Chunky Tuna Salad Twist
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Flaked tuna tossed with crisp celery, diced sweet onion mix, and a creamy binder. Mayo swapped out for avocado mayo, tamed with sweet pickle relish and a kick of mustard. Salt and pepper balance it all. Chill to let flavors marry, texture settles. Serve on toasted bread, crackers, or veggie sticks. High-fat content from avocado mayo; protein-packed with subtle crunch and snap from fresh veggies. Easy to mix, quick to prep, forgiving if you miss pickles or mustard, improvise with what’s on hand.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
15 min
Servings:
5 servings
#tuna
#salad
#avocado mayo
#quick prep
#protein snack
Kickstart with creamy mayo mixing with sweet pickle relish—sounds simple but timing and texture matter. Took a few tries switching mayo types before avocado mayo nailed the rich but less heavy vibe. The ooh and ahh crunch from warming celery, and that sharp red onion snap hits after chilling just right. Not a messy glue like some tuna salads I’ve had—each bite lets tuna shine amid little bursts of savory-sweet tang. Hate mush? Dice veggies fine but don’t overdo. The secret is folding gently. Don’t rush the chill either, patience pays off. No mustard? I’ve swapped for prepared horseradish once, added a sneaky heat punch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup avocado mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup sweet yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
About the ingredients
Avocado mayo brings creaminess with a lighter feel and healthy fats. Regular mayo or Greek yogurt can do in a pinch but adjust seasoning since they vary in tang and thickness. Pickle relish introduces moisture and sweetness; if you don’t have it, green olives chopped finely or capers add a salt-brine hit. Mustard binds flavors; Dijon is sharp and smooth but spicy brown or even a dab of prepared horseradish makes a fiery substitute. Celery needs to be crisp; soggy celery ruins the crunchy texture contrast, rinse under cold water and drain well. Two kinds of onions split pungency versus sweet, balancing the bite—a neat trick I’ve kept after trying single onion salad disasters. Kosher salt is preferred for clean saltiness, avoid iodized if possible to keep flavor pure. Black pepper freshly ground sharpens aroma. Tuna chunk light canned in water is best for solid flakes without excess oiliness.
Method
- Start by whisking avocado mayo with pickle relish, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Watch it thicken smoothly, no lumps. Whisk long enough to get a bit airy—that’s key to light texture.
- Fold in flakes of tuna gently, so not to mash. Add the finely diced celery, then the yellow and red onions. The goal is even distribution without smearing flavors into one thick paste.
- Taste raw now; should be tangy, slightly sweet, and savory. Adjust salt or more mustard if flat.
- Cover tightly and chill at least 20 minutes—not more than 1 hour or celery loses snap. The chill lets flavors meld and dressing firm up just right, so it clings well to tuna rather than pooling.
- Serve spread thick on crusty bread, or with crunchy veggie sticks like carrots or cucumbers. Crackers work too, but avoid sogginess; add dill if you want a fresh twist.
- If you lack pickle relish, substitute with chopped green olives or capers for briny pop. No Dijon? Use yellow mustard but cut back on quantity by half.
Cooking tips
Whisking mayo mixture aerates dressing, crucial for fluffy coating instead of dense paste. Diligently breaking lumps here pays off for texture. Folding tuna flakes gently—avoid harsh stirring that smashes fish chunks into mush; you want intact fibers for mouthfeel. Introducing diced celery before onions helps prevent overmixing sticky bits. Taste mid-step means adjusting acidity and seasoning before chilling; salt balances fishy notes but too much dulls. Chill time lets flavors marry; skip or shorten and salad tastes flat and textures blend wrong. Watch celery crunch texture during chill—overchilling floods the salad from veggie water. Serving straight on toasted bread works best for texture contrast; soggy white bread kills it. Alternatives like crackers or veggies need firm surfaces; soft bread soaks salad liquid too fast. If mustard unavailable, use half amount of spicy brown and add a squeeze of vinegar to retain tang. This method learned from trial and error—low acidity or poor binder means watery salad, too much mustard overwhelms fish.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Whisk avocado mayo and pickle relish until slightly airy, you want a light coating, not dense paste. Watch texture carefully. Lumps ruin coating. Long whisk adds fluff but don’t overdo or dressing separates.
- 💡 Fold tuna gently—break flakes lightly but avoid turning salad mushy. Intact chunks provide better mouthfeel. Add celery before onions, celery’s crisp, so better to mix it in first to avoid stringy mixes.
- 💡 Chop onions fine but keep red and sweet separately; red onion gives sharp kick, sweet onion soft balance. Tried single onion once, ended flat. Combined onions hit just right with layered sharpness.
- 💡 Chill times matter. Under 20 minutes, flavors sit flat. Longer than one hour, celery goes limp, releases water which weakens crunch and makes salad watery. Watch carefully, test by pinching celery after 30 mins.
- 💡 If lacking pickle relish, chopped green olives or capers deliver salt and tang in close ways. No Dijon? Brown mustard or prepared horseradish fill in but reduce quantities to avoid overpowering fish.
Common questions
Can I swap avocado mayo for regular mayo?
Yes but adjust salt and acidity. Regular mayo thicker, less tang. Greek yogurt works too but thinner, watch dressing texture. Season more with relish or mustard if swapping.
How to keep celery crisp?
Rinse with cold water, drain very well. Chill salad max one hour. Too long softens celery and excess liquid seeps into mix. Fresh celery always better, limp celery ruins crunch contrast.
What if no Dijon mustard around?
Use spicy brown mustard but cut quantity in half. Horseradish prepped paste works as stab of heat alternative. Skip mustard—salad less binding, might get watery faster; add splash vinegar if skipping.
How long can leftovers store?
2-3 days in airtight container fridge. Texture softens after first day, especially celery. Stir before serving; add fresh diced onion or celery if salad seems tired. Avoid freezing - ruins texture.
