Tuna Salad Sandwich

This Tuna Salad Sandwich is absolutely packed with flavour and couldn’t be easier to make!

I know a tuna salad sandwich might seem fairly mundane, but I promise this will be one of the most delicious sandwiches you’ll ever make. Follow me…

Tuna Salad Dressing

All good tuna salads start with a good dressing. Sure, tuna mayonnaise is great, but I also like to chuck in a few extras. For the dressing here’s what you’ll need:

• Mayonnaise – Full fat whole egg mayo for the fullest flavour. I don’t recommend reduced fat varieties, they’ll end up causing the salad to go bitter/sour.
• Mustard – A touch of dijon mustard gives a gentle background heat.
• Lemon Juice – Lemon juice and fish in general is a glorious combo. Here the lemon juice adds a hit of acidity and livens up the flavours in the salad.
• Salt & Black Pepper – Both to taste. A good few grinds of cracked black pepper goes beautifully here.

I like to make the dressing separately, then incorporate with the rest of the salad. This way all the ingredients blend properly, without you having to stir the tuna too much. The more your stir the tuna the mushier it gets.

Process shots: add ingredients to a small pot (photo 1), stir until evenly combined (photo 2).

Tuna Salad

What’s the best tuna to use?

I recommend canned tuna chunks. I find that sometimes using tuna flakes means everything ends up a little mushy. Chunks hold up a little better. In all cases do try and get your hands on a good quality brand (Princes in the UK is always great). The difference between quality and cheap brands is pretty huge! Oil, spring water or brine all work fine, just drain and add to a bowl.

In terms of extra goodies to add, here’s what I recommend:

• Celery – Adds a nice crunchy texture to the salad.
• Spring Onion – Tuna and onion is a glorious combo. Can sub finely diced red onion if you prefer.
• Dill Pickles – Add a really nice tangy flavour.
• Parsley – Adds a fresh burst of flavour. Dill also works nicely, but is much more powerful so you’ll need to use a lot less.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Sure can! Just tightly cover in the fridge until needed. It does tend to go a touch watery as it rests, so I recommend stirring through a dollop of mayo before serving, just to bring everything back together.

Process shots: drain tuna and add to a bowl (photo 1), add salad ingredients (photo 2), pour in dressing (photo 3), stir to combine then test for seasoning (photo 4).

Tuna Salad Sandwich

When it comes to the sandwich, I tend to keep it fairly simple to let the tuna do the talking. 3 things I do add though are lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Tuna goes amazingly with tomato and cucumber, but I find they add way too moisture to the salad – hence why I add them as slices to the sandwich. Both are optional though. Lettuce non-negotiable, even it’s just to pretend to be healthy 😂

What else could I add to a tuna salad sandwich? 

One thing I do sometimes add is avocado. Some recipes suggest sliced hard-boiled egg. Not really my preference but if it’s yours then go wild!

Should I toast the bread?

Totally down to preference. I usually don’t, just because I like my tuna either hot or cold (or room temp), not slightly warm from the toast. But toast does secure the filling more efficiently.

Process shots: slice bread (photo 1), spread with butter (photo 2), add lettuce (photo 3), add cucumber (photo 4), add tomato (photo 5), add tuna (photo 6).

What to serve with a Tuna Salad Sandwich?

• Crisp/Chip Recommendation: I prefer Ready Salted with this sandwich as the filling is already quite tangy.
• Side Recommendation: Gotta be a batch of Sweet Potato Wedges. Or you could even serve with a Roasted Veggie Salad.

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this Tuna Salad Sandwich shall we?!

How to make a Tuna Salad Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)

Tuna Salad Sandwich

This Tuna Salad Sandwich is absolutely packed with flavour and couldn't be easier to make!

4.84 from 6 votes

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Course: lunch

Cuisine: Universal

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings (click & slide): 3 sandwiches

Calories per serving: 551kcal

Author: Chris

Cost per serving: £3 / $4

Equipment

• Small Pot
• Medium Sized Mixing Bowl & Spatula
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients

Tuna Salad

• 2x 5oz/145g cans of Tuna, drained
• 1/2 cup / 120g Mayo
• 2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
• 1 tbsp finely diced Dill Pickles
• 1 rib of Celery, finely diced
• 1 Spring/Green Onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Lemon, juice only (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Cracked Black Pepper (or to taste)

Sandwich

• 6 medium slices of Wholemeal Seeded Bread, or bread of choice (optionally toasted)
• 3 large leaves of Round Lettuce Leaves
• 12 slices of Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
• 12 slices of Cucumber
• Butter, as needed

Instructions

• In a small pot combine mayo, mustard, a gentle squeeze of lemon juice (save a little to adjust later) and salt & pepper.
• In a mixing bowl add tuna, spring onion, parsley, dill pickles and all of the dressing. Stir until evenly combined, then taste test for seasoning & acidity. Adjust with salt, pepper & lemon juice if needed.
• Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Top 3 slices with a lettuce leaf, then add cucumber and tomato slices. Top with tuna salad and add second slice of bread. Slice in half and enjoy!

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Extras 'n' Optionals for tuna salad - Capers make a great sub for pickles. If you want it slightly sweeter then pickle relish is nice. Red Onion makes a great sub for spring onion (~1/4cup finely diced red onion, but work to preference). If you want a more powerfully herby flavour then a tsp or so of dill works great!

b) Extras 'n' Optionals for sandwich - You can leave out tomato and/or cucumber. Avocado works really well!

c) Can I make this ahead of time? - You can make the salad part ahead of time, just tightly cover in the fridge for 2-3days. It does tend to go slightly watery, so I recommend stirring through a dollop of mayo just before serving, just to bring it all back together again.

d) Calories - per sandwich assuming 2 tsp butter per sandwich is used:

Your Private Notes:

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 551 Calories from Fat 329

% Daily Value*

Fat 36.51g56%

Saturated Fat 8.172g51%

Trans Fat 0.071g

Polyunsaturated Fat 17.97g

Monounsaturated Fat 8.879g

Cholesterol 63mg21%

Sodium 992mg43%

Potassium 546mg16%

Carbohydrates 28.82g10%

Fiber 4.3g18%

Sugar 7.6g8%

Protein 28.42g57%

Vitamin A 1168IU23%

Vitamin C 17.4mg21%

Calcium 92mg9%

Iron 4.33mg24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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After more Tuna Sandwich Recipes? Check out my Tuna Cucumber Sandwiches, Spicy Tuna Avocado Sandwich and Epic Tuna Melt!

For more Salad Sandwich Recipes checkout my Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich and Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich!

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