Fresh Tuna Salad Recipe
My 30-minute fresh tuna salad recipe uses grilled ahi tuna with hard-boiled eggs, capers, celery, red onion, pickles, and a Dijon mayo dressing. Leave the can on the shelf and make this one from scratch.
Ingredients
- two 10 ounce fresh tuna fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled and small diced red onion
- 3 small, diced stalks of celery
- 2 small, diced pickles
- 2 tablespoons roughly minced capers
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 4 small-diced hard-boiled eggs
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat, 450° to 550°.
- Coat the tuna in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the tuna to the grill and cook for about 7-8 minutes per side or until dark grill marks have formed and the tuna is cooked throughout, no pink. Place the tuna on a plate and chill in the refrigerator until completely cooled.
- In the meantime, prep all the vegetables and add them to a large bowl along with the eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- When the tuna is done cooling roughly mince it until it is in bite-size pieces and then add it to the bowl with the vegetable mixture.
- Mix until everything is well mixed in and serve.
Notes
The most important tip for this recipe is to chill the tuna completely before mixing it with everything else. I tested it, and warm tuna does not hold together in the salad, and the mayo breaks down instead of binding it.
Do not overcook the tuna: Dried-out grilled tuna is no better than canned. I cook it through but pull it as soon as it is done. The texture should still be moist and flaky, not tough.
Season from a distance: I hold the salt and pepper about a foot above the tuna when seasoning so the coverage is even across the entire surface.
No grill, no problem: Pan-searing in a hot skillet or broiling in the oven both work. You lose the smoky grill flavor, but the tuna still comes out great.
Use homemade pickles: The difference between store-bought and homemade pickles in a tuna salad is huge. If you have the time, my homemade kosher dill pickles are worth making.
Next-day fix: If serving the next day, the salad will release some liquid overnight. I drain off the excess and re-season with salt, pepper, and a spoonful of fresh mayo before serving.
Make-Ahead: I make this up to 1 day ahead of time. The flavors actually improve after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours.
How to Store: I cover and chill the tuna salad for up to 3 days. This does not freeze well.
How to Reheat: This is served cold. No reheating needed.