The Best Tuna Salad
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Dive into the world of flavors with this exceptional Tuna Salad, a tantalizing blend of hearty tuna, crunchy pecans, and sweet raisins, all bound together by creamy mayonnaise. Every bite promises a delightful crunch, a burst of freshness, and a harmony of tastes that will turn even the most skeptical into avid tuna salad enthusiasts.
The Best Tuna Salad Recipe
Toss that boring old tuna salad recipe aside, it’s time to shake things up! We’re talking a tuna salad that’s packed with a medley of textures and flavors – a game changer that’ll have you looking forward to lunchtime like never before.
Crunchy pecans, succulent raisins, and the robust flavor of dill combine harmoniously with the hearty tuna, creating a symphony of taste in each bite. The creaminess of the mayo pulls it all together, for a tuna salad experience that’s nothing short of exceptional. Trust me, one bite and you’ll be rethinking everything you thought you knew about tuna salad!
Why You’ll Love This Tuna Salad
- It’s a Flavor Upgrade: This isn’t your typical tuna salad. With the addition of ingredients like pecans and raisins, it offers a delightful mix of textures and flavors that elevates the classic recipe.
- Versatile Serving Options: This tuna salad can be served in various ways – on sandwiches, atop a green salad, in wraps, or mixed into pasta salads. It’s perfect for different meal occasions, be it a quick lunch, a picnic, or a light dinner.
- Easy & Quick to Prepare: This recipe is straightforward and requires minimal prep time. It’s a convenient choice for a nutritious and tasty meal when you’re pressed for time. Plus, it can be made ahead and kept in the fridge, ready for when hunger strikes.
- Tuna – Flaked or chunk and canned in water, our high protein base!
- Red onion – This onion is one of the best varieties to eat raw, it’s bright and acidic and makes this dish pop.
- Celery – Such a traditional ingredient in tuna salad, it adds such a nice crunch to an otherwise soft dish.
- Pecans – If you’re going to use nuts for this recipe, I have to insist on pecans. They are sharp, not too buttery, and with a flavor that won’t over power the dish.
- Dill – Fresh or dried work perfectly well!
- Raisins – I use golden raisins as they’re sweeter, softer, and more mild.
- Mayonnaise – Feel free to use fat reduced mayo if you’re looking to cut calories! Another option would be a good Greek yogurt.
- Parsley – Chopped up fresh, dry works as well if that’s all you have on hand.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
Whipping up this Tuna Salad is as easy as 1, 2, 3! With just a chopping board and a bowl, you can assemble this delightful, texture-rich salad in minutes, making it perfect for those busy days or when you need a quick, satisfying meal.
You know what, my friend? Cooking doesn’t have to be all serious and daunting. So, first things first, let’s just chop up everything – the onions, celery, pecans, and parsley. Super easy, right?
Now, the fun part! Grab a medium-sized bowl and toss in all those beautiful chopped goodies. Then add the rest of the ingredients – tuna, dried dill, raisins, and that creamy mayo. Just hold back the tomato for now; we’ll need it later. Give everything a good stir until it’s nicely combined.
Alright, now comes the grand finale! This gorgeous tuna salad is so versatile, you can serve it however you fancy. You can slap it onto some bread for a sandwich, toss it on top of a green salad, or roll it up in a wrap. Or, if you’re in the mood for something a bit different, mix it into a pasta salad. And don’t forget those juicy tomato slices – they add a pop of color and freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make tuna salad healthier?
Tuna salads are great because they can be made as healthy as you want. Skip the mayo and add a good plain Greek yogurt instead. You’ll still get the tanginess but less calories. Load it up with more veggies and instead of making sandwiches, serve it as tuna salad wraps! They truly are delish!
How do I keep tuna salad from being dry?
The secret is the mayo. You want to use at least one tablespoon of mayo for 4 oz of tuna, but obviously the more mayo the better and tastier your tuna salad will be. You can also add a bit of lemon juice to add moisture.
Can I make this tuna salad in advance?
Absolutely! This tuna salad can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The flavors will meld together nicely over time.
Can I substitute another type of nut for the pecans?
Yes, you can. If pecans aren’t your thing, feel free to use other types of nuts like walnuts or almonds. Just make sure to chop them well.
Can this tuna salad be made with canned salmon instead?
Absolutely! Canned salmon can be a great substitute for the tuna in this salad. Just ensure to drain it well before using.
Expert Tips
- Chopping for Consistency: Aim for a consistent chop size for your onions, celery, and pecans. This ensures that each bite of your salad has a balanced mix of flavors and textures.
- Freshness Factor: Fresh herbs can really make a difference. If you have access to fresh dill and parsley, they can elevate the flavor profile of your salad. Remember, if you’re substituting fresh herbs for dried, you typically need about three times the amount of fresh herbs.
- Adjust to Your Liking: The great thing about this salad is its versatility. Feel free to adjust the amount of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to your liking. Some people prefer their salad a bit creamier, while others like it drier.
- Refrigerate Before Serving: This salad tastes best when served cold. If you have time, let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. This also gives the flavors time to meld together.
- Serving Suggestions: Consider serving this salad in a hollowed-out tomato or an avocado half for a fun and visually appealing presentation. It’s a hit at summer parties!
Choosing The Best Tuna For Your Salad
The star of this salad is undoubtedly the tuna, so selecting a quality product can make a world of difference. When it comes to canned tuna, there are several types to choose from.
White vs. light tuna – this usually refers to a specific kind of tuna and mercury levels. If you’re looking for a lower mercury tuna, stick to skipjack or tongol tuna. White tunas are alabacore and yellowfin, but these tend to have higher levels of mercury.
Solid vs. Chunk. vs. Flake – this basically just indicates how the tuna was packaged. Solid tends to be the most expensive and flake the most affordable. I prefer chunk tuna for tuna salads, especially if making sandwiches.
Oil-packed vs. water-packed – If you’re looking for a richer tasting tuna then oil-packed is the way to go, but for these tuna salads I prefer water-packed tuna since it’s more affordable, and I don’t usually like the extra oil.
Remember, no matter what type of canned tuna you choose, be sure to drain it well before adding it to your salad to prevent it from becoming too wet or soggy.
Leftovers
Refrigerate your salad in an airtight container and it should last for 3 – 5 days. You can freeze tuna salad too! It will only stay fresh for up to a week and must be stored in small batches in airtight containers.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
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The Best Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounce tuna in water (drained)
- ½ cup red onion (chopped)
- ⅓ cup celery (chopped)
- 1 cup pecans (chopped)
- ½ tablespoon dill (dried or 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped)
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons parsley (fresh, chopped)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 medium tomatoes (sliced for garnish)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Chop the onions, celery, pecans, and parsley and add to a medium sized bowl.
- Add the rest of the tuna salad ingredients to the bowl, save for the tomato and lettuce, and stir to combine.
- Serve on sandwiches, top of salad, tuna salad wraps or add to pasta salads.
Notes
- Substitutions: Feel free to substitute the pecans with your preferred type of nuts such as walnuts or almonds. For a lighter version, you could substitute the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt or use a combination of both.
- Fresh vs Dried Herbs: If using fresh dill instead of dried, use about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill. Fresh herbs usually provide a more vibrant flavor.
- Storage: This tuna salad can be made ahead and keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.
- Serving Options: This salad is versatile and can be served on sandwiches, salads, wraps, or even mixed into pasta salads.
- Presentation: For a creative presentation and a boost of freshness, consider serving the salad in hollowed-out tomatoes or avocado halves.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This is by far the best tuna salad I have ever had! I didn’t bother with bread or stuffing it in a tomato; just enjoyed it straight from the bowl!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Easy peasy! I love the change from savory – pickles, capers and olives. Serving mine with pasta for easy summer dinner.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is the only tuna salad I make since discovering this recipe!
Love it! Glad you like it!
I believe this would work using chicken as well and if you want it less sweet swap the usual pickle relish for a dill relish.
Totally!
This is SO good! We love it & it’s good enough for company. 🙂
Stupendous! Love it! Made two batches, both using the mayo but may try the yogurt in the future. One batch was the basic recipe while the other batch was loaded with raisins, apple bits, pecans, and slightly less red onion. Both turned out delicious but the loaded recipe was my delight! I used both butter croissants and hardy Ciabatta rolls. A delicious recipe, convenient, easy to make, and very filling. A little bit goes a long way.
So glad you enjoyed it Jack!
Good basic tuna recipe.
Next time I probably will substitute Greek Yogurt
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome!
The addition of a few ingredients, puts the basic tuna salad over the top. I made this
last night and served it with Ritz crackers. It was delicious! Thank you, Jo, for sharing
another great recipe.
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
This sounds super! I would also love a recipe for chicken salad.
Love your site!!
Suzie
You can find a couple chicken salad recipes I have here: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/knockout-chicken-salad-sandwiches/ and https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/avocado-chicken-salad/
My sister-in-law made this as part of a shared meal the other night. It was SOOOOOO good that several people asked for the recipe.
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it! 🙂