I Asked 5 Experts How To Make the Best Tuna Salad—They All Said the Same Thing

Tuna salad is one of the most satisfying lunches I can think of. Since I make it regularly, I’m always looking for new ways to improve it. To get the most out of my next can of tuna, I turned to the pros.

When I asked five chefs to tell me how they make their tuna salad, they gave me a variety of responses. They all call for these three things: mayonnaise, something crunchy. and something pickled. But the specific ingredients they use differ wildly. Some prefer pickle relish to capers, for instance, while some like cornichons.

Yet, amid the eclectic bunch of recipes I received, I discovered one specific ingredient that chefs all agree upon: The best tuna salad, according to chefs, is always made with albacore tuna.

The Panel of Experts

• Rebecca Peizer: Chef and ownerwner of All Things Culinary LLC in Napa, California

• Matt Moore: author of Butcher on the Block

• Samantha Fore: Owner and operator of Tuk Tuk Snack Shop in Lexington, Kentucky

• Cara Tobin: Chef and owner of Honey Road  and The Grey Jay in Burlington, Vermont

• John Vermiglio: Chef and owner of Four Man Ladder Hospitality in Detroit, Michigan

Why Albacore Tuna Is the Best Choice for Tuna Salad

The texture and meatiness of the big chunks of tuna that a can of albacore yields, say chefs, hold up to moist ingredients, like pickles and mayonnaise. And albacore’s flavor is milder than other varieties. Rather than overwhelming the salad with a fishier profile, albacore allows all the ingredients to lend their personality to the mix.

If you decide to give albacore a try, the chefs have some recommendations for using it. First, always drain the liquid from the can of tuna before making tuna salad. You want your dish creamy, not soggy. To create a more robust and satisfying salad, keep the albacore in big pieces instead of flaking it.

And if you’re feeling ultra-chefy, Vermiglio suggests “lightly salting any freshly cut vegetables and allowing them to drain in a colander to remove excess moisture before adding them to your salad.”

More Secrets for the Best Tuna Salad, According to the Pros

All my experts admit to using mayonnaise in their tuna salad, though the brands of choice vary from Hellmann’s to Duke’s. And though they also agree that acidity and texture are important, how they get there differs wildly.

Some chefs like to keep their salad simple. Peizer makes hers with just mayonnaise, Meyer lemon juice for piquancy, and minced red onion for crunch. Other chefs go for stronger flavors. Preferring her tuna salad “pickle-y,” Tobin adds pepperoncini, capers, pickles, and “a touch of Dijon,” but “after all the salty stuff,” she “lightens it up” with fresh parsley and lots of dill.

“I like a lot of crunchy vegetables in my tuna salad, not just for flavor, but also for much-needed texture. Typically, a small diced red onion, celery, and pickled cucumbers are my go-to’s,” says Vermiglio. “I am also a big proponent of celery seed in my tuna salad. It can’t beat it.”

Moore adds cornichons or another type of pickle, too. His onion of choice is a sweet Vidalia. But then he adds an unusual ingredient—sharp cheddar cheese—to create his rich, Southern-style “Mama’s Tuna Salad.” Though Fore has a lighter touch with the mayo, using only one tablespoon to Moore’s lavish cup of Duke’s, she goes big on spice, mixing in a bit of minced serrano pepper, along with lime juice, and serving the salad on Doritos—a great hack I’d never considered before.

With all this advice in mind, I know just what I’m going to make—and how I will make it—for my next lunch!

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