Quick Tuna Macaroni Salad

You’ll love the fresh flavor in this easy Tuna Macaroni Salad! Enjoy it as a side dish or light meal.

Hi! I’m Nicole from Or Whatever You Do, and I’m excited to bring you an easy side dish recipe today! This macaroni salad with tuna is one of my very favorite sides to serve at summer barbecues. It just tastes like summer to me. It can go with almost anything from burgers and hot dogs to steaks, ribs, or pork!

It doesn’t matter what is going on that grill, really. If it’s warm out and we’re firing up the grill, I’ve got a pot of water boiling and the tuna salad sauce getting mixed up.

My tuna pasta salad recipe is a bit non-traditional in that it doesn’t include eggs or onions. I’m just not a big fan of raw onions or hard-boiled eggs, so I leave them out. Feel free to add them back in if that’s your thing. This recipe is super customizable! Are you guys like me? I CANNOT make a recipe as written to save my life, especially if it is not a baking recipe. I even tend to mess with those a bit. More vanilla. More chocolate chips. A different glaze. It is always something. With recipes with more leeway and room for error, things can get downright crazy. That’s the awesome thing for me about cooking. You get to make things exactly the way YOU like them best.

What are some of your favorite barbecue recipes? I make this Perfect Grilled Asparagus A LOT. I’m definitely going to try Andi’s Bacon Wrapped Chicken Legs, and they would go great with my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad. Tell us about your favorites in the comments below!

Tuna Macaroni Salad

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Ready for a taste of summer? You’ll love this easy pasta salad recipe with tuna and dill!

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

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• 5 ounces solid albacore tuna packed in water do NOT drain
• 1 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
• 1 pound macaroni noodles cooked al dente, drained, and rinsed in cold water
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1/2 cup dill pickles diced
• 1 cup colby jack cheese diced into small chunks

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Instructions

1. Combine the tuna, mayo, mustard, garlic salt, onion powder, and dill in a large bowl. Mix until combined.
2. Gently stir in the pasta, baby peas, pickles, and cheese. Toss well to coat in the sauce.
3. Chill for at least an hour, and serve with your favorite summer bbq foods!

Notes

• Leaving the tuna undrained helps thin out the sauce a bit and adds some extra tuna flavor into the dish.
• If you add the peas in frozen, it’ll help keep the dish cold a bit longer. Frozen peas will also chill the salad faster.

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 10

Want some ideas for your BBQ main dish? Try some of these marinade recipes with your favorite meats!