Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
My Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe is packed with tuna, herbs, vegetables, and pasta in a mustard-mayo dressing, making it the ultimate side dish.
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.
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 18gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 496mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg