This tuna salad sandwich is so good and easy to make, it will make its way into your lunch and busy weekday dinner rotation.

Tuna salad topped with shredded lettuce on a croissant with sliced apples and celery sticks on the side. The sandwich is served on a blue plate.

What's great about this recipe

The secret here is a light, yet creamy tuna salad that takes just a little bit of prep work to make it special. It’s definitely worth the extra work because it turns plain, boring tuna into a delicious tuna salad. To make it extra special the tuna salad is served on a croissant with lettuce and thinly sliced apples.

Easy lunches that can be made the night before take the stress out of meal prep. This tuna salad is great to make ahead of time. Just don’t build the sandwich until ready to enjoy so the bread doesn’t get soggy. For another terrific lunch option try this tuna macaroni salad.

Ingredients

12 – 12½ ounces White Albacore Tuna in Water, drain if in a can – do not drain if in a pouch
2 tablespoons Finely Diced White Onion – about half of a very small onion
2 tablespoons Finely Diced Celery – about half of a celery rib, plus extra to serve on the side, if desired
2 ounces Cream Cheese, softened – leave it at room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Yellow Mustard
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Croissants, for serving
1 – 1½ cup Shredded Lettuce for serving, optional
2 Apples, cored and sliced thin for serving, optional

How to make our tuna salad sandwich

If you’re using pouch tuna there is no need to drain it. If you’re using canned tuna, drain it but don’t leave it bone-dry. We’re not using a ton of mayonnaise in this recipe so we want the tuna to retain a little bit of moisture.

Cook's note

The secret to super creamy tuna salad is to break up the pieces of tuna really well. Stir the tuna with a fork, pressing down and breaking up any chunks. Continue this process until the tuna is completely separated.

Finely diced celery and onions separated in two small, clear bowls on a wood cutting board.

Dice the onions and the celery as finely as possible. The trick is, to have a subtle flavor and just a little bit of crunch. Any large pieces of celery or onion will take over the tuna. The smaller the pieces, the more they will take a background role.

Tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, cream cheese, celery and onions in a large glass bowl before being stirred.

Add the tuna to a large bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough so you can really get in there and stir without spilling. Next, add the onion, celery, cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and black pepper to the tuna.

The tuna salad after being stirred with a fork in a large clear bowl.

Stir well until all of the ingredients are combined. Taste the tuna salad and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we added a pinch of salt to ours. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled.

Makes the sandwiches

Add about ¼ of the tuna salad to a croissant. Top with shredded lettuce and close the croissant. Serve with apple slices, celery, chips, or your favorite sides.

A close up image of the tuna salad served on a croissant topped with shredded lettuce with sliced apples and celery sticks on the side.

If you like this recipes check out these great lunch options: our garden pasta salad, this tasty tortellini pasta salad, and a simple artichoke salad.

Storing instructions

Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible and don’t leave them out longer than 2 hours (only 1 hour if it is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Discard leftovers that have been at room temperature longer than that.

If handled properly, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended.

For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.

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