Basic Tuna Fish Salad Recipe

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Classic Tuna Fish Salad

How to Make Tuna Salad | Simple & Easy Tuna Fish Salad Recipe

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Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

5 simple pantry ingredients are all it takes to give you a truly amazing tuna fish salad! Healthy, light, and incredibly delicious ready in just minutes!

Tuna Fish Sandwich one of the most underrated sandwiches out there. Its such a classic recipe that everyone under the sun has their own version of it.

Im pretty sure you do to so lets hear what you put in yours! Leave a comment below!

Tuna is that one thing we always had on hand growing up as it was super cheap, truly versatile, and lasted forever.

It wasnt until I met Mr. Fantabulous did I truly understand just how good it was for you protein-wise.

Growing up in my house Mom had her way of making it for the rest of the family except me. Shed put chunks of onions and celery in theirs. Mine was just tuna and mayo. I was not about that.

As I got older and traveled all around the country it was so interesting to see the various takes on tuna salad. I think the most creative/oddest I had was tuna with creme fraiche, caramelized onions, raw red peppers, capers, fresh dill, and sugar. It wasnt bad just different

Protein Packed Tuna Salad

I happen to like tuna salad and I also like a classic egg salad. So basically, weve got the best of both worlds coming together in this easy recipe!

I love a high-protein, easy lunch but some days , I dont have a lot of time.

I mean seriously, who has time to cook elaborate meals these days? Between work, errands, and taking care of our families, we barely have enough time for fancy pants meals.

So yes, simple is key but lets be honest. Some days we need more to look forward to than a plain old sandwich.

Meet your new meal solution Tuna Salad with Egg.

Tuna Salad is awesome when youre making packed lunches for the field or just need something quick and easy.

It has 29 grams of protein, so youll be satisfied until dinner.

Prep Your Tuna By Breaking Up The Larger Chunks

The next step is to drain your canned tuna, add it to a wide bowl, and then break up the chunks into smaller pieces. This is not just an aesthetic move. Believe or not, breaking up the tuna serves a vital function in a salad such as this one. As Epstein explained to Mashed, “It’s important to break up the tuna so that the dressing gets mixed evenly into it.” Life changing, right?

Meanwhile, you can use a dough cutter or a fork for this step, but either way, you want to aim for smaller flakes of fish before moving on to combining any of your other salad ingredients.

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What Youll Love About This Pasta Salad

Our shrimp macaroni salad has been visited by you all, SO many times, so I knew that since you loved it as much as I did, then youd also love what we call the best tuna pasta salad recipe!

  • This creamy tuna pasta salad is the perfect side dish for a summer bbq or to simply have for an easy lunch or on a busy weeknight as a main course, too!
  • If you keep most of the ingredients on hand in the pantry you sure wont need much else, to whip this up in a flash!

Serve this cold tuna pasta salad right away or chill for later!

The Perfect Tuna Salad

Simple Tuna Salad Recipe

No matter how creative or spontaneous or inventive I aim to be with my weekday lunches, at some point I always end up craving just simple a tuna salad sandwich. Its lunchtime comfort food. Has it been a while since you last had tuna salad? Heres my favorite, most basic recipe. I think its just about perfect.

Theres not much to making tuna salad, really. My husband often just mixes the tuna with mayo and a few cracks of black pepper and calls it good! I like to add some crunch to balance out the cream, and so I mix in some chopped celery and shallots when I make it. A spoonful of pickle relish might not be the way you grew up with it, but try it the sweet-and-sour pickles add just a little something extra to each bite.

I also like water-packed tuna, partly because I think it has a cleaner tuna flavor. But if youre a fan of oil-packed tuna, by all means use that!

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How To Make This Recipe

Let me show you how easy it is to whip up this yummy lunch! Once you have all of your ingredients out and ready to go, tuna fish salad is as easy as stirring everything together in a large bowl.

Full, printable instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Tuna. Drain the cans or pouches of tuna. And then transfer it into a bowl and use a fork to separate the pieces.
  • Mix-ins. Add the chopped hard boiled egg, diced celery, chopped sweet pickles, diced onion and mix well. These all add great flavor and crunch! You can also add in your own favorite including dill pickles, green onion or even diced cucumber. Feel free to leave out any ingredient you dont like.
  • Dressing. Gently fold in the mayonnaise. Stir in more or less, depending on preference. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and serve cold. If youve got fresh herbs on hand, like parsley sprinkle them in. Also, feel free to get creative and stir in a dash of your favorite spice mix.
  • My favorite way to serve tuna salad sandwiches is on fluffy, buttery croissants, but I also often enjoy this salad mixture with whole wheat bread or crackers.

    Low Calorie Tuna Salad Recipe With Egg Faq

    What Kind of Tuna do I use for tuna salad recipe with egg?I recommend using canned tuna to make this recipe. Its light and flaky and has the perfect texture for your salad! You can find it in the canned meat section of your local supermarket.Is Canned Tuna Healthy?Yes, it absolutely is healthy! Fish is full of omega 3 and healthy fats, among so many other nutrients for your body to use to thrive!How do I serve Tuna Salad?This tuna and egg salad recipe can be served either on bread to make it a sandwich or on lettuce leaves for a low carb option! It can also be eaten with a fork or mixed up with lettuce in a bowl if thats more your style! Either way, it is absolutely delicious!How long does Tuna Salad last?This tuna and egg salad is a fantastic meal prep idea because it will last up to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. Bring it for lunch at the office or enjoy it at home with little to no prep work! Its absolutely fantastic, filling, energy-giving and delicious!

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    Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens

    • tip 1 Cut the celery and any other vegetables youd like to add into a small dice so its still easy to make a sandwich. 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped sweet red bell pepper, dill pickle, pitted olives, or water chestnuts are all good stir-ins for the tuna salad.
    • tip 2 Mayonnaise or salad dressingwhats the difference? They are both thick, creamy dressings that contain vegetable oil, lemon juice or vinegar and seasonings. Mayonnaise also contains egg yolk and is less sweet than salad dressing. They can be used interchangeably so you decide which you prefer.
    • tip 3 Stuff tuna salad in hollowed out tomatoes or avocado halves for a fresh take on lunch.
    • tip 4 Swap out the tuna for chicken or ham, adding some spicy brown or Dijon mustard with the mayonnaise in the dressing.

    More Tuna Salad Ideas

    BEST TUNA SALAD RECIPE | easy & healthy
    • Egg: Growing up, my mom would often make us tuna salad with egg. You can do this by mixing some chopped hard boiled egg into your tuna salad. Its like a tuna salad and egg salad in one, and it is delicious! Plus you get even more satiating protein when you add hard boiled eggs to your tuna sandwich.
    • Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is a classic tuna salad ingredient. It brightens up the flavor of tuna salad.
    • Mustard: Do you like your tuna salad with Dijon mustard or yellow mustard? Mustard is another way to add a different flavor dimension to your tuna fish.
    • Herbs: Fresh herbs are a great way to change up the flavor of tuna salad. Try parsley, dill or chives.
    • Avocado: Avocado can act as a binder and replace the mayo or Greek yogurt in tuna salad. Its a great way to add healthy fat and flavor! Using avocado instead of mayo or Greek yogurt makes dairy-free tuna salad.
    • Vegetables: Try adding finely chopped crunchy veggies such as carrots, bell pepper or cucumber for extra crunch and to add more nutrition to your tuna salad.
    • Apple: Chopped apple adds a surprisingly delicious sweet twist to this tuna recipe.
    • Chickpeas: Either mashed or coarsely chopped, chickpeas can help to stretch your tuna fish so you can use less tuna and get more tuna salad. Chickpeas are a great source of vegetarian protein.
    • Capers: Capers add a salty, briny flavor to tuna salad.

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    How Do I Keep Tuna Salad From Being Dry

    To prevent your tuna salad from being dry, youll need to stir in at least one tablespoon mayo per one can of tuna. After mixing in the rest of your ingredients, taste the salad. If you want it creamier, stir in another tablespoon or two of mayo. A squeeze of lemon juice also adds moisture.

    For a lighter salad, replace the mayo with yogurt. Or, for a looser, salad, opt for olive oil.

    Grab Your Tuna Salad Ingredients

    So, you’ll first need to gather your ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand: white albacore tuna in water, celery, onion, carrot, mayo, black pepper, and vinegar, but only if you’d like. “Vinegar is an optional ingredient for this recipe,” Epstein explained, adding, “My daughter prefers the salad without the vinegar, but adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the salad at the end adds a bit of acidity to the dish.”

    Meanwhile, if you aren’t a big mayonnaise fan, that’s okay. “If you don’t like mayo you can leave it out and use 2 tablespoons of vinegar and a 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard instead,” Epstein suggested, adding, “You can also use a vegan mayo substitute.”

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    How To Make Tuna Salad

    Tuna is a great protein that requires very little prep making it the perfect addition to tuna casseroles, tuna macaroni salads or even just to top a bed of lettuce! Because its so easy to make, tuna fish is a great lunch recipe!

  • TUNA Drain a can of flaked tuna in water. Albacore tuna has the freshest flavor, any brand will do as long as its packed in water. Put the tuna into a bowl and use a fork to gently separate the pieces.
  • ADD-INS Add diced celery, chopped dill pickles , sliced green onion and mix well. These all add great flavor and crunch, you can add in your own favorite including sweet dill pickles or diced cucumber!
  • DRESSING Gently fold in the mayonnaise, the Dijon, and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and keep chilled!
  • If youve got fresh herbs on hand, add them in! Dont be afraid to add a dash of your favorite spice mix. I like to serve tuna salad sandwiches on whole wheat bread or a darker loaf like rye. Its also delicious on croissants like shrimp salad!

    Calorie Cutting Tip: If youd like to cut some of the calories, replace some of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.

    Mayo & Greek Yogurt Work Together

    Tuna Salad

    We didnt want our tuna salad to be too mayo-y . So our secret to using less mayo? Use Greek yogurt too. Greek yogurt helps to make the salad ultra creamy while keeping the calories low. It also keeps it from being so rich that it feels uncomfortable after you eat it. Mayo and Greek yogurt work perfectly together: we also use this trick in our Healthy Ranch Dressing to keep the calories low.

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    Tips For The Best Tuna Sandwich

    • Toast the bread for your tuna sandwich to help it hold up to the tuna and to keep it from getting soggy. Try a hearty whole grain bread for a healthy and satisfying tuna fish sandwich.
    • Make this tuna sandwich recipe your own by adding lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, or whatever you like in your tuna sandwich.
    • Tuna sandwiches are best when you serve them right after making them. To make ahead, prepare the tuna salad, refrigerate, and wait to assemble your sandwich right before serving.
    • For a low carb meal, serve your tuna stuffed into hollowed out tomatoes or in avocado halves.

    Mince Your Onion For The Tuna Salad Mixture

    Next up is mincing your veggies for the tuna salad, and in this case, size matters. “Mince is the finest level of chopping,” Epstein explained. You want your onion, celery, and carrot to be finely chopped, with Epstein elaborating, “The idea is that the vegetables seem to melt into the dish. The smaller you can chop the vegetables the better.”

    She offers this tip for achieving the right effect with your mincing technique: “The best way to mince vegetables is to create a pile of vegetables in the middle of the cutting board and to quickly make a series of chops across the pile, regather the pile and repeat.”

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    Ingredients Needed To Make Classic Tuna Salad

    Classic tuna fish salad requires just a few simple ingredients:

    • Tuna Fish: fresh or canned packed in water, drained
    • Celery: gives texture and crunch
    • Sweet Pickles: slices cut into relish + some of the pickle juice. To me, its the sweet pickles and the extra bit of pickle juice in this tuna salad that really sets off. The sweet pickles are the ones I make myself. They give this salad a sweet and tangy crunch along with the celery.
    • Mayonnaise: Personally I love the taste of Sir Kensingtons mayonnaise, but use your favorite.
    • Paprika: A light sprinkle of paprika on top for presentation purposes only.

    Is Canned Tuna Healthy

    EASY TUNA SALAD RECIPE | healthy quick

    I say, yes! Canned tuna is an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals and is low in saturated fat. Ounce for ounce, tuna is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than even the leanest cuts of beef and chicken.

    I feel that canned tuna definitely deserves a spot in a healthy, balanced diet. Just be sure to moderate your intake as large sport fish, like tuna, are known to contain mercury.

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    Why This Is The Best Tuna Salad

    Sometimes, its HARD coming up with easy, healthy AND delicious lunch recipes so I am here to give you more ideas! Something thats a no-brainer is healthy tuna salad or healthy egg salad. It doesnt need to be heated up at the office, it keeps well, and it tastes great while giving you lots of energy to tackle your busy day. Thats why today Im serving you up a recipe that combines both: enter in tuna fish salad recipe with egg. Its healthy, its easy, and its oh-so-flavorful, with the PERFECT amount of zing and the best balance of spices and herbs. Its also protein loaded and healthy for your body, so its the PERFECT lunch recipe!

    Tuna Salad Serving Ideas

    • Crackerswith cheese
    • Sandwich I love soft rye or Hawaiian sweet bread. Toasted or plain
    • Dip this is great as a dip with veggies, corn chips, pita chips or more crackers
    • Wrap this is great in a tortilla wrap
    • Tuna Melt how can you not make this into a melt? Butter 2 slices of Texas toast, and place on a heated griddle. Brown and flip adding shredded or sliced cheese, tuna salad, optional pickle/sliced tomato and finish like a grilled cheese
    • Lettuce Cups add a few spoons of this to Bib/Butter lettuce and enjoy
    • Salad add some spring mix greens down, chopped bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and place an ice cream scoop portion of tuna salad in the middle

    What are some of your favorite ways to serve tuna salad?

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    How To Make Tuna Fish Salad

    Now that you know what is in tuna salad to make it healthy and low calories, lets go over how to make tuna salad.

    Salad with tuna fish is so easy to make, and it can make a delicious, healthy lunch!

    Now that you know what to put in tuna salad to make it healthy, lets review how to make tuna fish salad healthy

    What’s The Best Tuna To Use

    Keto Tuna Salad

    Any can or jar of tuna will work in a sandwich. Just make sure you drain the water or oil before mixing with the ingredients for tuna salad.

    I prefer using water-packed tuna in tuna salad, because Im already adding mayonnaise to the recipe. I save oil-packed tuna for dishes where the oil matters a bit more, such as in this Salad Nicoise, because oil-packed tuna is richer than water-packed tuna.

    That being said, tuna salad is no time to get pickyjust use what you have on hand.

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