Tuna-Macaroni Salad

Name: Tuna-Macaroni Salad
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal); 1 pound elbow macaroni; 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained; 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and smashed with a fork; 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, plus more to taste; 1/2 cup sweet relish; 1 tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup chopped celery (from about 3 stalks, optional); 1 medium sweet onion, chopped (optional); Paprika, for garnish

By Millie Peartree

Updated Sept. 9, 2021

Tuna-Macaroni Salad — Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus 3 hours’ chilling
Rating: 4(627)
Comments: Read comments

You pretty much already have everything you need to make this side dish, a great accompaniment to fried or grilled proteins. Some people love raw onion and celery, but you can leave them out or keep them in as you like. Make sure you use tuna packed in water. (Tuna in olive oil will make the salad too oily.) It’s best chilled — don’t serve it at room temperature — its creamy unctuousness balances out the heat (from spice or from cooking) of whatever it’s paired with.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1pound elbow macaroni
2(5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained
2hard-boiled eggs, peeled and smashed with a fork
1½cups mayonnaise, plus more to taste
½cup sweet relish
1tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard
1teaspoon onion powder
½teaspoon black pepper
1cup chopped celery (from about 3 stalks, optional)
1medium sweet onion, chopped (optional)
Paprika, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, and cook the macaroni according to package instructions, until slightly pasta al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool and set aside.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, tuna, eggs, mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion powder, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add chopped celery and onion, if using, and toss gently with a spoon to combine.
Step 3
Taste and adjust salt and mayonnaise as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to overnight. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish before serving cold.

Ratings

4 out of 5

627 user ratings

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Comments

Name Linda Criss3 years ago

Less fattening and less cloying is to use half mayonnaise and half sour cream. Equally delicious. I love this on a hot summer night with sliced heirloom tomatoes on the side.

Rose3 years ago

I use pimiento-stuffed green olives instead of relish or celery and sometimes add grated cheddar. A nice, old-fashioned, go-to recipe, great to make on the weekend for a crowd (scales up easily) or for weekday lunches.

Ken Solin3 years ago

I'm sitting at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand drooling over this totally American dish. I checked and have all the ingredients on hand and will "cook" this dish today. Not sure I can wait 3 hours to let it chill though.

Kaitlyn1 month ago

Love how easy it is to modify this recipe. I split the mayo with sour cream or Greek yogurt - skip the egg - double the tuna - and add peas. One of our favs!

Sarah8 months ago

Top with smoked paprika to add a nice layer of flavor— counteracts the sweetness of the relish and goes well with everything else!

sammy t10 months ago

good but maybe not great. a tad bland. if definitely needs the onion and celery. theres a recipe here for regular macaroni salad and i think just adding tuna to it would be tastier than this. but its not bad and has a good amount of protein.

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