The best macaroni salad with tuna is both refreshing and satisfying, and it’s the reason I fell in love with this old-school meal. It’s absolutely packed with flavor and textures without being heavy or dense. I also love that it can be as simple or as elaborate as you please. It’s 100% customizable. Practically every ingredient has a potential swap-out, and what you could add to the mix is almost limitless. Simple, economical, can feed a crowd, and tastes amazing is what I call ticking all the boxes. ✅
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Tuna Macaroni Salad
Prep the Ingredients
Cook Macaroni – Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse well. Set aside and allow to cool while working on the sauce. (Photo 1) Dressing – In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice or vinegar, sweet relish, and mustard. Set aside (refrigerate until ready to use if not making the salad immediately). (Photos 2-3)
Assemble the Salad
Make Salad – Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl. Add the tuna, celery, chopped hard-boiled eggs, red bell pepper, peas, and onion. (Photos 4-6) Dress It – Add the prepared mayonnaise sauce to the bowl and thoroughly mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. And then garnish with parsley. (Photo 7) Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It should last 3-4 days in the fridge. If it seems dry, stir in a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise to moisten. (Photo 8)
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Since tuna macaroni salad is usually served cold, it’s easy to make ahead. Just follow the recipe, and refrigerate the tuna salad in an airtight container a day or two in advance. Remove from the fridge and serve whenever you’re ready to dig in. 😋
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve tuna macaroni salad right after assembling, garnished with freshly chopped parsley. Refrigerate leftover tuna salad in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this one because it changes the texture, and not for the better.
What Goes With Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna macaroni salad can easily be a meal all on its own. Hawaiian sweet rolls and a glass of Southern sweet iced tea make great finishing touches. If you’re looking for a heartier meal, try it as a side dish with grilled meats like pellet grilled pork chops. For dessert, serve easy lemon bars.
More Terrific Tuna Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
