Grade-school lunches and second-rate delis give tuna salad a bad name, but a few simple preparation and flavoring tricks guarantee a sandwich filling that’s properly chilled, evenly moist, flaky, and well-seasoned. Here’s our best advice for top-notch—but still quick and easy—tuna salad.
Cooking Tips
The Real Secret to Great Tuna Sandwiches? Where You Store the Can.
Plus more tricks for tuna salad done right.
By Published June 9, 2022.
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
Tips for the Best Tuna Salad
- SHOP CAREFULLY A first-rate tuna salad begins with the best tuna. Our favorite water-packed brand, American Tuna Pole Caught Wild Albacore, tastes light, fresh, and moist, with flavor that’s not too fishy.
- REFRIGERATE Tuna salad should be served on the cool side, but waiting for it to chill after opening a new can is not what anyone has in mind when they’re hungry. Instead of storing cans of tuna in the pantry, keep them in the fridge, and you’ll always be just minutes away from a cold sandwich filling.
- DRAIN Be sure to fully drain the tuna in a colander or strainer instead of just squeezing out a bit of the packing water from the can. This minor extra step gives the tuna a toothsome, less watery texture.
Equipment Review
Electric Can Openers
Electric can openers make a difficult job easy, but some models are unreliable. Could we find one that works flawlessly every time?Read Our Review
- SHRED With the tuna in the colander, break it down into chunks with your fingers until the whole amount is finely textured. Now your finished salad will have a smooth, evenly flaky consistency.
- SEASON For a lively, deeply flavored mixture, preseason the fish with salt, pepper, and lemon juice before adding mayonnaise.
So forget your last beleaguered, institutional tuna sandwich. Reach into your fridge for a can of tuna, take a little extra care with the contents, and find out how satisfying a well-made tuna salad sandwich can be.
More Sandwiches
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Gruyère and Chives
The grilled cheese conundrum: Young cheeses have no taste but melt perfectly, while aged cheeses have sophisticated flavor but turn grainy. We wanted the best of both worlds.Get the Recipe
Egg, Salami, and Tomato Sandwiches
A local bakery's thoughtfully crafted sandwich featuring tender, creamy, custardy eggs inspired me to create a version of my own.Get the Recipe
Pan Bagnat (Provençal Tuna Sandwich)
Olives, tomatoes, hard-cooked eggs, fragrant herbs, and a mustardy vinaigrette—not mayo—are the components that put this Provençal staple on the map.Get the Recipe
