The Best Tuna Salad

The Best Tuna Salad Recipe is right here with Pecans and Raisins. It makes for such a delicious lunch or dinner! Serve it on your favorite bread and you’ll never go back. With crunchy pecans and sweet raisins, this might be your new favorite tuna salad. 

The Best Tuna Salad

I wasn’t the one who made this recipe when I first tried it, it was actually my husband! He surprised me with it after I came home from a long day from work and it was so good that I gobbled it down in record time. Don’t you just love when you come home and dinner is all set and ready? Well this recipe is so easy to throw together that you’ll be eating it in no time, even if it’s all up to you.

This tuna salad with pecans and raisins uses such simple ingredients and tastes so fresh. You’ll be packing it up for lunch tomorrow, if you have any leftovers that is. It’s also a really budget friendly recipe that will keep you full for hours, win win!

Ingredient Notes

• 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.

How To Make Tuna Salad

1. Chop up everything: Chop the onions, celery, pecans, and parsley and add to a medium sized bowl.
2. Combine the tuna salad: Add the rest of the tuna salad ingredients to the bowl, save for the tomato and lettuce, and stir to combine.
3. Serve: Lay pieces of lettuce inside the buns and scoop in as much tuna salad as you’d like. Top with slices of tomato and serve!

FAQs & Tips

FAQs

Tips

1. Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a healthier variation.
2. Try other mix-ins such as diced apple, thawed peas, or play around with different herbs and spices, such as chives or curry powder.
3. Try serving this salad with pita breads, croissants, bagels, lettuce leaves, wraps, etc.

Best Tuna To Use For Tuna Salad

When it comes to buying tuna there are many options out there. White vs. light tuna, solid vs. chunk vs. flake, oil-packed vs. water-packed, etc. In the end get whatever you like and can afford.

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.

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.

More Delicious Recipes To Try

• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• Avocado Tuna Salad
• Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Linguine Puttanesca with Tuna
• Easy Coleslaw