My Tuna Macaroni Salad combines all the flavors found in deli-style macaroni salad with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and a few other special ingredients to make one of the best salads you’ll ever have! It’s the perfect side to anything from the grill, but also great on its own!

Tuna macaroni salad in glass bowl with blue napkins on the side.

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Not quite a deli classic, but it should be!

Of all the delis I worked in, none of them made tuna mac; it was always more of a backyard barbecue salad or something you’d find at 7-11 every now and then. For that reason, the tuna macaroni salads I’ve had in the past were on the clumpy side (and lacked flavor) as they weren’t made with the brine that makes deli salads really stand out.

That ends today with my tuna mac recipe.

I’m using my brined New York deli macaroni salad as the base here and adding tuna, hard-boiled egg, peas, red onion, and chopped pickles to make the most delicious creamy tuna macaroni salad ever!

Serve this at barbecues, lunches, or dinners, but just serve it!

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

Ingredient shown: canned tuna, red onion, elbow macaroni, eggs, dill pickles, peas, oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, water, sugar, salt, and pepper.

The brine. White vinegar, water, sugar, neutral oil (I use avocado oil), fine sea salt, and white pepper make up the deli-style brine for tuna macaroni salad. This is the key to achieving that authentic New York deli flavor!
Pasta. Elbow macaroni is the tried and true pasta shape for tuna macaroni salad.
Mayonnaise. For this recipe, I’m using Hellmann’s mayonnaise as that’s what is closest to what is used in most New York delis. If you can find Hellman’s “extra heavy” mayo, the results will be even better!
Tuna. Solid white albacore tuna is best for tuna mac salad, but you could use chunk light if that’s what you have. Save the oil-packed yellow fin for other recipes like Italian tuna and white bean salad or pasta al tonno.
Eggs. I include hard-boiled eggs because they add great flavor. If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought hard-boiled eggs. If you’re unsure how to make hard-boiled eggs, check out my egg salad recipe and follow the instructions for boiling the eggs.
Pickles. Dill pickles work best with the flavors in tuna mac.
Peas. Frozen peas are great. The peas add texture, color, and flavor.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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How to make tuna mac salad

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, neutral oil, fine sea salt, and white pepper, and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of elbow macaroni to al dente, then drain and run the macaroni under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.

Tuna macaroni salad recipe process shot collage group one showing mixing of brine in large bowl and mixing of all the ingredients in the same bowl.

Whisk the brine again, then add the elbow macaroni, drained tuna, hard-boiled eggs, onion, peas, and pickles.
Mix well to coat, then cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

Recipe collage two showing covering the salad with plastic to sit in the brine and mixing the salad with mayonaisse before serving.

The next day, add the mayonnaise and mix well again. Add more mayo as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe tip

I highly recommend making the tuna macaroni salad a day in advance. Allowing it to sit in the brine overnight will yield superior flavor. Add the mayo the next day, and continue to add more until the desired consistency is achieved. Trust me – it’s worth the wait! If you absolutely can not wait, brine it for at least a couple of hours.

More amazing salads

Here are just a few more of my favorite salads that are great for outdoor gatherings or anytime you’re craving a deli-style side!

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