I’ve made a lot of tuna salad sandwiches over the years, and this is the one I’d put on a restaurant menu. It comes down to three secret ingredients: good homemade sourdough, fresh dill and lemon zest. Together they turn a lunchbox standby into a sandwich you actually look forward to.
It starts with great tuna. I used sous vide albacore from Sitka Seafood Market, which is tender and mild and comes apart in big, meaty flakes. If you can’t get it, a good can of albacore packed in olive oil or water works too. Just don’t mash it into a paste. Big chunks are the point.
Then comes the crunch and the tang: finely diced celery and red onion, a spoonful of pickle relish, a little Gulden’s spicy brown mustard and mayo to bring it together. The dill and lemon zest go in last, and they’re what make people ask what’s in it.
Pile it on buttered, toasted sourdough with a handful of greens, cut it in half and serve it with a pickle. When this reel went up, it became one of my most-watched videos of the fall, so here’s the full recipe.
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Why You’ll Love This Tuna Salad Sandwich
- Three secret ingredients. Toasted sourdough, fresh dill and lemon zest make it taste like a café sandwich.
- Chunky, not mushy. Folding gently keeps the tuna in big, tender flakes.
- Crunch in every bite. Celery and red onion keep it fresh.
- Ready in 20 minutes. No cooking beyond toasting the bread.
Key Ingredients for the Best Tuna Salad
Tuna
I used sous vide albacore from Sitka Seafood Market. Good canned albacore is a fine substitute. Drain it well so the salad isn’t watery.
Celery and Red Onion
Dice them small so you get crunch without big chunks. Red onion adds color and a little bite.
Pickle Relish and Spicy Brown Mustard
Relish brings sweetness and tang, and a little Gulden’s spicy brown mustard adds depth without tasting mustardy.
Mayonnaise
I used homemade mayo, but your favorite jar works. Start with less and add more until it’s just creamy.
Fresh Dill and Lemon
The finishing touch. Fresh dill and lemon zest make it bright and fresh, and a squeeze of juice balances the mayo.
Sourdough Bread
Homemade sourdough, buttered and toasted in a skillet, gives you a crisp outside and a chewy inside that stands up to a generous scoop of tuna salad.
A Little Tuna Salad History
Canned tuna is younger than you might think. In 1903, Albert Halfhill, a sardine canner in San Pedro, California, started canning albacore when his sardine catch ran short. Canned tuna caught on quickly, and by the early 1900s, tuna salad sandwiches were showing up at lunch counters across America. More than a century later, it’s still one of the most popular sandwiches you can make at home.
Serving Suggestions
- Classic: with dill pickles and kettle chips.
- Lighter: scoop it onto greens or into lettuce cups.
- Melt: top with sharp cheddar and broil for a tuna melt.
- Soup and sandwich: with a bowl of tomato soup.
More Sandwiches to Try
Final Thoughts
Tuna salad doesn’t have to be boring. Start with good tuna, keep it chunky, and don’t skip the dill, lemon zest and toasted sourdough. Make it once and let me know in the comments what you think.
The Recipe
Best Tuna Salad Sandwich with Dill and Lemon Zest
Ingredients
Tuna salad
- 12 oz tuna, Peter uses sous vide albacore from Sitka Seafood Market; good canned albacore works too
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp pickle relish
- 1 Tbsp Gulden’s spicy brown mustard
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest plus about 1 Tbsp juice
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Sandwiches
- 8 slices sourdough bread, homemade if you have it
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened, for toasting
- 2 cups arugula or lettuce
- dill pickles, for serving
Instructions
- Flake the tuna into a large bowl. Add the celery and red onion.
- Add the relish, mustard, mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold together gently so the tuna stays in chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Butter one side of each slice of sourdough and toast it, buttered side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Spread a little mayo on the untoasted side if you like. Layer arugula on half the slices, pile on the tuna salad and top with the remaining bread.
- Cut in half and serve with pickles.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition is an estimate per sandwich.
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