Are you ready for the Best Southern Tuna Salad Recipe? Made with canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, silky mayo, pickle relish, and a dash of smoked paprika, my classic recipe takes a regular ho-hum tuna sandwich into a great tuna salad sandwich.
In a medium bowl add mayonnaise, 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.
Add the drained tuna, eggs, celery, red onion and mix well to combine. Serve immediately or may be made ahead of time, store in an airtight container and refrigerate, covered for up to 3 days.
Notes
Tuna - Use your favorite tuna, whether that's packed in water or in oil, Yellowfin or Skipjack (softer, more tender, but stronger fish flavor), just drain well. Ways to serve
Low-Carb Keto Tuna Salad - Top a bed of romaine or butter lettuce leaves with the tuna salad and a juicy ripe tomato wedge. Or make tuna salad lettuce wraps.
Classic Tuna Salad Sandwich - Dress a sandwich with this incredible tuna salad. Lightly toast the bread to avoid it getting soggy. Try it with lettuce, fresh tomatoes on your favorite bread.
Keep it Simple - Serve this simple tuna salad recipe with buttery crackers, crispy potato chips, or Easy Air Fryer Steak Fries.
Open Face Tuna Melt
Split an English muffin or your favorite bread (lightly toasting first so as not to get soggy). On a baking sheet, place toasted muffin halves or toast slices, 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!
Variations & Tips
Place red onions in strainer in ice bath while chilling hard-boiled eggs, for about 10 minutes to take the "bite" and sharpness from them.
Sweeter tuna salad, use all chopped bread and butter pickles or sweet relish.
Add an extra hard-boiled egg, for more bulk.
Sprinkle in finely chopped dill to heighten the dill pickle flavor.
Toss in a dash of Old Bay Seasoning.
For moister tuna salad, add one tablespoon of mayo at a time until the texture is as desired.
Squeeze in some lemon juice for a citrus kick.
Include chopped red bell peppers or green onions.
StorageRefrigerator: You might ask, how long is tuna salad good for? Store this southern-style tuna salad in the fridge for three to five days in an airtight container.Freezer: For longer storage time, freeze the tuna salad in a freezer-safe bag or container. It helps to freeze the salad in portions, I love these silicone freezer cubes. Plus, it makes thawing a lot quicker. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw for a snack or meal the next day.