Tuna-Macaroni Salad
Updated September 8, 2021
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus 3 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
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
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 to 12 servings)
35 grams carbs; 45 milligrams cholesterol; 400 calories; 6 grams monounsaturated 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.
Powered by
Preparation
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Private Notes
Comments
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.
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.
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.
I had some leftover chipotle mayo from the grilled corn on the cob recipe so I used that as part of the mayo (along with some Greek yogurt). In future I will only make this with a small amount of chopped canned chipotle pepper and some of the sauce.
I tried a tip from a Southern friend to use Old Bay instead of salt in my tuna mac (and pretty much any recipe using canned tuna) and I've ever looked back. Taste as you go, it's salter than you think.
Add juice from sweet pickles (gherkins) for sweetness.