Tuna Salad Sandwich
This is the no-drama tuna salad sandwich: creamy canned tuna, a little crunch from onion or celery, and basic salt and pepper. Takes about 10 minutes, no stove, no stress (unless you forget to drain the tuna—ask me how I know).
Side Dish
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Drink
Salad
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Dessert
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What You'll Need
grocery Ingredients
- Bread or White bread or Whole wheat bread or Rye bread or Multigrain bread or Sourdough bread or Bread rolls or Burger buns or Hot dog buns or Pita bread or Tortilla or Corn tortilla or Flour tortilla or Flatbread
- Canned tuna or Canned salmon or Salmon or Canned chicken or Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans or Canned chickpeas
- Mayonnaise or Greek yogurt or Yogurt or Sour cream or Avocado
- Onion optional or Celery or Red onion or White onion or Yellow onion or Green onion or Spring onion or Onion powder or Green onions or Scallions or Shallot or Chives or Garlic chives
- Celery optional or Onion or Red onion or White onion or Yellow onion or Green onion or Spring onion or Onion powder or Green onions or Scallions or Canned pickles or Cucumber or Pickling cucumber or Pickled ginger
- Salt optional or Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt or Smoked salt or Soy sauce or Tamari
- White pepper optional or Cayenne pepper or Hot sauce or Sriracha
cooking Equipment
- Can opener or Knife or Chef's Knife or Paring Knife or Bread Knife or Chef Knife or Santoku Knife or Nakiri Knife or Utility Knife
- Mixing Bowl optional or Glass Mixing Bowl or Stainless Steel Bowl or Silicone Mixing Bowl or Mixing Bowls or Glass Mixing Bowls or Nesting Bowls or Measuring Cup or Measuring cups or Storage Container or Airtight Container or Glass Storage Container or Plastic Storage Container or Food Storage Container or Deli Container
- Cutting Board optional or Wooden Cutting Board or Plastic Cutting Board or End Grain Cutting Board or Bamboo Cutting Board
- Bread Knife optional or Knife or Chef's Knife or Paring Knife or Chef Knife or Santoku Knife or Nakiri Knife or Utility Knife
bookmark_star Instructions
Instructions
1) Open and drain the tuna
Grab your can opener, open the canned tuna, then drain it really well. Seriously, take 30 seconds here. If you skip this, your sandwich turns into a soggy situation and your bread will file a complaint.
2) Mix the tuna salad
Add the drained canned tuna to a mixing bowl and flake it with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, chop the onion or celery (small pieces!), and mix it all up. Season with salt and black pepper.
Keep mixing until it looks creamy and spreadable. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more mayonnaise. If it’s too loose… well… you probably didn’t drain the tuna. (No judgment. Okay, a tiny bit.)
3) Assemble the sandwich
Lay out your bread, then spread on a good layer of tuna salad. Top with the second slice of bread and press it down gently like you’re tucking it in for a nap.
4) Slice and eat (or chill)
Slice the sandwich with a bread knife if you’re feeling fancy. Eat right away for maximum crunch, or chill the tuna salad for 10–20 minutes if you like it colder and more set.
Serving idea: This makes 4 servings as light sandwiches, or 2 big hungry-person sandwiches (you know who you are).
lightbulb_2 Tips
Pro tip: If you want the tuna salad to taste more punchy without adding new ingredients, salt it, mix it, then wait 5 minutes and taste again. Salt needs a minute to wake up. Kind of like me before coffee.
Common mistake: Don’t over-chop the onion into giant chunks. Big onion bites are aggressive. You want it small so it blends in and just gives a little kick.
Pro tip: Out of onion? Use celery for that fresh crunch. Out of celery? Use
pure determinationonion. Either one works great.Heads up: If you go heavy on mayonnaise, the sandwich can turn slippery and try to escape when you bite it. Not saying this has happened to me, but… it has.
Make-ahead: You can mix the tuna salad and store it in a storage container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Just don’t build the sandwich early unless you enjoy sad, damp bread.
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