Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
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My Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe is jam-packed with tuna, herbs, vegetables, and pasta tossed in a simple mustard-mayo dressing for the ultimate side dish. This has become a family favorite and is always requested when we host guests.
There is nothing like a hearty protein or pasta salad loaded with goodies. It’s one of my favorite things about summer. If you’re new to making bound salads like this one, try my chicken salad or this delicious egg salad.
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna macaroni salad is a classic American salad of canned or cooked fresh tuna salad that is mixed with cooked elbow macaroni. It’s also common to add peas to the salad. This is a classic side-dish that is oven served during the summer but is hearty enough to be eaten as a main course.
There are plenty of ways to change up this recipe since the ingredients can be swapped or adjusted to your taste. If you want to keep it simple, all you really need is tuna, mayonnaise, pickles, onion, celery, peas, and pasta. But when I’m feeding a crowd, I like to add herbs, capers, and eggs to make it heartier and stretch the dish a little further.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tuna – For salads like this, I will use canned white albacore tuna in water same as I did for my tuna melt. However, you can use fresh tuna that has been grilled, baked, or seared and then cooled and shredded.
- Mayonnaise – Any good full-fat mayonnaise will work.
- Mustard – I like to add a bit of Dijon mustard to this. You could also use yellow or whole-grain mustard.
- Pickles – Combining bread-and-butter pickles and kosher dill pickles is phenomenal. You can use one or the other or a combination as I did.
- Capers – This is optional, but capers will add some more sweet brine flavors.
- Eggs – You will need hard-boiled eggs for this tuna macaroni salad.
- Lemon – Some lemon juice helps to brighten up the dish and eliminate any fishy-like flavors and smells.
- Celery – Fresh ribs of celery are used in this dish.
- Onion – You can use white, sweet, or red onion. You could also substitute a shallot. A whole garlic clove is also used, but 1 teaspoon of granulated or garlic powder will work.
- Dill – Fresh or dry dill may be used.
- Pasta – Macaroni pasta is the classic noodle shape to use.
- Peas – These are traditional to use, but I do not like to use them. This is optional.
How to Make Tuna Macaroni Salad
Prepare the eggs: I make the hard-boiled eggs. Then, I slice them up and set them to the side until I’m ready to add them to the salad.
Cook the macaroni: I bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the macaroni and cook it until it’s al dente.
Cool the pasta: I drain the pasta and run it under cold water until it’s completely cool.
Mix the salad: I pour the pasta into a large bowl, then add the onion, celery, garlic, pickles, capers, dill, tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, sliced eggs, salt, pepper, and peas if I’m using them. I mix everything together until it’s fully combined, then taste and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve the salad: I like to serve it with a few extra whole capers and a sprinkle of fresh dill on top for a nice finishing touch.
Chef Tip + Notes
The key for making my tuna macaroni salad to let it chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. I’ve made it a few times when I was in a rush and served it right away, but when I give it that little extra time in the fridge, the flavors really come together and taste so much better.
- Use chilled pasta: I always make sure to rinse and cool the pasta completely after cooking. This keeps it from soaking up too much dressing and getting mushy.
- Drain the tuna well: I drain the canned tuna thoroughly before adding it to the salad. This keeps the dressing from getting watery and helps the flavors stay rich and creamy.
- Chop everything small: I like to dice the veggies and eggs small so they mix evenly throughout the salad.
- Taste and adjust: Once everything is mixed, I always taste the salad and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
Whenever I make this tuna macaroni salad, I usually warm up a batch of my garlic bread because it’s something my family always asks for. And if I’m keeping it a little lighter, especially for my wife, I’ll serve it with a bowl of my creamy fish chowder or toss together a quick tomato onion salad. It’s definitely a meal that works for any kind of day, whether we’re all sitting down together or grabbing a quick lunch.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: For freshness, you can make this salad up to one day ahead. You may need to drain slightly, add more mayonnaise, and re-season before serving.
How to Store: Cover and refrigerate the tuna macaroni salad for 3 days. It will not freeze.
More Salad Recipes
Video
Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 shelled, small-diced hard boiled eggs
- 1 pound of cooked, chilled, and drained elbow macaroni
- ½ peeled and small diced red onion
- 4 ribs small diced celery
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons small diced dill pickles
- 3 tablespoons small diced bread and butter pickles
- 2 tablespoons minced capers
- 1 pound drained canned tuna
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup peas, optional
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the hard-boiled eggs. Slice them, and set them to the side.
- Boil the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and run under cold water until cool.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl along with the onion, celery, garlic, pickles, capers, dill, tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, sliced eggs, salt, pepper, and optional peas.
- Mix everything until completely combined. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Serve with optional additional whole capers and fresh dill.
This salad was delicious. I made it with gluten free pasta.
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
It’s delicious!
Many thanks!
This recipe was awesome!
Appreciate you trying it!
This was delicious, and we enjoyed it as a main dish! I added 2 cups of peas to make it more of a complete meal. Also, I actually doubled ALL of the “sauce” ingredients (mayo, lemon juice, capers, pickles, mustard, dill, garlic, salt and pepper) which I whisked at the bottom of a my largest bowl before adding the tuna, eggs, peas, onion, and celery). I think it made it much more flavorful. But you said it was customizable – this made it perfect for me, and I would definitely make again!
Awesome! So glad you could make it work for you!
Not yet but soon!
The way you give instructions is very good Billy
Thank you kindly!
Yum!