Tuna is a versatile staple in many homes. It’s a cheap form of protein. If you’re on a budget, tuna can be a great protein to serve for lunch or dinner. The most basic tuna salad is made with tuna and mayonnaise but you don’t have to stop there. There are lots of ways that you can make your tuna salad into a great meal.
Related: How To Upgrade Your Egg Salad
Sauces
For the following sauces, start with a small amount and add more to taste
- Lime juice
- Lemon juice
- Franks hot sauce
- Sirircha
- Mustard
- Pickle juice
- Horseradish
- Italian dressing
- Wing sauce
- Thousand island
- Wasabi
- Pico de gallo
- Ranch
- BBQ sauce
- Basaltic vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Relish
- Olive oil
- Tabasco
Spices
For all of the following seasonings start small, with 1/2 of a teaspoon and gradually increase it to taste. If you don’t like spicy, start with a smaller amount for spicy spices
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper
- Cajun spice
- Cayenne pepper
- Curry powder
- Italian seasoning
- Lemon pepper
- Dill
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Old bay seasoning
Produce
Add as much or as little as you want
- Celery
- White onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Corn
- Radish
- Banana peppers
- Bell peppers
- Lettuce
- Pineapple
- Diced apple
- Grapes
- Cilantro
- Garlic
Other
- Cottage cheese- you can replace your mayo, or add it in addition to
- Cream cheese- for extra creamy tuna salad, add some cream cheese
- Greek yogurt- replace your mayo
- Hard boiled eggs- make your tuna salad a tuna and egg salad
- Lays- either add it to your sandwich, or crunch them up in the mixture. Enjoy immediately
- Pasta- make a tuna pasta salad
- Oatmeal- soak with everything else for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight to make your tuna go further
- Pecans- add a quarter of a cup of chopped nuts to one can of tuna
- Walnuts- add a quarter of a cup of chopped nuts to one can of tuna
- Sauerkraut- for a new taste
- Kimchi- add as much as you want
- Olives- add as much or as little
- Pepperchinis- add as much or as little as you want
- Capers- add as much or as little as you want
Related: Upgrade Mac & Cheese
Specific Combinations
Here’s just a few ways to enjoy your tuna salad
- Mayo, Apple, & Pecans
- Mayo, Mustard, & Hot Sauce
- Cucumber, Tomato, Jalapeno, Lemon juice, & Mayo
- Mayo, Relish, & Curry Powder
- Celery, Mayo, Mustard, Eggs, & Garlic powder
- Mayo, Mustard, Pickles, Apples, & Lemon pepper seasoning
- My Favorite way- shredded carrot, celery, cucumber, bell pepper, grapes, mayo, mustard, relish
How To Eat Tuna Salad
- Tortilla chips- make your mixture and dip some tortilla chips in
- Bell peppers- make your mixture and use a bell pepper as “the chip”
- Crackers- Ritz, saltines, wheat thins, club crackers, whatever your favorite cracker is, you can enjoy your mixture spread on a cracker
- Sandwich- spread the mixture between two slices of bread or enjoy an open faced sandwich
- Wrap- like a sandwich, but put it in a tortilla
- Make it a melt!- make a sandwich, but add in some cheese and grill it like a grilled cheese
- Lettuce bowl- add your tuna on top of a big bowl of lettuce
- By itself- grab a spoon and dig in!
- With rice- top your rice off with a mixture of tuna salad
