This totally loaded tuna macaroni salad recipe is the perfect side dish for any barbecue! It’s easy to throw together and a great to bring to a potluck or served year round with hamburgers. Take a peek at the secret ingredient that we add to make it over the top delicious!
When it warms up and becomes BBQ season I’m ready to throw together some delicious side dishes like this tuna macaroni salad recipe. Now you can simplify it all you want but we like ours totally loaded up with ingredients. It’s just Ahhhhhhmazing!! (affiliate links present)
Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad with Tuna
The perfect cold pasta salad to serve along side hamburgers or sandwiches at a barbecue during the summertime or have it for lunch too (I’ve done that). If you love tuna as much as we do you will love this recipe!
I know….I’d love a bowl right now with nothing else (and yes it has become my lunch if we ever have leftovers). Whether you make it as a side dish or a meal all in itself it’s an amazing tuna macaroni salad recipe. We have taken this to friends’ houses when we’ve been invited over for a potluck and everyone thinks it is amazing.
Honestly it is something I just came up with using ingredients I really liked and I had in my house already and it made for a great side dish for the BBQ we had today. buy a few cans and make our Crockpot tuna noodle casserole and this is how to make tuna patties the next week for dinner too.
Tuna Macaroni Salad Ingredients
- Tuna – I like in water, chunk tuna is the only way to go
- Bowtie or macaroni noodles but any shape works in small size
- Mayonnaise or you could use plain greek yogurt, I like Best Foods over Miracle Whip
- Hard boiled eggs are optional but a great add in, we love to make no peel eggs in the oven for this and dice
- Black olives is a fave of ours
- Onion can be diced small and added in there
- Celery diced gives it some nice crunch
- Bacon bits are opptional
Pickles – you MUST add these, the secret ingredient to making it the best tuna salad (best to cut whole pickles in larger chunks than using relish)
How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
- First bring a large pot to a boil with a little salt. Cook macaroni noodles until they are al dente.
- you can use elbow macaroni or any other small noodles like you see here
- Drain and rinse them with cold water using a collander, set aside
- In a large bowl combine all of your ingredients including all the diced items you love like
- sweet relish, dill pickle relish, or dice sweet pickles for larger chunks which is my preference
- diced red onions
- black pepper
- we love diced hard boiled eggs
- some like a squeeze of yellow mustard
- Gently fold in your noodles so they’re coated and it’s serving time
I actually prefer to cover and cool it in the fridge for at least an hour beforehand and then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper just before serving
Hawaiian Style
It’s actually really easy to throw together and typically I have all the ingredients at home which makes it even easier. When it comes to easy side dishes I don’t want to have to go to the store. It is easy to tweak to a bit sweet with pineapple tidbits or spicy with a bit of Sriracha.
I’m a Mom and busy so let’s keep things easy shall we. 😉 Of course you can add even more items or omit those you don’t like but here is how you make this totally loaded tuna pasta salad recipe.
Any way you mix it up, tuna macaroni salad is a classic dish everyone loves. Everyone says it’s super delicious (even those who typically don’t care for fish)! Want it from fresh? Try our tuna steak air fryer recipe too.
The more ingredients the better if you ask me! If you love our totally loaded tuna pasta salad recipe here you will love our easy baked brie recipe too. A great recipe for a BBQ or when you have guests over!
Other barbecue side dish recipes you’ll love
- Broccoli salad makes a great addition to get togethers, this bacon pasta salad is pretty amazing too.
- Easy Hawaii cole slaw recipe – there’s a Hawaiian version too
- And you’ll love our air fryer tuna melt for lunch
For another similar, but hot dish, try our pressure cooker tuna noodle casserole
Totally Loaded Tuna Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 1 pot to boil noodles to al dente
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta, uncooked bowtie or macaroni
- 2/3 c mayonnaise
- 8-10 olives, black
- 3 eggs, hard boiled
- 1-2 dill pickles
- 2 tsp pickle juice, dill
- 1 can tuna, albacore
- Optional:
- 1/4 c onion, diced
- 1/2 c celery, diced
- 2 tbsp bacon, cooked, crumbled
Instructions
- Boil noodles and drain when they are cooked (slightly al dente).
- Run cool water over noodles to cool them down. Dice your 3 hard boiled eggs, 1-2 dill pickles, olives and flake your tuna. Add your ingredients to your noodles and gently toss.
- Add your mayonnaise and fold into tuna pasta mixture. Add 1-2 tbsp. dill pickle juice (depending on how “dilly” you want it).
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hrs and serve. Keeps well for a day or two after too and makes for a great lunch!!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
