American
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Canned tuna is mixed with celery, onion, lemon, and mayonnaise, then piled on soft bread. It is a reliable lunch that comes together from the pantry.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Canned tuna is already cooked, so there is no stove step.
- Celery and onion keep the salad from turning into a paste.
- Lemon brightens mayonnaise better than more salt.
- It makes four sandwiches from two cans.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Drain the tuna well and flake it into a bowl with a fork.
- 2
Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, red onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Stir until the tuna is evenly coated but still has some texture. Taste and add a pinch more lemon or salt if it needs it.
- 4
Lay out 4 slices of bread. Top each with a lettuce leaf.
- 5
Divide the tuna salad among the slices, about a heaping 1/2 cup each.
- 6
Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread and cut them in half. Serve right away or wrap and chill.
Pro tips
- Press the tuna lid firmly, or dump it into a sieve. Watery tuna makes a soggy sandwich.
- Dice the celery fine. Large chunks fall out of the sandwich.
- If you are packing it, put lettuce between the tuna and the bread to block moisture.
Easy substitutions
- Mayonnaise
- Plain Greek yogurt, same amount. The salad will taste tangier.
- Red onion
- Chopped dill pickles, 2 tbsp.
- Sandwich bread
- Split hamburger buns or toast.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the tuna salad, separate from the bread, for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Serve cold. Do not heat mayonnaise-based tuna salad.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 342
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · No Cook
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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