Tuna Macaroni Salad recipe is a classic favorite. Elbow macaroni, canned tuna, onion, peas and a seasoned mayonnaise all combine for a family favorite!
A CLASSIC TUNA MACARONI SALAD
Tuna Macaroni Salad is a dish that doesn't get a lot of credit. It's one of those meals that most of us remember our Mommas making. It is economical and it makes a lot. I absolutely love to dig into a bowl of this stuff. It is one of my favorite comfort foods (besides THE BEST EVER POTATO SALAD). This classic pasta salad really is an entire meal in one!
Frequently asked questions:
Shallot has a very light onion flavor and doesn't overpower the other flavors. But you certainly can use an onion if you prefer.
Just add a bit of mustard. You won't taste the actual mustard flavor. It will provide just enough slight tang to balance the other flavors.
Elbow macaroni is a traditional pasta shape to use for this recipe. However, you really could use any pasta shape you enjoy. Cavatappi or shell pasta would work great.
I only use canned tuna in water. Canned tuna in oil or any other flavors will change the consistency and texture of the tuna pasta salad.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- elbow macaroni
- canned tuna
- hardboiled eggs
- shallot
- mayonnaise
- sweet pickle relish
- celery seed
- lemon juice
- salt & pepper
- frozen peas
HOW TO MAKE TUNA MACARONI SALAD:
Cook macaroni according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, drain cans of tuna well. Chop hard boiled eggs and shallot. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, relish, celery seed, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Stir well to combine.
Stir in tuna.
Once macaroni is cooked, drain well and rinse with cold water until pasta has cooled. Pour drained macaroni into a large bowl. Pour mayonnaise mixture onto pasta.Then add chopped eggs and shallot, followed by thawed peas. Stir well.
Cover with plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
WANT MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS? GIVE THESE A TRY!
THE BEST TUNA MACARONI SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) box elbow macaroni
- 3 (5 oz) cans tuna packed in water, drained well
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to directions on package.
- In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, relish, celery seed, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Stir in tuna.
- Once macaroni is cooked, drain well and rinse with cold water until pasta has cooled. Pour drained macaroni into a large bowl.
- Pour mayonnaise mixture onto pasta.
- Then add chopped eggs and shallot, followed by thawed peas. Stir well.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
- Put bowl into the fridge for a couple of hours, then serve.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published: October 2018
Updated & republished: March 2020
Berry
I usually make my own tuna pasta salad but I wanted a different flavour for Thanksgiving. This was AWESOME! I didn’t have celery seed or lemon so I used dill and lime and my God! Superb!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I am so glad you took a chance on this recipe! Thank you Berry!
Lola
What could I use as a replacement for celery seed??
Brandie @ The Country Cook
There is no replacement. It has its own unique flavor. You can just leave it out if you don't enjoy it 🙂
Shirley
Delicious salad. I have been making a similar version for years. I have not used peas before. Mine I usually put diced cucumber, and diced tomato. They both taste yummy in the salad, and look great.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Sounds delicious Shirley! Cucumbers are always a nice addition!
joseph allen
I catch and can my own yellow fin tuna in olive oil, so I drained it and let it sit on paper towels to get most oil off. But simply amazing!!! Best simple recipe for this, thanks so much for sharing!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Oh wow!! I would love to try it with your fresh tuna! I bet it is SO good!
Chris
Great salad
Stephanie B
Just made this. Fantabulous really. I made exactly as written but used chopped red onion rather than shallot.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo! Thank you so very much Stephanie!
Louise
Made this recipe with my zucchini relish and added celery and shredded carrots. It was delicious!
Karen
I just made this and this is by far the best. Absolutely love it.
Thuy Meinz
I made this pasta for out dinner today. My husband said “it is the best tuna salad I have never made”. I changed a litter bit for our taste. I replaced peas as celery, shallot as sweet onion, and fresh lime..... my husband said “please keep this recipe and this will favorite pasta salad for summer and pot luck”. Thanks for sharing
Denise
Looks yummy!
Cris
Excellent recipe. I made it exactly as written but added 2TBS of sour cream as that is a personal preference and used shell macaroni as that is what I had on hand. We really enjoyed your recipe, thank you for sharing.
Judy Whitley
I replaced the celery seed and shallot with celery and red onion. Adjusted the proportions based on personal preference (wanted more peas). Also added a sprinkle of Splenda to the mayo sauce. Very good!
Kim
This is a great tuna salad. Just a little tangy. I added only half of the macaroni pasta.
Juanita
Great recipe but I used canned white chicken breast instead of tuna. It was very good. Thanks for your recipe.
Cairie
I made this recipe exactly as shown and for us the sweet pickle relish was a tad too much. I would do half of what was recommended next time. Otherwise a great recipe.
Kali
I love this recipe! My only question is- the serving says 413kcal per serving but there isn’t a serving size anywhere! :0 is that per cup? Per oz? Please help!
Kevin Strivelli
10 servings it says.
Pat
I always worry when I serve a new recipe to company, but this one was fabulous. I made it without the peas, because we have some non-pea eaters in the crowd. I did everything else exactly according to the recipe , and everyone came back for seconds (and more!).
Lyla Lexie
This recipe is amazing! I wanted to follow it exactly so my review would be 100% based on the original recipe, but it turns out I didn’t have sweet pickle relish. I did have Heinz hot dog relish which is very similar with the addition of a little mustard. I actually think that addition took this recipe to the next level, but would be five stars even with just regular sweet relish. Overall, very flavorful and delicious! I highly recommend giving it a try. Enjoy! 🙂
Dawn
This is a great basic recipe that hits all the flavor palettes for a good tuna salad. It doesn't have too much mayo and doesn't need any extra (per my mayo loving hubby). I used frozen peas, carrots and corn and onion instead of shallots (that's what I had on hand) and it was great. Can't wait to try the shallots, that will make it even better! Thanks for sharing!
Betty Pettit
Good recipe. Of course, I use my own variations. I use dill pickle relish rather than sweet. I use petite frozen peas, and I do not thaw them. I use much less mayo than the recipe calls for.
Dorene Catella
best I have ever made
GAIL
This is a great recipe but needed some tweaking for my personal tastes....
I added 4 stalks of chopped celery because it needed some crunch, otherwise it is just mushy with no texture. I added an extra egg and used only 3/4 of the macaroni. If it sits overnight I feel like it gets too dry and more mayo is needed. Loved the add of the sweet relish and celery seed - really brought this up a notch or ten!!!
Sandy
When Tuna Helper first came out years ago, they had a cold Tuna Helper that they no longer make, but your recipe looks like it could be very close. My family loved the cold Tuna Helper we had 2-3 times a month for lunch. I am going to give this a try.
Lorraine
Best ever!!
Melanie
With my area of Pennsylvania gearing up for some humidity here shortly, I wanted fuel for the machine that wouldn’t heat up my kitchen. (No AC)
This was amazing, delicious and easy, and it makes a lot more than I thought. Reminds me of Friday Lenten lunchtime at my Nonnis. Thanks for sharing
Bari
Yum! Brings back childhood memories in Michigan. I did add more mayo. Just my preference.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thanks Bari! I don't think you can ever go wrong with more mayo 😉
Lisa
Top notch! I always loved my MIL’s tuna salad but could never get it just right. Well let me tell you this is even better! . I did substitute maille brand dijon mustard for the lemon juice. I used about a tablespoon. Thanks for a great recipe!
Pam
Made your tuna macaroni salad today, just had a bowl, this is delicious. Will be my new go to. Thanks!!!
Melodie
Thank you for the recipe. Sounds exactly like the salad my mom use to make. I have never been able to duplicate her recipe. I think this will be super close.
wesley hayes
I love this I make it on Friday and eat all weekend
Kim
If this recipe is mentioned with the Best Ever Potato Salad, it's a winner for me!!!!
Kathi
Love this recipe and thanks for sharing. However, the only change I made was I left out the peas - I have a real aversion to them. Otherwise this recipe is fantastic.
Pat
This recipe reminded me of my Grandmother’s recipe. She made this every Friday for lunch. My cousins and I would go to Grandma’s house everyday for lunch, right from school. I wish we had smell-o-vision.....I swear if I closed my eyes, the aroma would be there! Love your recipes! 73 year old Granny, here!
Pat
Anne
Do you use mayonnaise or miracle whip?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Mayonnaise - always mayonnaise. 🙂
Helen
Can you use little gherkins instead of relish?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
If you enjoy them - sure!
thuliswa
it is mouth watering
Alicia
Made for Thanksgiving at the request of my mom. She wanted macaroni salad with tuna, but when she realized it had the sweet relish she begged me to find another recipe. Nope! Made the recipe as directed, she didn't even realize! Everyone loved it, seemed to be the favorite of the night. Thanks! Definitely a new favorite.
Carmen
My first attempt to make this pasta salad. I liked it a lot, thanks for sharing!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Carmen! So thrilled to hear that - thanks so much!!
Stacy
I’m excited to make this, it’s my husbands childhood favorite.
I was wondering how long it will keep?
Thank you!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Stacy! About 3 days in the fridge 🙂
Bonnie Logan
I used to make something similar to this in college since it made a lot and was fairly inexpensive. This is a much better recipe! It also brought back some funny and fond memories from my college days.
Tammy Spence
Extremely tasty!!! Just made it and the whole family went for seconds ???? I did add more mayo
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo!! Thanks so much Tammy! I love hearing that!
Gretchen
This was delicious! I've been making a similar salad for years, but I like your recipe even better - I think it's the addition of the celery seed and sweet pickle relish that really give it something extra. Thanks for this recipe!
Otilija
I've made this a few times and everyone loves it. Definitely a keeper.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thanks so much Otilija! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave feedback!
Ron
I also added candied Jalapeno slices (chopped) tp give it some character
kitchens city
Macaroni salad is one of my favorites and this recipe definitely did not disappoint. I’m pinning and making!Love this recipe.easy and simple .i will definitely try it.
Karen
It isn't even chilled yet, and it's the BEST tuna macaroni salad i have ever had. Everything goes together perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing. This will be my go to from now on. 🙂
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Oh wow!! Thank you so much Karen! Loved hearing this! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment 🙂
Ashley Menwer
Was exactly what I was looking for! I made the recipe as noted and did not change anything!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Ashley!! Yay! Thanks so much. Love hearing that!!
Trish
What about celery salt instead of seed?
Amy
I made this today. It is delicious but the celery seed is a little overpowering so I think next time I'll only use half but I am definitely saving this recipe!
Rhonda
I MADE THIS TODAY!!! SO SO GOOD!!
Kim Brown
I made this tonight it was Absolutely Delicious thanks!
Gayle
I made the salad this afternoon. I'm not a sweet relish fan so I was pleasantly surprised how well all of the flavors 'married' for wonderful flavor. I will definitely be making it again.
Kelly
My mom used to make something of the same premise, she called it Tuna and Elbow, elbow macaroni, Mayo, bumble be tuna, dash of salt and dried parsley. We loved it, so awesome! Now my sister makes it for every potluck, holiday and outing. I like the idea of the peas brings more color! Ty for memories. Keep doing what you do so well.
Tiana
I have made this several times and it AMAZING!!! I planned on making it again for Thanksgiving and decided to stop by your page and let you know just how much I love this recipe.
Lee Main
My Mom made this salad. I have been making it for over 50years, mostly in the summer. I use LeSeur peas as they are smaller then frozen ones and are tasty. I do not use hard boiled eggs but do put in chopped celery..
Carlee
Yum! Now I want to make a batch for my work lunches next week ????
Cindy
I made this exactly as the recipe calls for. It was pretty good but thought the celery seed was a little overpowering. My son tried it and said it was good. I'm also cooking your Mississippi pot roast. I've made it before and it was a big hit. Thank you for sharing your recipes. Without the internet these days, I'd be the worst cook ever
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I sure do appreciate the feedback Cindy!! Thank you!
Kathy
This looks great and easy to put together. How do you think it would be to add cherry tomatoes instead of peas?
I can’t wait to fix this for my family.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Well, I love tomatoes so it sounds good to me!
Kari
A wonderful recipe, so tasty and easy. I did half the mayo and added sour cream to make up the 1 cup. Some Greek spice was added and presto! Tasty easy lunch!
Thank you so much!
Elaine C
I added sour cream as well. Think that I am going to add red & yellow peppers for color plus we love them. May add a little grated carrot as well. English cucumber is great also but can tend to get a tad soft. Since it's a big batch I'm going to pass on the cuke or add it just before serving.
Joelle
This is a great recipe! I need to make this salad as a side for 25 people. I know you said the recipe serves six - do you think I should quadruple the recipe?
Dan Adams
I really like this recipe as it doesn't have celery in it. Turned out really good. I did add a bit more mayo and tuna than the recipe calls for. Also, this recipe makes ALOT! Like a picnic sized bowl. Which is great, but just be prepared for how much you actually will make. I believe myself and my partner now have lunch for the next week!
Southern Momma
This is delicious! Making this for the second time today. Only thing that I leave out is the eggs (I hate them). If your reading reviews before making this, your not going to be disappointed.
Jess
I did this exact recipe, but switched it up a little. Instead of celery seed, I used regular celery. Instead of a shallot I used a yellow onion. It was delicious!!
Gatorcook
I made it this way, too. Delicious!
Maggi
Make this often, however, I prefer dill pickle relish rather than sweet relish; it gives more of a tang this way.
Esquibel
I do like a good pasta salad, but am not a huge fan of the sweeter ones. I'll have to give this a go!
David Nau
I added a table spoon of ranch dressing, it added a nice zing.
Barron
Thanks for a favorite of ours, the entire household loves it when I make tuna mac. Especially the Grand kids.
Cyndi
I make it almost the same but always use a small can of chopped peas and carrots along with half a bag of frozen baby peas. Yum!
Carol
Made this for dinner last night. Super easy and very tasty. I did use Hellman's Light mayo - as I believe it cuts a lot of calories without sacrificing any flavor. 🙂 Thank you for the yummy recipe!
valerie
I make almost the same because that's how my grandmother did it. But she didn't use celery seed , lemon juice, or relish. and she used sweet onions. Next time I make it I am going to use your recipe because it looks yummier!! 🙂 I will definitely use shallots, never though of that before! and you gotta love the peas! It makes the dish. One thing I do add sometimes is cheddar cheese cut in small cubes. But, that's me.. I love cheese! Great recipe!
Jodie H
I LOVE THIS. I do tweak mine a tad by adding a qtr or half a cup of graded mild cheddar cheese, cut up a 1/4 cup celery really fine in lieu of the celery seed, plus add 2 tablespoons of sugar or stevia. For those looking for an additional twist with extra calories or as I like to call it protein (cheese), fresh veges (celery and energy (if I use real sugar). Any way it's made we can barely go wrong.
Linda Miller
Do you like to use tuna in water or tuna in oil for this recipe?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Linda! I prefer the tuna in water 🙂
Carrie
I have made this almost the same except with regular sweet onion I HAVE to try it with shallot (omgosh I forgot I love the flavor of shallots!) and a little relish and lemon juice - never used that before. My grandmother also chopped up some cheddar cheese into little squares and threw it in there. I have also made mine with deviled eggs on top for bring along parties. I am gonna have to make this your way. Sounds YUMMY!!!!!
Brandie (The Country Cook)
amym11 so glad it was a winner for you, we love this stuff!
amym11
So freakin good! I had to adjust becuase I only had one can of tuna and half a bag of large elbo pasta. I added mustard and halted the mayo with Greek yogurt. So amazing still.
Rustown Mom
Looks wonderful!
Bridget Kelly
I made this for myself -cutting recipe in half. This is so
Yummy!! I used chopped dill pickles instead of sweet relish and added dill spice and chopped celery -. And left the eggs out. Oh this is so good!
Carlee
So delicious! Made it exactly to your recipe.
tumble weed
This looks yummy!!! I love both macaroni and tuna salad!! The both together will be a great meal!
Linda Everts
Can you use canned baby peas
Kay
No, I tried this once when I was in a pinch. It is a totally different taste (but not in a good way) You would be better off just leaving the peas out. (It still tastes great without them.) I love peas so I just make sure to always have them onhand now.. but no, it gives it a weird taste..
Linda
I agree! If you don't have frozen peas I wouldn't use canned peas. I find that I have to stir my tuna macaroni salad before serving. It may need more mayonnaise. This will destroy canned peas. Far better off eliminating peas
all together. I like extra eggs in my salad. I don't like egg whites so I just add the yolks of at least 6 eggs.
Tuna macaroni salad is going to be our dinner tonight.
Kalista
You can use whatever you want
Mary
You can! Make sure that you drain them early on and well and then only stir them in very gently close to serving time. I like frozen much better because they hold up better. The canned tends to turn to mush, especially as they sit.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Agreed Mary 🙂 Thanks for helping to answer!
barbara mick
I add frozen peas to the salad, it cools the salad right away, Less time to wait to eat.
Linda
I've used canned baby peas before and thought it was a great substitute.