Southern-Style Tuna Salad
A Southern-style tuna salad includes chopped hard-boiled egg and some pickle relish. Choose dill relish or sweet pickle relish for flavor.
Hard-boiled eggs and chopped pickles or relish are typical additions to a Southern-style tuna salad. This tuna salad makes a fabulous luncheon dish on a bed of greens with sliced tomatoes or avocado, or make sandwiches and serve them with potato chips or French fries. It’s a delicious, comforting tuna salad, perfect for lunch boxes and picnics.
You can also swap in canned chicken or leftover turkey to change it up. For parties or showers, try serving the tuna salad in slider buns or small rolls—or cut sandwich quarters for a more delicate presentation.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Classic Southern flavor. A nostalgic tuna salad with egg and pickle, just like grandma made.
Versatile and easy. Serve it in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or stuffed in tomatoes or avocados.
Ready in minutes. Simple ingredients, quick prep, and no cooking required.
Ingredient Notes
- Tuna: Use canned tuna in water, drained thoroughly. Chunk light or solid white are both fine.
- Celery: Adds fresh crunch—chop it finely for the best texture.
- Hard-boiled egg: Makes it richer and more filling.
- Pickle relish: Sweet or dill both work—use what you like or have on hand.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess. Adjust to your preferred consistency.
- Red onion (optional): Adds sharpness—chop very finely.
- Salt and pepper: Taste and season at the end.
Steps to Make Southern-Style Tuna Salad
- Drain the tuna thoroughly and place in a medium bowl.
- Add the celery, chopped egg, relish, and mayonnaise.
- Stir in red onion, if using, and mix well with a fork.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve in sandwiches or on greens with sliced tomato or avocado.
Tips for Tuna Salad Success
- Use a fork to break up the tuna and mix everything evenly.
- Start with less mayo and add more to taste—it should be creamy, not soupy.
- Hard-boil the egg in advance and keep extras on hand for quick lunch prep.
- If using sweet relish, balance it with a dash of mustard or a squeeze of lemon.
Recipe Variations
- Chicken salad version. Use canned chicken or leftover cooked chicken instead of tuna.
- Turkey option. Leftover roast turkey works well with this flavor combo.
- No egg. Omit the egg for a lighter, simpler version.
- Add mustard. A little yellow or Dijon mustard adds tang and balances sweetness.
- Creamier texture. Add a splash of pickle juice or a bit of sour cream.
- Fresh herbs. Stir in a bit of fresh dill or parsley for brightness.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve on soft sandwich rolls, sliced bread, or croissants.
- Spoon into lettuce cups or hollowed-out tomatoes.
- Pack in lunch boxes with crackers or pita wedges.
- Top a green salad with a scoop for a low-carb option.
- Fill small slider buns for parties or potlucks.
How to Store
Refrigerate: Store tuna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.
Freeze: Not recommended—mayonnaise and egg-based salads tend to separate and lose quality when frozen.
Make ahead: You can make this 1 day in advance and keep it chilled. Stir before using to refresh the texture.
Southern-Style Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 10 ounces tuna, about 2 cans, drained and flaked
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 large egg, hard-boiled, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill relish, or sweet pickle relish, or chopped dill pickle or bread and butter pickles
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste
- Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tuna thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tuna with the chopped celery, chopped egg, relish, and mayonnaise. Add the chopped red onion, if desired.
- Mix the tuna salad with a fork until well blended. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- For a low carb or keto luncheon, mound the tuna salad on lettuce leaves or mixed greens and serve it along with some tomato and avocado slices. Or use the tuna salad as a sandwich filling in bread or sandwich buns.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
