Tuna-Macaroni Salad 

By Millie Peartree

Updated September 8, 2021

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes, plus 3 hours’ chilling
Rating
4(699)
Comments
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You pretty much already have everything you need to make this side dish, a great accompaniment to fried or grilled proteins. Some people love raw onion and celery, but you can leave them out or keep them in as you like. Make sure you use tuna packed in water. (Tuna in olive oil will make the salad too oily.) It’s best chilled — don’t serve it at room temperature — its creamy unctuousness balances out the heat (from spice or from cooking) of whatever it’s paired with.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

  • 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and smashed with a fork

  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise, plus more to taste

  • ½ cup sweet relish

  • 1 tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 cup chopped celery (from about 3 stalks, optional)

  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped (optional)

  • Paprika, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 to 12 servings)

35 grams carbs; 45 milligrams cholesterol; 400 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 343 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, and cook the macaroni according to package instructions, until slightly pasta al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, tuna, eggs, mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion powder, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add chopped celery and onion, if using, and toss gently with a spoon to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Taste and adjust salt and mayonnaise as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to overnight. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish before serving cold.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
699 user ratings
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Comments

Name Linda Criss

Less fattening and less cloying is to use half mayonnaise and half sour cream. Equally delicious. I love this on a hot summer night with sliced heirloom tomatoes on the side.

Rose

I use pimiento-stuffed green olives instead of relish or celery and sometimes add grated cheddar. A nice, old-fashioned, go-to recipe, great to make on the weekend for a crowd (scales up easily) or for weekday lunches.

Ken Solin

I'm sitting at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand drooling over this totally American dish. I checked and have all the ingredients on hand and will "cook" this dish today. Not sure I can wait 3 hours to let it chill though.

Eric

I recommend adding 1 tablespoon of curry powder...this was very good.

TerrieL

I made this yesterday and it is the best Tuna Mac Salad recipe I have tried. It is typically a bit bland. This is not. I cut this recipe in half with no problems. I did a couple things a little different. To tame that harsh bite that raw onion can have I chopped it and soaked in plain water for 10 minutes, then drained and added to the bowl. I also had some finely diced, quick pickled celery that I wanted to use up and I had exactly a 1/2 cup, so in the bowl it went.

Ellen T

My mother made a refreshing tuna macaroni salad - elbow macaroni, canned white tuna, mayo (or similar), sliced cucumber, sliced green or red pepper, wedges of tomato, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Very simple, and very good.

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