Classic Tuna Salad

Classic Tuna salad served on a tomato slice on a white plate

This Classic Tuna salad is creamy and full of flavor and textures. The flakey tuna is combined with mayo and eggs with a little relish and celery . This is exactly the way my mother made this when I was growing up so this is pure comfort food for me. On warm summer days my mother would make a tuna salad sandwich on soft white bread served with plain potato chips and sweet tea. The perfect lunch!! When I got older I realized so many people were funny about this salad, like no eggs or relish. What is tuna salad without eggs??  It would be pretty boring and sad.

Let’s talk about mayo for a minute, this is a hug debate among many Southern households. When making a salad that uses mayo as a base a really good quality mayo needs to be used. I am team Duke mayo but I occasionally use Hellmans . Those are my two go to brands , there is a difference in taste and it is just a preference so use what you like. The Tuna I am not picky about a brand but I usually buy the water packed tuna . Living on the gulf coast from June to November this is a staple in my pantry during hurricane season.

Variation in making and serving Classic Tuna Salad

  •  Swap out the dill relish for sweet relish , or use both.
  • Add diced apples
  • Swap out the red onion for regular onions or leave them out all together
  • Serve on your favorite bread
  • Serve with your favorite crackers, I love it with buttery Ritz
  • Make a Tuna Melt
  • Serve on a slice of tomato and sprinkled with Everything Bagel Seasoning
  • Serve in an avocado half

Classic Tuna salad served on a tomato slice on a white plate

Items needed to make Tuna Salad

Mayo, relish , celery , tuna , eggs and onion

Let’s make Tuna Salad

  1. Boil your eggs and allow them to cool and dice them
  2. Small dice the onion and celery
  3. Drain the tuna and place in a mixing bowl
  4. Add the diced onions , celery, dill relish and eggs
  5. Start with a 1/3 of a cup of mayo and mix
  6. If you like more mayo add it
  7. Salt and pepper to taste
  8. Store in a sealed container up to 3 days in the fridge.

All the ingredients for tuna salad in a bowl

As with all wet ingredients add a little mayo at a time. If you add too much it is a lot harder to fix than having to add mayo.

Mixed tuna salad

Tuna salad can be stored in the fridge up to three day . I would discard any left after that .

Classic Tuna salad in a blue and white bowl next to a tomato

 

Classic Tuna Salad

This Classic Tuna salad is creamy and full of flavor and textures. The flakey tuna is combined with mayo and eggs with a little relish and celery
4 from 4 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salads
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories

Ingredients
  

  • 2 5 oz water packed canned tuna
  • 1/3-1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 celery rib -diced
  • 1 Tablespoon red onion-diced fine
  • 1 boiled eggs-chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons dill pickle relish
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil your eggs and allow them to cool and dice them-See notes
  • Small dice the onion and celery
  • Drain the tuna and place in a mixing bowl
  • Add the diced onions , celery, dill relish and eggs
  • Start with a 1/3 of a cup of mayo and mix
  • If you like more mayo add it
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Store in a sealed container up to 3 days in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Click Here for the best way to get the perfect hard boiled egg
Start with 1/3 cup of mayo and add more if you like . As with all wet ingredients do a little at a time , once they are there you can not take them out. 
Keyword Classic tuna salad, old fashioned tuna salad, tuna salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Sharon
3 years ago

I love the addition of the dill pickle relish in this tuna salad dish. It’s great on a croissant or simple tomato salad.

Ramona
3 years ago

I love tuna salad and I could eat it a lot! this recipe looks super flavoursome and delicious and I am willing to try this for tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

Amy Liu Dong
3 years ago

Tuna salad is one of my favorite and you give me an easy way of making this in the comfort of my home.
I am going to make this for myself hahahah! Delicious!

Candice
3 years ago

I love tuna salad, but am usually too lazy to go all out. I was craving some deli tuna and made this… SO GOOD! I will definitely be making this one again.

Home Cooked Harvest
3 years ago

Made these tuna salad sandwiches for my kiddos today for lunch. They LOVE tuna and loved these sandwiches!! Thanks for the great recipe.

Heidy L. McCallum
Heidy L. McCallum
3 years ago

I love a good Tuna salad and will definitely be trying a few of your ideas the next time we have it. Thanks for the great exchanges and I will be letting you know how it all turns out. Have a great day.

Uma Srinivas
3 years ago

I heard lot about tuna salad. Looks like fun recipe! Love the way of you captured and decorated.

Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
3 years ago

Such an easy recipe and perfect for quick lunches. I am always looking to keep some quick lunch recipes in hand for rushed days so I can skip the take out and this recipe is perfect.

caglediaries
caglediaries
3 years ago

I love tuna salad and I do make it like you, with eggs. I can’t imagine a tuna salad without eggs either! The way I make it is very similar to your method – but I haven’t heard of using the “everything bagel” seasoning… now I’m going to have to make it just to try it, lol!

Susan D.
Susan D.
1 year ago

I also include finely chopped red onion, finely chopped bell pepper, and chopped apples.

Sandy
Sandy
4 days ago

This is the way I make tuna salad except I’ve always used sweet relish instead of the dill relish. I like the contrast the sweet gives to the tuna. I make my sandwich on toast with a leaf of lettuce.