Classic Tuna Salad
Tags: #mealprep #makeahead #no-cook
Serving: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
A deli-style tuna salad with celery, onion, and pickles in a creamy lemon-Dijon dressing that stays crisp and scoopable for days.
Ingredients
- 450 g canned tuna in water, drained
- 120 g mayonnaise
- 60 g celery, finely diced
- 40 g red onion, finely minced
- 40 g dill pickles, finely diced
- 10 g Dijon mustard
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
- 5 ml pickle brine or cold water (optional)
Steps
- Place the tuna in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Press the tuna with a spoon to remove excess liquid.
- Transfer the tuna to a large bowl.
- Flake the tuna with a fork.
- Add the mayonnaise to the bowl.
- Add the Dijon mustard to the bowl.
- Add the lemon juice to the bowl.
- Add the celery to the bowl.
- Add the red onion to the bowl.
- Add the dill pickles to the bowl.
- Add the parsley to the bowl.
- Add the salt to the bowl.
- Add the black pepper to the bowl.
- Stir until the salad is evenly combined.
- Stir in the pickle brine to loosen, if needed.
- Cover the bowl.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Portion into 4 airtight containers.
Notes
- Ratios and texture: This uses roughly a 3.7:1 tuna-to-mayo ratio by weight for a scoopable but not soupy salad; add up to 10–15 ml extra liquid if you prefer looser.
- Ingredient tips: Drain tuna thoroughly to prevent watery salad; finely dice aromatics for even distribution and better sandwich structure.
- Storage: Refrigerate at or below 4°C for 3–4 days. Not recommended for freezing due to texture changes.
- Serving: Spoon onto sturdy sandwich bread, bagels, or into lettuce wraps; serve with crackers or stuffed into tomatoes for meal prep lunches.
- Variations:
- Swap dill pickles for 30 g sweet pickle relish for a classic sweet profile.
- Replace 40 g mayonnaise with 40 g plain Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
- Add 2 hard-boiled eggs (100 g, chopped) for deli-style tuna-egg salad.