This classic Tuna Macaroni Salad is an easy staple for hot summer days. Perfect for lazy dinners and backyard barbecues alike, this recipe is a keeper for sure!
Hot days call for easy meals and pasta salads. And the older my kids get, the quicker I have to be in the kitchen – especially when school is out for summer!
Between swim club, water gun battles and the resulting laundry (and trying not to think about how few summers of fireflies and sprinkle cones I have left…) I simply lack the time to spend much time cooking these days.
Which is why I love a good pasta salad – and a quick tuna macaroni salad that can double up as dinner with all those carbs, fats and protein? Definitely a winner in my books. My secret to making this the BEST tuna pasta salad out there is to combine the tuna with the dressing first before adding everything else – somehow, it just makes a better salad!
The ingredients are as simple as this
Feel free to use different small pasta shapes than macaroni – shells, rotini or bowties all work quite well.
There seem to be quite strong opinions about mayo when it comes to pasta salads, so if you prefer Miracle Whip – go for it! And feel free to add more or less pickle relish to taste. I absolutely love pickles, so I tend to add even more than my recipe calls for, ha!
Finally, please boil your peas before you add them to the salad, don’t just defrost – this is for food safety reasons. If you want extra-easy, you can throw them in for the last 6-8 minutes with the macaroni, no need to dirty an extra pot!
Printable recipe
Classic Tuna Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) box elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 1 ¼ cups frozen peas
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream (OR Miracle Whip)
- ⅔ cup sweet pickle relish (more or less to taste)
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 (5-oz) cans tuna packed in water (drained)
- 4 hardboiled eggs (chopped)
- 1 medium red onion (chopped (½ cup))
- 3 sticks celery (chopped (1 cup))
- 2 green onions (chopped (⅓ cup))
Instructions
- Cook macaroni and peas: Cook 1 (16-oz) box elbow macaroni according to package directions. Add 1 ¼ cups frozen peas to macaroni 6-8 minutes before cooking time is up. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
- Make dressing: While macaroni and peas are cooking, blend 1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ⅔ cup sweet pickle relish, 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon celery seeds, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper in a large bowl.
- Add tuna: Stir 3 (5-oz) cans tuna packed in water through dressing, allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine salad: Add drained and cooled macaroni and peas along with chopped 4 hardboiled eggs, 1 medium red onion, 3 sticks celery and 2 green onions to tuna mixture. Carefully stir to combine.
- Chill and serve: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before serving, adding a little extra mayonnaise and/or sour cream if salad seems dry.
Recipe tips
- Chopping: Because the macaroni, peas and tuna are all on the small side, I personally prefer to chop up all of the other ingredients to somewhat match this. I take care to chop the onion in smaller pieces, and run my knife over the celery 2-3 times after slicing it.
- Size up or down: This makes quite a generous amount of pasta salad – about 5 pounds, which yield ten 1.5 cup servings. Feel free to cut it in half if you only need a few portions, or double up to feed a big crowd!
- Make ahead: You can easily make this salad ahead of time. According to FoodSafety.gov, you can keep macaroni salads in the fridge for 3-4 days. The macaroni tend to soak up more dressing as it sits, so you may want to add some extra mayo and/or sour cream (or Miracle Whip) before serving if it seems too dry.
- Take along: Due to the mayo-based dressing, tuna and eggs in the salad, make sure to keep the salad well-chilled in a cooler at 40°F or below if you’re planning to bring it with you to a barbecue or potluck. FoodSafety.gov recommends to keep it out no longer than 2 hours if eating outdoors, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
Serving ideas
If you’re planning to serve this as part of a backyard barbecue, here are some ideas of dishes that pair well with it:
- Marinated and grilled meat, such as chicken breast, pork chops or pork tenderloin
- Grilled corn on the cob (a favorite of ours with tuna mac salad!)
- Fruit salad
Or if you’re making the salad as an easy, cold dinner option on a hot day:
- A leafy green salad with a delicious dressing (honey mustard dressing or white balsamic vinaigrette are great!)
- If you can bear to turn on your oven, an easy no-knead bread is fantastic… or just buy a crusty loaf at the store! It’s summer after all.
- Try an icebox cake for dessert!
Made it?
Let me know in the comments below! This helps more people find the recipe, and absolutely makes my day.
And don’t forget to pin it to save for later!
Layne Bailey says
Super easy and really delicious!
Mindy Rose Parker says
Made for potluck, took home an empty dish and shared the recipe many times!
Carol says
Delicious! Served over iceberg lettuce with rolls on the side. Cut recipe in half to feed the four of us. Made plenty!