This Easy Classic Tuna Salad Recipe uses only 8 ingredients and comes together in two steps. The protein-rich meal is filled with flavor thanks to mustard, relish, and lemon!

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Easy Classic Tuna Salad Recipe
Ready In: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Main Ingredients: canned tuna, celery, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, sweet relish, lemon, salt, pepper
Why You'll Love It: This Easy Classic Tuna Salad Recipe uses only 8 ingredients and comes together in two steps. The protein-rich meal is filled with flavor thanks to mustard, relish, and lemon!

Easy and delicious tuna salad recipe

When it comes to tuna salad, it's a yes from me. Between the amount of flavor and the recipe's versatility, it makes a great option! You can enjoy it in whichever way is fitting to your mood (i.e. on bread, on salad, in a lettuce wrap), and you can make it ahead of time for a quick meal!

To make things even better, this recipe is as easy as it gets. It uses only 8 ingredients and comes together in just 2 steps! The longest part of the recipe will involve chopping the celery, which says something.

Get ready for the easiest and most delicious classic tuna salad recipe yet!

Photo of ingredients for Easy Classic Tuna Salad Recipe with labels.

Ingredients in this easy classic tuna salad recipe

This easy classic tuna salad recipe is comprised of 8 ingredients total, including salt and pepper. It couldn't be simpler! We'll start with the tuna, and then add the celery and the rest of the flavorings.

Canned tuna: First up is a 24oz can of tuna. It will need to be drained prior to adding it to the food processor.
Celery: Next, add flavor and crunch with 3 stalks of finely diced celery.
Mayonnaise: To reach the creaminess tuna salad needs, add ½ cup of mayonnaise. You can sub with plain Greek yogurt if preferred.
Dijon mustard: Next, add some flavor with 2 tablespoon of dijon mustard.
Sweet relish: Follow the mustard with ½ tablespoon of sweet relish.
Lemon: Next, add the juice from ½ of a lemon. This is going to add a nice tanginess that sits perfectly with the mustard and mayo flavors!
Salt & pepper: Finally, finish off the recipe with the addition of 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

Kitchen tools needed to prepare classic tuna salad

This recipe keeps things pretty simple, so you'll only need a couple of kitchen tools create it. Here's what to gather before you begin:

Cutting board
Chopping knife
Large mixing bowl
Fork
Potato masher

You will also need the following measuring cup sizes: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ tbsp, 1 tbsp, and ½ cup.

How to make this easy tuna salad

This two step recipe comes together in hardly any time at all. Just drain, mix, and mash!

First, add the drained tuna to a large bowl. Mix it with a fork until finely flaked.

Then, add the diced celery and mix. Once mixed, add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, sweet relish, and lemon juice. Stir in the salt and pepper. Use a potato masher or a large fork to mix until everything is finely shredded.

How to enjoy classic tuna salad

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be enjoyed so many different ways.

If you're in a carb-y sort of mood, enjoy it atop toasted bread or plopped onto crackers! It tastes delicious atop classic Ritz crackers.

If you want something extra filling, load it onto a grilled cheese for a tuna melt style sandwich!

If nutritious is your goal, enjoy this tuna salad on top of a heaping salad of greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and any other salad fixings you enjoy.

Finally, you can enjoy this tuna salad sans bread by placing it in lettuce cups! I find that iceberg works great for this due to the size of the leaves. You can usually make the outer leaves or romaine work as well.

No matter how to enjoy your tuna salad, you're in for a flavorful and protein-rich meal!

Storing leftovers

Tuna salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep it in an airtight container to lock in fresh flavors.

Because it will keep for up to 3 days, this recipe makes a great make-ahead meal for a few days' worth of lunches or dinners. I like to prep it for the work day because it's always nice knowing you have something easy and ready to go during busy work hours!

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

Interested in trying some more tuna recipes? Here are some of my favorites! The cake sliders are amazing.

All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn

Erin Antoniak