This is our absolute favorite creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad! It’s made with tender elbow macaroni noodles, olive-oil packed tuna, lots of veggies, and a creamy dressing with a “secret ingredient” that adds so much flavor to this salad!
Try some of our other popular tuna recipes next like this “Sushi” Tuna Stack, Mediterranean Tuna Salad, or a Tuna Salad Wrap.
Tuna Macaroni Salad
This salad ranks as one of my favorite creamy pasta salads. I’ve taken my mom’s “famous” macaroni tuna salad and tweaked it over the years so that it’s just how we love it. I couldn’t be more excited about the results! It’s creamy, richly flavored, and has loads of texture. We are completely convinced this is the best of the best as far as tuna macaroni salads go!
Pickles, peas, carrots, red onion, celery, sweet peppers, tuna, and tender macaroni get tossed together in a deeply flavored dressing that doesn’t just taste like straight mayo. A few “secret” ingredients set this salad apart, and I’ll describe those in detail below.
Tuna Macaroni Salad “Secret” Ingredients
Caesar Salad Dressing
Caesar salad dressing is the ingredient for the absolute best Tuna Macaroni Salad. I know, it’s a little unique, but it’s a game changer! It complements the tuna so nicely and keeps the salad from only tasting like plain mayo (like so many tuna mac salads you’ve probably had in the past!).
The Caesar salad dressing adds a lot of seasonings and flavor to the dressing, so you don’t need to add too many other ingredients. It’s a convenient shortcut for loads of flavor.
That said, the type of Caesar salad dressing you use really matters. I’ve tried this salad with all types of store-bought Caesar dressings and it can end up lackluster and bland. My personal favorite is Marzetti’s® Simply Dressed Ceasar dressing (typically in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store). This particular dressing also won a taste tester’s favorites competition. Here’s an article to browse their other top favorites if you can’t find this particular brand.
If you prefer a homemade dressing on this Tuna Macaroni Salad, try the Ceasar dressing on this Caesar Salad Pizza. It’s a little more work because you’ll essentially have to make two dressings, but it’s so delicious!
Olive Oil-Packed Tuna
And next, the tuna. I recommend using canned tuna packed in olive oil for the best flavor. My personal favorite is Genova’s® albacore tuna. Tuna packed in olive oil is richer and has a fresher flavor– which makes a big difference in this Tuna Macaroni Salad.
Bread and Butter Pickles
Not just any type of pickles, but using bread and butter pickles is the final “secret” to this Tuna Macaroni Salad. This particular variety of pickles has the best balance between sweet and tangy. They’re also very crisp!
Storage
- It’s best enjoyed the day it’s made. For storage up to 3-5 days, store all the components separately.
Tuna Macaroni Salad Tips
- Swap out veggies. You can change out pretty much any of the veggies in this salad, based on your preferences. If you aren’t a fan of one of the veggies in this salad, simply substitute more of another veggie in its place.
- Salt the pasta water. This tuna macaroni salad is a cold salad and that means the flavors tend to get muted. Be sure to generously salt the pasta since salting is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta. Don’t be afraid to add more salt to the finished Macaroni Tuna Salad if it needs it. Read about how to properly salt your pasta water here. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon salt to 4 cups of water.
- Boil the frozen peas. Add the frozen peas to the boiling pasta during the last minute of cooking. This keeps them nice and crisp while quickly thawing them out.
Tuna Macaroni Salad FAQs
In this salad, we use a combination of mayo and Caesar salad dressing which keeps the salad from tasting like straight mayo.
If you’re opposed to combining tuna and mayo, you’ve got to try this mayo-less Mediterranean Tuna Salad — it’s one of our favorites!
Pasta will continue to absorb liquid, so the best way to avoid this is to either enjoy the salad soon after being made or by adding the dressing gradually, adding more to moisten as needed.
Chilling the salad in an airtight container in the fridge also slows down the absorption of the mayo. Chilled in an airtight container, moisture can’t evaporate the same.
Keep the salad in an air-tight container in the fridge as much as possible. If needed, add a few additional tablespoons of leftover Caesar salad dressing or even a splash of milk to keep things nice and creamy.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad with a creamy lemon dressing
- Italian Pasta Salad with an Italian-inspired vinaigrette
- Potato Salad with Yukon gold potatoes and lots of veggies
- Raspberry Fluff four-ingredient dessert “salad”
- Mango Salad with a creamy cinnamon-yogurt dressing
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 3-1/2 cups cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna preferably in olive oil
- 1/3 cup Caesar salad dressing see note 1
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 3/4 cup sour cream I use fat-free
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup bread and butter pickles
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper 1/2 of a pepper
- 1/2 cup celery 2 stalks
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion or red onion, see note 2
Instructions
- Prepare the macaroni according to package directions. (Don’t cook all the pasta; only use 1 and 3/4 cups.) Generously salt the water (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups of water), or the whole salad will taste under-seasoned. Add frozen peas with the pasta for the last minute of boiling. Drain pasta and peas, rinse under cold water, let cool, and let dry.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine all dressing ingredients: Caesar salad dressing, mayo, sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper), and garlic powder.
- Measure veggies after dicing: dice pickles, bell pepper, celery, onion, and carrots (or use matchstick carrots).
- Add pasta and peas to a large bowl. Top with all salad veggie toppings and the thoroughly drained tuna. Add dressing and gently mix everything to combine. Stir until ingredients are well coated, then taste and season again. I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon salt, but it depends on how salty the Caesar salad dressing is.
- Store in the fridge until serving (best served when the salad has been chilled about 20–30 minutes). Re-mix after chilling and enjoy. Salad best enjoyed within 2–4 hours of being made.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is this really good on top of lettuce like your photo shows? If so, what type of lettuce do you recommend? Thx!
The lettuce isn’t necessary; more just for photographic effect to help the salad show up better (it’s very white haha!)
Just made this-delicious! Also great with shrimp!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment 🙂