Tuna Salad
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 10 ounces tuna (canned, water-packed) – drained well
- 1/2 cups celery – finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles – finely chopped
- 1/4 cups red onion – finely chopped (~0.5 medium red onions)
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
1. Drain the tuna in a fine-mesh sieve and press gently with a spoon to remove excess liquid, 1–2 minutes.
2. Finely chop the celery, dill pickles, and red onion, 3–5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and kosher salt until smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the drained tuna to the bowl; flake with a fork, then fold in the celery, pickles, and onion until evenly coated, 1–2 minutes.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed; cover and chill to meld flavors, 15–30 minutes.
6. Serve cold as a salad or use as a sandwich filling or with crackers, immediately after chilling.
Tuna salad is a cool, creamy mixture of flaky canned tuna bound with mayonnaise and brightened by crunchy vegetables and a touch of acidity. The balance of richness, briny notes, and fresh crunch makes it satisfying on its own and versatile as a filling. It is typically served chilled, either mounded on greens, tucked into sandwiches, or spooned onto crackers for a quick meal.
Its roots are in early 20th-century American home and deli cooking, rising in popularity alongside the widespread availability of canned tuna. Tuna salad became a lunch-counter staple, especially as an economical, protein-rich filling for sandwiches. Over time, regional variations emerged, with some versions adding chopped pickles, hard-boiled eggs, or herbs, but the core remains a simple, practical mix built around tuna and mayonnaise.