Simple Tuna Macaroni Salad

I grew up thinking tuna salad only belonged on sandwiches. My mom would make it with just mayo and celery, and we’d eat it between two slices of white bread. It wasn’t until I went to a potluck in my twenties that I realized you could toss tuna with macaroni and turn it into a proper side dish.

This tuna macaroni salad has been my go-to for cookouts and family dinners ever since. It’s simple to throw together, and you probably have most of the ingredients already sitting in your pantry. The macaroni makes it more filling than regular tuna salad, and the sweet pickle relish adds just enough tang to keep things interesting. Plus, you can make it the night before, which means one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to get food on the table.

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What Kind of Tuna Should I Use?

For tuna macaroni salad, you’ll want to stick with tuna packed in water rather than oil, since it has a lighter taste and won’t make your salad greasy. Both chunk light and solid white albacore tuna work great here, though chunk light is more budget-friendly and has a milder flavor that blends nicely with the other ingredients. Make sure to drain your tuna really well by pressing it with a fork or paper towel – excess water will make your salad watery and dilute all those good flavors. If you’re concerned about sustainability, look for tuna labeled as pole-and-line caught or with an MSC certification on the can.

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Options for Substitutions

This classic salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Elbow macaroni: Any small pasta shape works great here – try shells, rotini, or ditalini. They all hold the dressing nicely and give you that classic macaroni salad feel.
• Mayonnaise: You can use Greek yogurt for half or all of the mayo if you want a lighter version. Keep in mind it’ll have a tangier taste and less creamy texture.
• Sweet pickle relish: Dill pickle relish works if that’s what you have, though it’ll give the salad a more savory flavor. You can also chop up whole pickles – about 1/2 cup should do it.
• Tuna packed in water: Oil-packed tuna is fine too – just drain it really well. You could also use canned salmon or even cooked, flaked chicken for a different protein.
• Shallot: Regular yellow onion or red onion work just as well. Use about 1/4 cup diced, or adjust based on how much onion flavor you like.
• Frozen peas: Fresh peas are great when in season, or you can swap in diced celery for some crunch instead.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with macaroni salad is not rinsing the cooked pasta with cold water, which stops the cooking process and prevents the noodles from turning mushy and clumping together.

Another common error is adding the dressing while the pasta is still warm – this causes the mayonnaise to break down and get absorbed too quickly, leaving you with a dry salad by the time you’re ready to serve it.

Make sure to drain your tuna really well by pressing it with a fork or paper towels, because excess water will dilute the dressing and make the whole dish watery and bland.

Finally, don’t skip the refrigeration time – the salad needs at least 2 hours for the flavors to blend together, and it actually tastes even better the next day when everything has had time to marry.

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What to Serve With Tuna Macaroni Salad?

Tuna macaroni salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners, and it pairs really well with simple sides that won’t compete with all those flavors. I love serving it alongside some sliced fresh tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or with some crunchy potato chips for a classic deli-style meal. If you’re feeding a crowd, consider adding some fresh fruit like watermelon or grapes to balance out the creamy, savory salad. For a more filling meal, throw some grilled hot dogs or hamburgers on the side, and you’ve got yourself a complete summer spread.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your tuna macaroni salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Since it has mayo and eggs, you’ll want to make sure it stays nice and cold. It actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to hang out together!

Make Ahead: This salad is perfect for making ahead since it needs to chill anyway. You can prep it the night before a picnic or potluck, and it’ll be ready to go. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing can settle a bit at the bottom.

Serve: Always serve this salad cold, straight from the fridge. If you’re taking it to a gathering, keep it in a cooler with ice packs until you’re ready to eat. Don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours to keep it safe and fresh.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3400
• Protein: 140-155 g
• Fat: 150-165 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-360 g

Ingredients

For the base:

• 1 lb macaroni (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 hard-boiled eggs (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s for its balanced tang and creaminess)
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

For the protein:

• 15 oz tuna (I use StarKist solid white albacore in water for cleaner flavor)

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Cook the Pasta

• 1 lb macaroni
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 15 oz tuna

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to package directions until al dente—this timing is crucial for the right texture in the final salad.

While the pasta cooks, dice the hard-boiled eggs into 1/2-inch pieces, finely dice the shallot, and finely chop the celery.

Drain the tuna and set aside.

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch, which helps prevent a gummy salad.

Step 2: Build the Creamy Dressing Base

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, celery seed, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice until fully combined and smooth.

This dressing base will coat every piece of pasta and create the signature creamy flavor.

I prefer to make the dressing before adding the pasta so all the flavors are fully incorporated and balanced.

Step 3: Combine Tuna, Pasta, and Dressing

• drained tuna from Step 1
• creamy dressing mixture from Step 2
• cooled macaroni from Step 1

Stir the drained tuna into the creamy dressing base until evenly distributed.

Add the cooled macaroni from Step 1 and fold everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure the dressing coats all the pasta pieces.

Work carefully to maintain some texture in the tuna rather than breaking it down too much.

Step 4: Fold in Remaining Ingredients

• diced hard-boiled eggs from Step 1
• diced shallot from Step 1
• 1 cup frozen peas

Add the diced hard-boiled eggs from Step 1, diced shallot, and frozen peas (no need to thaw them—they’ll soften as the salad sits and chills).

Fold everything together gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything is evenly distributed.

I like to fold rather than stir vigorously at this stage so the eggs stay in nice chunks and the salad has better texture.

Step 5: Chill and Serve

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The chilling time allows all the flavors to meld together and the peas to soften to the perfect tenderness.

Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed—sometimes a tiny squeeze of extra lemon juice brightens it right before guests arrive.

Simple Tuna Macaroni Salad

Delicious Simple Tuna Macaroni Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 3300 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the base

• 1 lb macaroni (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 hard-boiled eggs (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

For the dressing

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's for its balanced tang and creaminess)
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

For the protein

• 15 oz tuna (I use StarKist solid white albacore in water for cleaner flavor)

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to package directions until al dente—this timing is crucial for the right texture in the final salad. While the pasta cooks, dice the hard-boiled eggs into 1/2-inch pieces, finely dice the shallot, and finely chop the celery. Drain the tuna and set aside. When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch, which helps prevent a gummy salad.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, celery seed, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice until fully combined and smooth. This dressing base will coat every piece of pasta and create the signature creamy flavor. I prefer to make the dressing before adding the pasta so all the flavors are fully incorporated and balanced.
• Stir the drained tuna into the creamy dressing base until evenly distributed. Add the cooled macaroni from Step 1 and fold everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure the dressing coats all the pasta pieces. Work carefully to maintain some texture in the tuna rather than breaking it down too much.
• Add the diced hard-boiled eggs from Step 1, diced shallot, and frozen peas (no need to thaw them—they'll soften as the salad sits and chills). Fold everything together gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything is evenly distributed. I like to fold rather than stir vigorously at this stage so the eggs stay in nice chunks and the salad has better texture.
• Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. The chilling time allows all the flavors to meld together and the peas to soften to the perfect tenderness. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed—sometimes a tiny squeeze of extra lemon juice brightens it right before guests arrive.