Tuna Macaroni Salad

If you like pasta salad, you’re going to love this refreshing Tuna Macaroni Salad!

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Since we’re all in the middle of a seasonal sea of warm cookies, hearty soups, and oven-baked entrées, I’m brightening your feed with this recipe for tuna macaroni salad. It’s not a conventional winter dish, but it’s good enough that you won’t want to wait until summer to try it. Let it lighten and brighten your meals on even the coldest, darkest days!

If you saw my recent recipe for tuna pasta, you know how excited I am to share its sister recipe, tuna macaroni salad, with you. Tuna pasta was my favorite dish growing up, and this macaroni salad quickly became my favorite version for potlucks and parties. My mom and I were inspired by the OG pasta dish and we thought, Why not add tuna to our favorite macaroni salad? How different could it be?

Though this tuna macaroni salad is inspired by my mom’s tuna pasta recipe, it brings its own flavor to the table! Tuna macaroni salad is cool, refreshing, and light. It perfectly balances a plate of hot food, and just as easily stands alone as a light lunch or afternoon snack. Plus, it’s made with boldly flavored ingredients like Dijon mustard and sweet pickle relish, so it packs just enough of a flavor punch.

Is Tuna Macaroni Salad Healthy?

This tuna macaroni salad has a lot of carbs and some saturated fat due to the mayonnaise and sour cream, but it also offers a fair amount of lean protein and some fiber. While this dish is balanced in nutrition, it’s best to mind your serving sizes here, especially if you’re watching your carbs and fat intake. This dish does include animal products and dairy in some of its key components, so vegans should try a different pasta salad recipe, like this Vegan Pasta Salad With Artichokes And Lemon instead.

Why Tuna?

I know canned fish doesn’t sound like the most appetizing pasta salad ingredient, but tuna is actually a great protein to incorporate into your diet wherever you can. It’s low in calories and fat, but packed with important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and protein! If canned food isn’t your style, you can always use fresh tuna in place of canned tuna. This recipe for Air Fryer Tuna Steak is one way to easily prepare it before you add it to the other macaroni salad ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces elbow macaroni
3 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained
2 ribs celery, diced
4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Paprika, to taste
Chopped green onions, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare
Cook and cool macaroni.

Mix
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Chill
Refrigerate for flavor blending and serve.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How To Make Ahead And Store

You can make your tuna macaroni salad up to 1 day ahead of time. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container, and give it a good stir before serving. You can also store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Before serving leftovers, you may want to gently drain any water from your salad, and even add more mayo and seasoning to taste.

How Do I Make This Recipe With Chicken?

If fish isn’t for you, you can easily turn this tuna macaroni salad recipe into a chicken macaroni salad! Canned chicken is an easy substitute, and it will give you the same texture as canned tuna. Or, you can cook fresh chicken however you like, then cut it into small pieces and toss with your macaroni salad.

How To Make Tuna Macaroni Salad Spicy

If you’re anything like me and feel the need to add spice to every dish, you’re in luck: there are plenty of ways to spice up this recipe. You can mix in crushed red pepper or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end, or mix the spices in with your mayo before you combine all the salad ingredients. Making a spicy mayo mixture guarantees an even distribution of spices throughout the salad.

Serving Suggestions

This tuna macaroni salad makes the perfect potluck dish, or a side for delicious barbeque! Barbequed pork, baby back ribs, or chicken wings are all good ideas for your next cookout. For more side dish inspiration, try my Green Bean Casserole or this delicious Cornbread with Creamed Corn recipe.