less mayo.
• Be sure to uniformly dice all the ingredients. That way you’ll have great texture and consistency and you won’t have big chunks of celery, onion, or pickles.
• Add plenty of salt and pepper! Although there are a lot of flavors going on in this tuna salad, you’ll want to moderately season it with salt and pepper so all of those other flavors sing.

Variations

This recipe is super versatile so feel free to use your favorite fresh or dried herbs. You can also add your favorite spices or other veggies. Here are some of our family’s favorite additions:

• prepared horseradish
• freshly minced garlic
• Dijon mustard
• squeeze of lemon juice
• pinch of lemon zest
• diced pickled jalapeno
• cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• curry powder
• thinly sliced green onion
• pickle relish
• chives

FAQ

What goes good on a tuna sandwich?

I like to keep it simple with just a fresh green leaf lettuce. If you like a tuna melt you could add a slice of sharp cheddar before you pop it in the oven. You could also add extra pickles, sliced onions, or sliced tomatoes as well.

What mixes well with tuna?

My favorite things to mix in with tuna are diced celery, onion, dill pickles, and capers. Each element adds a crunchy texture and salty tangy flavor. Then of course I’ll add mayonnaise, dried dill, Old Bay seasoning, Lawry’s seasoning salt, and celery salt as well!

Make-Ahead Tuna Salad

This tuna salad is the perfect make-ahead meal because the flavors just get better with time. Throw together a batch over the weekend and you’ve got easy lunches ready to go all week!

Storing Leftover Tuna Salad

Store leftover tuna salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Be sure to stir the tuna salad well to combine any liquid that’s separated and season with Kosher salt before serving.

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