This classic Southern tuna salad with egg is creamy, flavorful, and protein-packed! Quick to make in about 10 minutes and ideal for meal prepping, it’s perfect for sandwiches, salads, meal prep or a quick snack. With just a single bowl and simple ingredients like canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and pickle relish, it’s a weekly staple in our house.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This is the real deal tuna salad, and I absolutely loved it! Best lunch EVER.” – Erin
Why I never get tired of this tuna egg salad
When it comes to tuna salad, I know some people aren’t the biggest fans, but this is my new favorite. I happen to love this Southern Tuna and Egg Salad and find it’s a total lifesaver during a busy week. I make a big batch on Sunday to enjoy for a few days for lunch or as a filling snack that’s healthy and high in protein, a big win these days. And all of this from pantry ingredients!
And here is something I want you to know before you even get to the recipe: this is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb which means almost everybody at the table can dig in. The tuna melt version with cheese is obviously not dairy-free, but the base salad? You are good to go.
One more thing. Not all canned tuna is created equal when it comes to protein. A standard 5-ounce can ranges from about 21 to 40 grams depending on the brand. I tend to reach for Wild Planet Skipjack (around 32 grams) or Safe Catch Elite (40 to 43 grams per can because they do not add water or fillers). So yes, this little bowl is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the protein department. Add two hard-boiled eggs on top of that, and you are sitting about 23 grams of protein in one serving. That is hard to beat.
It’s so easy to boil up a handful of eggs or even buy them already boiled from the store. Chop them up and stir them together with canned tuna and fresh veggies – it’s a meal in a matter of minutes.
Serve alongside Bacon Macaroni Salad or Broccoli Salad if you’d like. Even spooning it onto toast or serving it with crackers is perfectly delicious!
Why I Add Eggs to Tuna Salad (And You Should Too)
Okay, real talk. When I first started adding hard-boiled eggs to my tuna salad, I thought it was just a Southern grandma thing. Turns out, it is genius on about three different levels.
First, the yolk. That creamy, rich yolk blends right into the mayo and makes the whole thing silkier without having to add more fat. It is like a built-in creaminess upgrade.
Second, the white. It adds bulk and a little chew, so you are not just eating a bowl of mashed tuna. There is actual texture in there.
Third, and honestly the reason I keep coming back to it: protein. One hard-boiled egg gives you about 6 to 7 grams of protein. Add two eggs to your tuna and you have bumped your total up significantly. For a lunch that takes 10 minutes to make, that is a win.
If you have never tried it, this is your sign. It really does make the best tuna salad.
What is Tuna Salad with Egg? (Southern Tuna Salad)
Southern tuna salad takes a simple classic and makes it even better! The secret? A mix of both dill and sweet pickle relish for the perfect balance, plus chopped hard-boiled eggs—a true Southern tradition.
Whether you pile it onto a sandwich, tuck it into a wrap, or serve it over greens, this recipe is as versatile as it is delicious. It’s also easy to double if you’re feeding a crowd! If your mom or grandma used to whip up a comforting tuna salad sandwich, one bite of this will bring back all the nostalgia.
And if you love this, you’ll also want to try my Chicken Salad Chick Copycat—another creamy, flavor-packed favorite. For something a little different, check out this Tuna Pizza for a fun twist!
Tuna Salad with Egg Ingredients
- Tuna – I like to use water-packed tuna for this recipe. You may use oil-packed tuna if preferred! Use your favorite; I like albacore white tuna.
- Eggs – Just like with potato salad, adding hard-boiled and peeled eggs provide more protein and texture to the salad recipe.
- Celery – Fresh celery adds a subtle crunch to the texture of the tuna salad, mince finely for those who don’t love it.
- Red Onion – Chopped red onion gives the salad a deeper flavor and a vibrant pop of color. You could also use minced shallot.
- Pickle Relish – Use dill pickle relish or sweet pickle relish, depending on your taste, or both!
- Mayonnaise – This is your binder! If you want to be totally Southern, use Duke’s mayonnaise, though I personally prefer avocado mayo.
- Dijon Mustard – A little Dijon mustard adds spice to the salad recipe.
- Garlic – One small clove, minced fine. It does not hit you over the head, but it adds a depth of flavor that makes people ask “wait, what did you put in this?” You can also use a pinch of garlic powder in a pinch.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper – Season it to your taste! try lemon pepper too.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – About a teaspoon squeezed in at the end. This is not optional in my opinion. Lemon brightens everything, cuts through the richness of the mayo, and makes the flavors pop.
- Celery Salt – Celery salt is mixed with celery seeds to add a slightly bitter and earthy flavor to the tuna salad.
- Smoked Paprika – Adding smoked paprika, gives a subtle but unique flavor, like in this 10 Vegetable soup.
- Fresh Herbs – Optional, but adds great flavor, add a little fresh dill, thyme, basil or rosemary! You could also try fresh parsley too!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
- An egg slicer makes mincing hard-boiled eggs easy! Slice one way, rotate 90 degrees, and slice again for perfect little pieces—great for tuna or egg salad.
- I love using this small mixing bowl with a lid—the ideal size for making and storing tuna salad in the fridge! And don’t forget the can opener!
How to Make this Tuna Salad with Egg
Step 1 – Boil the Eggs and Chop the Veggies
Before getting started, hard-boil the eggs, then plunge them into an ice bath and let them cool. You can make these up to 3-4 days ahead.
Finely chop the celery and red onion with a sharp knife, or use an alligator chopper. Take the bite out of red onions by soaking them in ice water for 10 minutes. Use the same ice bath as your hard-boiled eggs. Drain and enjoy!
And once the eggs are peeled, chop them into tiny bits or use an egg chopper.
Step 2 – Make the Dressing
Mix all of the creamy dressing ingredients in a medium or large mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, spices, and pickle relish. TIP: Make your dressing in the bowl you’ll mix the tuna salad in, less dishes to wash!
Step 3 – Combine the Tuna and Egg Salad Ingredients
Next, open the cans of tuna and drain, then add it to the mixed dressing. Then drop in the chopped eggs, celery, and red onions and mix well to combine.
Serve this classic healthy tuna salad recipe immediately. However, you may also make it ahead of time. Store the recipe in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips for this Recipe for Tuna Salad
- The finer you chop the veggies for this recipe, the more the flavors really blend and the less likely your picky eaters will turn up their noses to it!
- You must drain the canned tuna well, or the salad will be runny with the excess liquid.
- Make it a tuna macaroni salad. Add up to ½ box of cooked elbow macaroni to the salad mixture and 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas. You might need to add up to an additional ⅓ cup of mayo. Stir to combine and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.
- Transfer the eggs to ice water immediately after boiling to let them cool completely. This will make for easier peeling.
- If you don’t love egg yolks, you can discard them and only add the whites into the salad for a more mild egg flavor.
Variations & Substitutions
- If you prefer your tuna salad on the sweeter side, use all bread and butter pickles or all sweet relish.
- Swap the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt for a lower in fat and even higher in protein Southern tuna salad.
- Add more bulk to the recipe by using an extra hard-boiled egg or chopped apples like in this apple pecan chicken salad.
- Sprinkle in finely chopped fresh dill to heighten the dill pickle flavor. Or add in some fresh chives or parsley.
- Add even more flavor with a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. If you don’t have this at home, add smoked paprika, celery salt, and garlic powder.
- For moister tuna salad, add more mayonnaise or Greek yogurt one tablespoon at a time.
- No relish? Finely chop dill, bread and butter or sweet pickles.
- Add a little heat: Try chopped jalapeño mixed in too!
- Stir in additional fresh veggies. I love adding chopped red bell peppers for extra flavor and color.
- If you don’t care for red onion, you can use scallions (green onions), shallots or yellow onion instead of red or a combination of the two.
- Salmon Salad: Replace the tuna with your favorite canned salmon, start on the lower side with the mayo as it’s a little more tender.
Storage for Tuna Salad with Egg
You can serve this right after you make it, or cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge. Either way works great. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
One thing to note: never leave tuna salad sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours. Because of the mayo and eggs, it needs to stay cold.
Can you freeze tuna salad? I do not recommend it, and here is why. The mayonnaise separates when it freezes and thaws, and the eggs get a rubbery texture that is not great. The good news is it keeps so well in the fridge for five days that you really do not need to freeze it. Make a big batch on Sunday, and you have lunches set through Thursday.
What to serve with Southern Tuna Salad
- Steakhouse Romaine Wedge Salad, place a scoop on top and call it dinner!
- More Salads – We love this Tropical Mango Salad and this antipasto salad.
- Make a batch of beer bread, or these Cheddar Bay Biscuits (so delish).
- Crudite Platter – For a super flavorful, healthy meal!
- For dessert, enjoy these Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Or fresh Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade or this Passion Tea Lemonade.
Ways to Serve with Tuna and Egg Salad
One of the best things about this recipe is its versatility. Use the following ideas to inspire your use of this delicious southern tuna salad:
- Low-Carb Option – Place a healthy scoop on large lettuce leaves, like romaine, spinach, or butter lettuce leaves, with the tuna salad and a juicy ripe tomato wedge. Or make tuna salad lettuce wraps for the whole family to enjoy a tasty light dinner. Use all Greek yogurt for more protein.
- Classic Tuna Salad Sandwich – Lightly toast the bread to avoid it getting soggy. Try it with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and a homemade bread recipe, like some challah, Basic Sourdough Bread, or stuffed into pita bread, try it with this Caprese BLT Sandwich.
- Keep it Simple – Serve this simple tuna salad recipe with buttery crackers, crispy potato chips, or Air Fryer Steak Fries.
- Southern-Style – This southern tuna salad is perfect for serving with more of your favorite southern recipes, like a refreshing Mint Julep, Southern-Style Green Beans, and Sweet Cornbread.
- Stir it into your favorite pasta salad, like this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad!
- Stuffed Avocado – Halve a ripe avocado and scoop out a little extra from the center to make room, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt if you like. Fill each half with a generous scoop of tuna salad. The creaminess of the avocado with the savory tuna is honestly a perfect combination, and it is low-carb, gluten-free, and feels way fancier than it is. Great for a quick lunch that looks like you tried.
- Stuffed Tomato – This is a total throwback, and I am here for it. Core out a large beefsteak tomato, sprinkle it with salt inside, and fill it with tuna salad. My grandmother used to serve these on a bed of lettuce for summer lunch, and I think of her every single time. Old-fashioned? Sure. Delicious? One hundred percent.
How to Make an Open-Face Tuna Melt
A little known fact about me: I dislike making lunch! Not because I don’t like eating lunch, but it’s just a thing with me! Let’s not get into the psychology of why! 🙂
So, an open-face tuna melt is one of my go-to lunches! Because I can make this southern tuna salad recipe ahead of time, enjoy it on some lettuce, and then make open-face tuna melts for a light lunch or dinner!
Split an English muffin (try my sourdough English muffins) or your favorite bread (lightly toasting first so as not to get soggy). Place toasted muffin halves or toast slices on a baking sheet, then spoon ¼-⅓ of a cup of tuna salad onto each muffin half, spreading to cover the muffin.
Preheat the broiler, then top the tuna with a slice of your favorite cheese—try pepper jack, cheddar, Swiss, Havarti, or Muenster.
Broil for 1-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly – watch closely!
FAQs
Peeling hard-boiled eggs can be a real headache. Avoid making a mess by first carefully dropping the eggs into the pot of water only after it has come to a boil. This helps the shell’s membrane not to stick to the egg’s protein.
Secondly, some people sprinkle a little salt into the boiling water, which is known to help with the peeling. And finally, make peeling the hard-boiled eggs a little easier by submerging them in an ice bath for 5 to 15 minutes after boiling
Yes, absolutely! Eggs and tuna are completely safe to eat together. In fact, this combination has been a Southern staple for generations. Just follow normal food safety guidelines: keep your tuna salad refrigerated and do not leave it out for more than two hours. Good food safety habits apply here the same as they would with any mayo-based dish.
Seasoning, almost always. When your tuna salad tastes flat or bland, it usually means one of two things: you need more acid (add a squeeze of lemon juice or a bit more pickle relish) or more salt. The other thing restaurants do is let it rest. Making it ahead and refrigerating for even 30 minutes before serving gives the flavors time to come together. Try it.
Yes, canned tuna is a genuinely solid source of lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and nutrients like selenium and B vitamins. It is low in saturated fat and lower in calories than most proteins. That said, tuna does contain mercury, and larger species like albacore tend to have more of it than smaller varieties like skipjack. If you are eating tuna regularly (a few times a week), it is worth varying your choices or reaching for brands like Safe Catch, which test every single fish for mercury levels. For most healthy adults, eating tuna a couple of times a week is nothing to stress about. If you are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor about how much is right for you.
Besides eating it straight from the bowl with a fork (no judgment, I do it too), leftover tuna salad is perfect for tuna patties. Mix about a cup of leftovers with one egg (raw) and a handful of panko breadcrumbs, form into patties, and pan-fry in a little olive oil until golden on both sides. They take about 3 minutes per side and come out crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle. Seriously, so good. I am working on a full tuna patties recipe to share here soon, so keep an eye out!
Use whatever you enjoy! White albacore in water has a milder, cleaner flavor. Skipjack or chunk light tuna is a bit stronger with a softer texture and tends to be lower in mercury. Oil-packed tuna has a richer taste but drain it well or your salad will be too oily. If you want to make protein count your priority, look at brands like Wild Planet (32g protein per 5oz can) or Safe Catch Elite (40 to 43g per can), which are also among the cleaner options on the market.
If you’d like to swap the mayo for another similar ingredient, such as Miracle Whip, or plain Greek yogurt, for a healthier alternative.
More High-Protein Easy Recipes
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Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces tuna packed in water in water, drained (see notes)
- 2 large hard boiled eggs peeled, chopped fine
- ¼ cup celery minced fine, about 1 small stalk
- 2 – 4 tablespoons red onion minced fine and soaked in ice water 10 minutes
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish dill or sweet, or I used 1 tablespoon of each
- ⅓ – ½ cup mayonnaise I like Chosen Avocado Oil mayo, see notes for alternatives
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic pressed or ¼ – ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice trust me here!
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, spices, pickle relish and stir to combine the dressing. Tip – Use a bowl with a lid, so you can make and store your tuna salad in the same bowl.2 tablespoons pickle relish, ⅓ – ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ – ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon celery salt, ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Add the drained tuna, eggs, celery, red onion and mix well to combine. Serve immediately or store covered and refrigerated until ready to serve (actually will taste better as it sits, I try and let it sit for 30 minutes)10 ounces tuna packed in water, 2 large hard boiled eggs, ¼ cup celery, 2 – 4 tablespoons red onion
Notes
Spoon ¼ to ⅓ cup tuna salad onto toasted muffin halves, top with your favorite cheese, and broil 1 to 3 minutes until bubbly. Watch closely! Tips
- Soak red onion in the egg ice bath to mellow the sharpness.
- Drain tuna well or the salad will be watery.
- Fold eggs in gently at the end for distinct chunks.
- Don’t overcook the eggs or you’ll get that gray-green ring.
- Finely chopped veggies = better flavor in every bite.
- Taste and season at the end, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
Nutrition
Cookee
Your recipe sounds awesome, and I will be trying it. I use to love tuna in my youth, but now tuna has become questionable every time I open a can. After making salad and sandwiches, if I bite in and hit a taste of fishy, rancid or heavy metal, I wince, remove it from my mouth and throw the whole bowl away. I have tried to find an answer for this problem and with no success. Lemon, sugar, milk, rinsing, etc. have not done it. I use albacore and the better brands still no help. I have stopped eating tuna out for the same reason. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Cookee, I’m so sorry to hear that!
I’m not sure I’ve got anything for you – my hunch is when did it change for you, was it around the pandemic? Because many people’s tastebuds seem to have been altered. I tend to go with tuna from places like Whole Foods and Natural Grocers. The only other thing I might recommend is buying yourself some tuna and cooking it yourself. enjoy some hot as a meal and the rest, flake it up and freeze for the next time you want to do anything with canned tuna. 🤷🏻♀️
Erin
This is the real deal tuna salad, and I absolutely loved it! Best lunch EVER.
Thanks Erin!
Stephanie
This was a great recipe for road trip tuna sandwiches. Everyone enjoyed the meal and it wasn’t messy to eat or make.
So perfect! Thanks Stephanie!
Charles
Hi,
Your low carb option works well for us-and the Mint Julep! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome!
Dannii
I love tuna, but can get a bit bored of having it the same way. This was delicious, and made a nice change.
Yay! So happy to hear!
Megan
I’m not usually a tuna fan but this was awesome, thank you!
So glad you loved it!
Ned
This was perfect for an easy lunch time weekday meal! I’m so busy during the week, it was nice to have delicious food quickly. Thank you!
Thanks Ned! Appreciate you!
Dana
It’s the pickle relish for me! Adds such a nice flavor. This was absolutely delicious!
Thanks Dana!!
Min
BEST tuna salad recipe! I’ve made this several times and have wanted to write a review but didn’t get to it unt now. Love the flavor and texture. Pickled relish is a must!
So glad you loved it!
Lynn
Yes to RELISH! It makes all the difference! SO so good!
It does! Thanks Lynn!
Sheila
Loved your tuna salad recipe, especially the bite of crunch from celery and red onion! As a Southern lady, I can vouch that good tuna salad must be made with hard-boiled eggs and sweet pickle relish!
Thanks for your Southern vote! So appreciate your kind words!
Sue Foreman
Not just Southern. I grew up with this recipe in the midwest.
Very delicious! My favorite!
That’s great to know, do you do anything different than what I show here? I love how recipes adapt and morph throughout the country! Have a great day!
Tasia
The mixture of sweet and dill pickle relish and the hint of smoked paprika take this tuna salad to the next level! Our new favorite!
Thank you Tasia, it really is a favorite!