Light and fresh tuna salad with a dash of lemon juice and dijon mustard—an easy, infinitely customizable recipe that’s perfect for sandwiches, salads, and more!

When I grew up, I used to think tuna salad was nasty; whenever my mom made it for her lunches, the stench of tuna immediately cleared anyone from the kitchen. But now that I’m older, I’ve come to appreciate tuna salad and give it the love it deserves—not only is it delicious, but you can make it any way you like!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Canned albacore tuna. You can use oil-packed or water-packed tuna—it’s really up to your preference.
Mayonnaise. To bind everything together.
Lemon juice. To brighten up the salad.
Dijon mustard. I’m not a big mustard gal, but it gives the tuna salad the perfect, subtle sharpness that it needs.
Garlic clove. Start out with one clove and add as little or as much garlic as you like.
Salt and pepper. Like any dish, you need salt and pepper to elevate and bring out all the flavors.
Add-ins of choice. See the list below for some ideas!

Customizing the Recipe

I like to make my recipes easily adaptable, and this tuna salad recipe is no exception! Normally, I customize it with whatever I have on hand, but here are a few ideas and tips to get you started:

Add-in ideas:
- Sweet pickle relish or chopped pickles.
- Red onion. This adds a bit of texture, but I rinse the onion before mixing it in to reduce its bite.
- Boiled eggs. It sounds weird, but think of it as a cross between egg salad and tuna salad (your breath might not thank you, but your taste buds will)!
- Capers.
- Chopped celery. To add crunch.
- Grapes. Grapes—you either love ’em or you hate ’em. I don’t personally like them in my tuna salad, but they add a nice texture and sweetness.
- Mashed avocado or chickpeas/hummus.
- Spices. Smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder are the ones I normally use.
- Fresh parsley or dill.
- Sriracha or hot sauce. Not enough to make it spicy, but just enough to elevate the salad and give it a bit of heat.
Using Greek yogurt instead of mayo. If you don’t like mayo or want to up the protein, you can use plain Greek yogurt to bind the tuna salad together. I wouldn’t substitute yogurt for all of the mayo though—it’s very tart and can unbalance the flavors. You can offset this by adding a good pinch of sugar or maple syrup, though!

How to Serve Tuna Salad

In a wrap.
On a charcuterie board. The fresh tuna pairs extremely well with fresh veggies, crackers, and cheese.
In a salad. Ah yes, salad on salad.
As a sandwich or tuna melt. Of course, how can I exclude the classic? Tuna salad is perfect in a sandwich or on a piece of toast with melted cheese on top!

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to leave a rating and let me know!