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tuna macaroni salad with vinegar on a serving dish
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Tuna Macaroni Salad

Tuna macaroni salad is a culmination of magical proportions between the light, savory chicken of the sea and the jovial salad of Southern gatherings.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 801kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 16 ounce elbow pasta 1 (16 ounce) box
  • 4 12-ounce) cans tuna, in water, drained
  • 1/4 cup sliced bread and butter pickles, rough chopped
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, rough chopped
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 3/4 cup frozen petite peas thawed
  • 1 cup fresh parsley chopped

Dressing:

  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup whole milk more as needed
  • juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Garnish (optional):

  • 3/4 cup red chopped onions diced
  • 1/2 cup celery diced
  • 1/4 cup bread and butter pickles sliced
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped
  • 3 hard boiled eggs chopped
  • 1 zest of lemon
  • 1/4 cup peas
  • 1/2 cup red pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the elbow pasta according to box directions, in well-salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool to room temperature.
  • To a large mixing bowl add all the salad ingredients.
    How to make on a serving dish tuna macaroni salad with celery mixing ingredients in the bowl
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss together until everything is well coated.
    How to make simple tuna macaroni salad pouring the dressing over the ingredients
  • Chill for 6 hours or overnight. If the dressing is too thick, add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency.
  • Spread out salad onto a serving platter. Top with garnish and serve!

Notes

  1. Food Safety - Keep in mind that mayo-based pasta salads have special handling instructions for food safety when serving unrefrigerated for any length of time, such as get-togethers and potlucks. Here’s more about that from the FDA and Food Network.
  2. Pasta Prep - First, make sure you put plenty of salt in your pasta water. This will give your pasta some flavor. It absorbs the water as it cooks and if the water is salty, it will help infuse flavor into your pasta before it ever hits the salad. Otherwise, you could be in for a snoozer of a dish.
  3. Must Be Al Dente - Cooking your pasta al dente is also important. Typically, it takes around 7-9 minutes, but the time may increase with the amount of pasta you’re making. Al dente pasta is still a little firm in the middle. A mushy texture will ruin the dish.
  4. Same Size - Chopping all the veggies roughly the same size is another way to polish up your simple tuna macaroni salad. It allows people to get a refreshing variety of flavors and textures in every bite.
  5. Doubling The Recipe - Don’t forget that this pasta salad calls for 16 ounces of pasta and 4 cans of tuna fish. If you are cutting or doubling the recipe (especially the pasta), you’ll need to adjust the tuna and the dressing as well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 801kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3005IU | Vitamin C: 75.3mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2.3mg