Tuna Macaroni Salad is a classic potluck recipe and is so easy to throw together. It is creamy and delicious with lots of hard-boiled egg, peas, celery, onion, and sweet pickle relish. This simple pasta salad goes great with a sandwich, burgers, bbq chicken. You name it!
This Tuna Macaroni Salad recipe easily feeds 10 to 12 people as a side and is perfect for your next picnic. There’s something about a cool and creamy recipe that really hits the spot during the hot summer months.
Reader Comment
Renne says “I love this recipe! It’s so easy & quick to make! It tastes great right after you make it as well as after it’s refrigerated!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Make Ahead
And this Macaroni Salad only tastes better with time so feel free to make it a day or two in advance. If it has lost some of its creaminess, just stir another tablespoon or two of mayonnaise in before serving.
How To Make
(More detailed instructions in recipe card below.)
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Add peas for the last minute of cooking. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
How To Serve
This recipe is a great one to make for a potluck. It goes wonderfully with sandwiches, burgers, or grilled chicken.
Budget Friendly
Tuna Macaroni Salad is a really budget-friendly recipe. Adding a can of tuna to pasta salad gives it plenty of flavor and some protein without the expense of a more protein-laden recipe.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. They make a great lunch. I like to serve them over a bed of lettuce with some sliced summer tomatoes.
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Tuna Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 (12-ounce) can tuna, drained
- 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the peas the last minute of cooking time. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and add to a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made a day in advance.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally posted June 18, 2018.
Very easy a classic dish that is absolutely delicious
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing! I make this all the time now. It’s my go to!
Really good The only thing I changed was the real life. I didn’t have any sweet pickle Relish so used dil and it was really good.