Learn how to make classic creamy tuna macaroni salad with fresh dill, lemon juice, and canned tuna. This easy recipe makes a cold pasta salad that’s perfect for meal prep, potlucks and summer picnics.
Nothing screams “summer” quite like a deli-style salad. Picnics just wouldn’t be the same without my favorite deviled egg potato salad. While this tuna macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad, I like that it has a little bit of extra protein from the canned tuna, which means it can technically work as a main dish too.
This tuna fish macaroni salad is actually best made ahead of time, so that the creamy mayo dressing has time to soak in properly. And I’ll show you how to cook the pasta perfectly so that it doesn’t get mushy! If you’re looking for an easy summer side dish that can feed a crowd, this recipe is the ticket.
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Macaroni – I prefer elbow macaroni, but you can use any short pasta with nooks and crannies, like shells or rotini.
- Mayonnaise – This recipe uses a creamy mayonnaise dressing. That said, you can also substitute with Miracle Whip if that’s more your style.
- Lemon Juice – The lemon juice adds an extra burst of bright, tangy flavor.
- Fresh Dill – Fresh dill tastes the best, and it also adds a nice pop of green color. That said, you can swap it for dried dill if that’s all you have on hand, reducing to 1/3 of the amount the recipe calls for.
- Spices – Spices you’ll need for this tuna mac salad include dry mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Sweet Pickle Relish – The sweet pickle relish adds a subtle sweetness to cut through the creamy mayo dressing, and it adds a snappy crunch. If you don’t have any sweet pickle relish, you can also use finely diced dill pickles mixed with a pinch of sugar.
- Tuna – Safe Catch ‘Ahi Yellowfin Tuna’ is my favorite because it doesn’t have any mercury or other harmful metals, but any canned tuna will do.
How to Make Classic Tuna Macaroni Salad
Before getting started, you’ll want to cook your macaroni to al dente, which is Italian for “to the tooth”. In other words, cook it ’til tender but still slightly firm when you bite into it, and then let it cool for a while before adding the dressing. Scarlati Family Kitchen has a great tutorial on how to cook pasta al dente.
Mixing Up Tuna Fish Macaroni Salad
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, fresh dill, dry mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the celery, scallions, and sweet pickle relish into the dressing.
- Gently break up the tuna, and mix it into the dressing.
- Fold in the cooled macaroni, and stir ’til it’s fully coated.
How to Store Tuna Macaroni Salad
Cover your deli salad with plastic wrap, or place it into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or even overnight. Tuna macaroni salad is best made ahead of time, so that it has time to chill, so that the dressing can really soak into the pasta noodles.
As a side note, you may need to add a little more salt and pepper after chilling. Sometimes the macaroni will soak up all the flavor, and after sitting awhile, you can add a little more. Start small and add by the 1/4 teaspoon, ’til you reach the flavor you desire.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
Most often, this is because the macaroni wasn’t cooled long enough before adding the creamy Mayo dressing. When it’s still warm, the macaroni will soak up the dressing, and sometimes it’ll separate the oil from the Mayo, making everything kind of mushy. Let your macaroni cool to at least room temp before adding the dressing.
Stored in an airtight container, tuna fish macaroni salad should last up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator before going bad.
I don’t recommend freezing tuna mac salad. It’ll ruin the texture, and it will become very mushy and soggy.
Optional Add-Ins & Recipe Variations
- You can add veggies, like peas, minced bell peppers, shredded carrots and even chopped up pickles.
- Make it a tuna macaroni egg salad with hard-boiled eggs. I’d add a dash of paprika for extra flavor if I was you!
- As I stated in the ingredients notes, you can totally swap out the Mayo for Miracle Whip if that’s more your jam!
- Add pieces of salami, pepperoni, or even crumbled feta cheese for even more deli-style flavor.
More Easy Side Dish Salads
- Chicken Salad Recipe With Eggs
- Broccoli Salad With Bacon & Cauliflower
- Dill Veggie Finger Salad
- Creamy Layered Salad
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Tuna Macaroni Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni cooked to al dente and drained
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt *to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper *to taste
- 2 stalks celery minced
- 1/2 cup scallions minced
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 10 ounces tuna *drained
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni, according to package directions, to al dente; then set aside and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, fresh dill, dry mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the celery, scallions, and sweet pickle relish into the dressing.
- Gently break up the tuna, and mix it into the dressing.
- Fold in the cooled macaroni, and stir 'til it's fully coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight, before serving.
This was a huge hit with friends and family!!! I feel like Tuna mac salads get a bad rap and this redeems it!