More Easy Fish Dinners
- This lemon butter salmon with potatoes and asparagus is another popular recipe on the blog. If asparagus is out of season, just substitute with broccoli!
- Fan of Mediterranean flavors? You have to try this Greek baked fish!
- You only need potato, fish and a few fresh yummy flavors to make these crispy salmon fish cakes. Delicious!
- Last but definitely not least, try this crowd pleasing lemony tuna spaghetti recipe.
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It’s Not Really That Crazy A Combo
Sugar and fish? You may be thinking that sounds really weird and more than a little gross. Unless, of course, you’re a big fan of Asian snacks such as Tazukuri or Filipino sweet pusit adobo, made with squid, soy sauce, and sugar. Sugared fish is a thing in Europe as well, as the most popular method in Sweden for preparing the cured salmon known as gravlax involves using a blend of sugar and salt .
Still not convinced? Well, surely you believe the cooking experts at America’s Test Kitchen, don’t you? A YouTube video of theirs offers tips to make your pan-roasted fish “beautifully browned,” and tip number two is to sprinkle a little sugar on your fish fillet before cooking it. The sugar will allow the surface of the fish to caramelize at a temperature of about 100 degrees lower than where it would do so on its own. This not only gives the fish a nice, crispy crust but keeps the interior moist and tender.
While they weren’t exactly making tuna salad sandwiches, the point stands that sugar added to fish does not necessarily equal weirdness, and it is completely suitable for your tuna salad.
What Type Of Tuna Is Best For Tuna Fish Salad
Not all brands of canned tuna are created equal, either in terms of their flavor profile or their health benefits. My favorite sustainable, dolphin-safe brands are Wild Planet and Safe Catch . This post on the best healthy, tasty canned tuna options is a great read.
For this recipe, I suggest using tuna packed in water. If you only have tuna packed in olive oil, you can drain and rinse it using a mesh strainer. In a pinch, this salad taste great with canned salmon.
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What Kind Of Tuna To Use
Tuna can be a wonderful, low-cost protein option. It is also nutrient-rich, containing essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. There are a couple kinds of tuna out there, like white albacore and chunk light. Some are packed in olive oil, while others are packed in water.
I try to use wild-caught Yellowfin or Albacore tuna as much as possible. And if you’re concerned about the fat content, your best bet will be tuna packed in water instead of olive oil. I’ve used both in the past, but I now prefer to use tuna packed in water and then add my own extra virgin olive oil so I can control the flavor and the amount used.Mercury levels in tuna can be a health concern, which is why my family eats it no more than once every two weeks.
What Mixes Well With Canned Tuna
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The Best Canned Tuna For Tuna Salad
To make the best tuna salad sandwich, it helps to start with high-quality canned tuna. We prefer tuna that is packed in extra virgin olive oil, because the oil intensifies the flavor of the tuna.
Both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have excellent canned tuna packed in olive oil that work perfectly for this tuna salad. The brands we most often use are Wild Planet Albacore Solid Wild Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil.
If you don’t like the oil that the tuna is packed in, you can always drain it, and add back a tablespoon or so of your own high quality extra virgin olive oil.
If all you have is tuna packed in water, drain it, and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to it. Finding the best canned tuna for your taste may require a bit of experimentation with brands.
How To Make Tuna Fish Salad
The health benefits of tuna are numerous. The problem is, when people make tuna salad, they tend to add a lot of fat and calories to the mayo. There are 1440 calories, 160 grams of fat, and 24 grams of saturated fat in one cup of mayo. As well as adding almost 50 percent to your daily sodium intake, it will also add nearly 20 percent to your calcium intake.
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Recipe Tips And Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches .
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Mayo-free: Instead of mayonnaise, try making the dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu. You can also add lemon vinaigrette .
- More mix-ins: Add a small amount of diced apple , a handful of thawed peas, or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs to your tuna salad.
- Lettuce wraps: Tuna salad is delicious wrapped in lettuce leaves or piled on a bed of lettuce.
- Tuna pasta salad: Make a tasty tuna pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni, rotini, or your other favorite small pasta.
- Stuffed tomatoes: Hollow out juicy tomatoes and fill with tuna salad for an old-fashioned, and super-delicious, lunch entrée.
- Ahi Tuna Salad: Is the Ahi tuna looking fabulous at the fish market, or have you got an extra bit of ahi tuna from last nights dinner? Splurge and make tuna salad with it. Cook it through, then flake it up in this recipe.
How To Make Broccoli Rice
After testing a few ways to make this, I find that using a food processor creates the best texture. It becomes light and fluffy, resembling grains of rice.
But if you dont have a food processor, using a blender or knife works just fine.
- Blender Method: Cut the broccoli into small pieces and place in the Vitamix. Then pulse until it resembles grains of rice. Scrape down the sides along the way to make sure everything is blended.
- Knife Method: Simply chopping the broccoli into small grains will do the trick. Just note that this step will take a bit longer.
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Meet Our 4 Tuna Salad Contenders
When choosing the four recipes, I wanted to see what pops up at the top of a Google search, as well as what some of our favorite food celebrities and bloggers are claiming as their go-to tuna salad. As far as method goes, all tuna salads are pretty much the same: You put all your ingredients in a bowl, then mix them up. Because there wasnt too much variation in the method, I wanted to make sure that the ingredient lists on each of these tuna salads looked vastly different. Here are the salads that I chose.
Food Network: This recipe is not only one of the top results on Google for tuna salad recipe, but it also boasts a 5-star rating and nearly 130 reviews. Upon first glance, the ingredient list reads super classic. No nonsense just a classic deli-style tuna salad. I wanted something basic and traditional to compare with other more untraditional versions.
: This recipe is pretty on par with the classic tuna salad ingredient list, but it also added chopped apples and fresh basil, which are two ingredients that Ive never used in a tuna salad. Chopped apples? And canned fish? Ill be the judge of that, Martha.
Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Heres a quick mid-week recipe that you can whip up in a couple minutes flat. This Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad is full of flavor. I add fresh lemon juice for tartness, fresh basil for an herby flavor, and celery for crunch. Olive oil replaces heavy, and often processed, mayonnaise. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper, and youve got a fresh tuna salad with a twist. You wont miss the mayo!
Growing up I would take a brown bag lunch to school, and I always looked forward to my moms tuna sandwich on white bread with mayo. Now that I have my own kitchen, I often make tuna salad to add a protein boost to my lunch. Over the years I came up with a lighter, more Mediterranean-style preparation to change things up. I still love Moms mayonnaise tuna salad, but this version is equally crave-worthy in its own way.
This tuna salad works great with a Mediterranean diet, or for those who are going low carb. I like to serve it on top of a kale salad, or as an open-faced sandwich on whole grain or pumpernickel toast. Spread a piece of bread with a thin layer of hummus, then top with lettuce, tomato, and tuna salad. Oh the possibilities!
Ditch the mayo for a lighter, fresher take on tuna. Super filling, heart healthy and so tasty! Your body and your taste buds will both say thank you.
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
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What Goes With It: How To Serve Tuna Salad
What goes well with tuna salad? Well, many things! It tastes so good in a sandwich or wrap, and makes a healthy appetizer or snack next to some fresh vegetables. Here are just a few ideas for serving tuna salad:
- Tuna Sandwich: Probably the most convenient way to serve tuna salad is in a sandwich. You can use any bread you like, but I make it a bit more Mediterranean by scooping it into warmed pita pockets instead.
- Tuna wraps! For a low-carb option, you can ditch the bread and simply serve the chunky tuna salad in lettuce wraps .
- Appetizer or snack: One of my favorite ways to serve this easy tuna salad is piling it onto tomatoes for a yummy hand-held snack or app. Try it over some roasted tomatoes or with this heirloom tomato salad. For an even easier shareable snack, surround a bowl of the salad to use as a dip with vegetable spears, pita chips, and your favorite crackers.
Mayo Alternatives For Tuna Salad
If you’re at all health-conscious, the most troubling aspect of a typical tuna salad has to be the hefty dose of mayo needed to keep it together. While some choose to skip the mayonnaise altogether, this gives you a different kind of tuna salad, one that’s more like a salad which happens to be topped with tuna, such as a nicoise. Nice, but not really the kind of thing you can make into a melt. If you want to ditch the Hellman’s, you could always try making your own mayonnaise, which might not be much better nutritionally but could be much tastier . The healthiest option, however, might be to switch out the mayo for Greek yogurt, either plain or lemon-flavored.
No matter how you dress up your tuna salad, don’t forget to add that special, secret ingredient sugar. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll probably never make it your “regular” way again.
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Ways To Enjoy This Spicy Tuna Salad
- Make sushi: For the adventurous , this is a great way to make a super affordable and delicious spicy tuna roll at home.
- Sandwiches and wraps: Just like classic tuna salad, this salad makes a killer sandwich. Layer it up with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, carrots, and greens.
- Sushi burritos: You can also make the easier sushi burrito by wrapping this spicy tuna salad up with some cooked rice and veggies in a large piece of nori. Drizzle some extra soy on top and add a very thin layer of wasabi for even more spice.
- Salad: We love using tuna salad as a protein for salads and this one is no different. Grab a big bowl of greens or shredded cabbage. Top with veggies and consider doubling up the dressing so you can add the extra to the salad as well. Crumbled seaweed on top is a great addition as well.
- Sushi Bowls: Make your own sushi bowls. Just grabbed some cooked white or brown rice, chopped cucumbers, shredded carrots, and avocado. Top with spicy tuna and you have a healthy meal ready to go.
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Worlds Best Tuna Melt
Thistuna melt: this is the stuff dreams are made of. Between crusty bread is sandwiched a creamy, gooey mess so perfectly seasoned that you wont be able to stop taking bites. And the filling? Yes, youve got it: its our classic tuna salad. Here well show you how to make a tuna melt that will make youmelt.
Another variation on tuna salad? Pasta salad! Try this Classic Tuna Pasta Salad, a creamy pasta salad perfect for a quick dinner or easy lunch.
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How To Eat Tuna Salad Without Bread:
Use a low carb tortilla and a handful of dark leafy greens for a satisfying sandwich. Enjoy some cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices on the side. You can also use lettuce leafs in place of the tortillas to cut your carbs even more.
A big scoop of the Everything Tuna Salad on a bed of greens is a delicious Keto dinner choice. Add additional veggies like tomatoes, avocado chunks, red pepper, cheese, cubes, cucumbers, hard-boiled egg slices, and crumbled bacon to fill the salad out.
Cut open avocados and remove the pit. Scoop a little bit of the avocado from the center to make the hole bigger. Place a large scoop of tuna in the center of each half. You can also stuff tomato halves the same way.
Another low carb option for eating tuna salad is to slice cucumbers and use them as chips to dip the tuna salad.
The Secret Ingredient You Should Be Adding To Your Tuna Salad
While some might find tuna salad a bit on the boring side, reminiscent of sad school sack lunches featuring stinky sandwiches on soggy bread, others consider it to be the ultimate comfort food. Especially when it’s smothered in a blanket of melted cheddar or Swiss cheese, perhaps a tomato slice, and served on rye bread presto, it’s a tuna melt! If you’re a member of Team Tuna, you may be interested to learn there’s a secret ingredient that will absolutely improve your tuna salad to the point where even tuna salad detractors might want to rethink their anti-tuna stance.
This might sound a little weird at first, but the one secret ingredient your tuna salad really needs, is… sugar. Yes, really. An editor with HuffPost found a recipe for tuna salad, complete with sugar, in an issue of Cook’s Country magazine and decided to give it a try. What this editor found out was that just a little bit of sugar could work wonders when it came to making tuna just a bit less fishy-tasting. Adding sweet pickle relish to tuna salad, which is something quite a few people already do, works along these same lines.
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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.
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Mayo Substitutes For Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Dont you like mayo? When seeking ways to add flavor to plain tuna salad, you can add moisture to dry canned tuna without adding mayonnaise. Consider trying one of these delicious alternatives to mayo for tuna salad sandwiches. Theyre mild and creamy, and they add the perfect amount of moisture.
- Cream cheese whipped with heavy cream
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What Goes On A Subway Tuna Melt
A few cuts of cheese can be placed along with the three scoops of tuna on top of the pickles, and the pickled cucumbers can be placed in a large glass or baking dish. Your tuna salad sandwich can then be served on top of the bun, or in an apater a tuna salad sandwich off with the top of your bun or roll or slice of bread. The matter is closed. How the footlong tuna salad sandwich is made is exactly what Subway calls its product.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups of tuna salad, enough for 6 sandwiches .
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Mayo-free: Instead of mayonnaise, try making the dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu. You can also add lemon vinaigrette .
- More mix-ins: Add a small amount of diced apple , a handful of thawed peas, or a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs to your tuna salad.
- Lettuce wraps: Tuna salad is delicious wrapped in lettuce leaves or piled on a bed of lettuce.
- Tuna pasta salad: Make a tasty tuna pasta salad by adding cooked macaroni, rotini, or your other favorite small pasta.
- Stuffed tomatoes: Hollow out juicy tomatoes and fill with tuna salad for an old-fashioned, and super-delicious, lunch entrée.
- Ahi Tuna Salad: Is the Ahi tuna looking fabulous at the fish market, or have you got an extra bit of ahi tuna from last nights dinner? Splurge and make tuna salad with it. Cook it through, then flake it up in this recipe.