This easy Tuna Salad with Grapes recipe will be your new favorite way to enjoy the lunchtime classic! Packed with flavor and texture, this creamy tuna salad is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or enjoying with crunchy crackers.
Tuna salad is such a great way to have a high-protein meal on a budget. Canned tuna often goes on sale, and it's a great staple for stocking your pantry.
If you're like me, you have stacks of canned tuna waiting to be used up (or re-imagined). A good ol' fashioned tuna fish sandwich makes a great lunch, but sometimes you want something a little more flavorful... and with a little more texture.
That's when this easy recipe for Tuna Salad with Grapes comes in! Largely inspired by my chicken salad recipe, this healthy tuna salad features crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and crisp and refreshing grapes. It's so good I eat it by the spoonful!
I just know you're going to love it as much as we do!
Why You'll Love It
- Flavorful. The dressing mixture is packed with flavor, and there is so much added crunch with the grapes, celery, and green onion.
- Easy to make. Once your ingredients are chopped and your dressing is made all you have to do is mix everything together. It's quick, easy, and delicious.
- A fun twist on tuna salad. If you're looking for an upgrade to the standard tuna salad, this is the one for you!
- Grapes! Sweet, crisp, and the perfect addition to creamy tuna salad.
You Will Need:
- Tuna: This recipe works great for standard canned tuna. I use flaked, drained tuna, but you can use whatever you like best. Just be sure to flake it with a fork (if needed) and that it's well drained (no liquid remains).
- Red grapes: This adds a touch of sweetness and a crisp texture. Leave them out if you prefer! Be sure to use seedless grapes (or remove the seeds if needed).
- Mayonnaise: Use a good quality real mayonnaise for the best flavor and texture. If you're looking to lighten things up you can swap as much as half of the mayo for good quality Greek yogurt (or Skyr).
- Green onion: This is my secret for adding a mild onion flavor – without the intensity of raw onion. It also adds a beautiful color.
- Celery: Finely diced celery adds crunch, flavor, and color. It's my favorite way to serve tuna salad! The key is to make sure it is very finely chopped (see the recipe card for details).
- Dijon mustard: This balances the other flavors while still being subtle enough to blend in.
- Lemon juice: Adds a bit of acidity without being overwhelming.
- Dill (optional): If you can find fresh dill, use it in your tuna salad – It really makes a difference! It can be hard to find in the off-season, but rest assured your salad will still be delicious without it.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add more to your taste!
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Tuna Salad with Grapes
This recipe is adapted from my recipe for Chicken Salad with Grapes. It's very similar, with just a few changes to account for the use of tuna, which is a bit drier.
- Add the drained tuna, finely diced celery, green onion, fresh dill, and halved grapes to a large bowl.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
- ½ cup mayonnaise (plus more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Top Tip: Finely Dice the Celery
It's important to keep the celery pieces small for the perfect salad texture. To do this, split a rib of celery in half down the length, then each split each half in half again. This will give you 4 very thin spears, which then can be diced into very small pieces.
- Add the dressing to the tuna mixture, then fold everything together until smooth and creamy.
- Add a little more mayonnaise (if needed), 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until the perfect consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust the salt as needed. You want the flavors to taste bright and pronounced; a few extra pinches of salt can help.
Storing Leftovers
Transfer any uneaten tuna salad to a covered container and place it in the refrigerator. Stores well for up to 3 days, although the salad will start to lose some crunch after the first 24 hours.
How to Serve Tuna Salad:
- On a sandwich
- With sturdy crackers (like water crackers)
- Spread on crostini
- Wrapped in a pita (or tortilla)
- In lettuce cups
- On top of a chopped salad
- Open-faced on toast
- With endive
- On its own
- With other snacky items for "girl dinner"
Substitutions
With Greek yogurt: You can swap up to half of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt if you prefer a lighter, higher-protein tuna salad. I would not substitute more than half without making some changes to the dressing (probably adding more dijon and lemon, among other things).
Onion: I recommend using green onions as their flavor is mild, but if you prefer you can swap it for 1 tablespoon of finely minced red or white onion. To reduce their sharpness, soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes first.
Without grapes: Leave out the grapes, or use your favorite mix-ins in their place (nuts, hearts of palm, other veggies, etc).
Variations
- Tuna salad with grapes AND pecans (or walnuts): Add your favorite nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc) to the salad for a little added crunch.
- Tuna salad with apples: Fancy the idea of a tuna Waldorf salad? Try it with crisp apples and chopped walnuts.
- Salmon salad: Swap the canned tuna for an equal measurement of canned salmon (flake it with a fork first). Omit the grapes, as salmon has a stronger flavor that competes with the sweet fruit.
- Other add-ins: lemon zest, sunflower seeds, red onion, fresh herbs, etc.
Try this:
- Tuna pasta salad: Cook 8 ounces of your favorite pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Prepare double the amount of dressing, and toss everything together until well combined (I would omit the grapes). Serve and enjoy!
More High Protein Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Tuna Salad with Grapes, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Tuna Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
- 2 cans flaked tuna drained (140-170 grams each, or 5 ounces)
- ⅔ cup halved red seedless grapes or green, or a combination of both (add more if desired)
- 1 rib celery finely diced**
- 2 green onions chopped (both green and white parts)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Dill (optional)
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise plus more as needed,(or you can use half Greek yogurt and half mayo)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the tuna, grapes, celery, green onions, and fresh dill to a large mixing bowl.
- Toss well to combine.
- Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Transfer the dressing to the bowl of tuna, grapes, celery, green onions, and dill.
- Fold the dressing into the other ingredients until everything is lightly coated. If it seems a bit dry, add 1-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and stir until it has the perfect consistency.
- Taste and adjust the amount of salt and pepper according to your taste. Add a little, then stir well, taste, and repeat as needed until all the flavors are pronounced and “bright”.
- This tuna salad tastes best when chilled for about 1 hour before serving, but you can serve right away if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
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