For the Best Tuna Salad, Make It Without Mayo—Here's How

I adore canned tuna. Always have, always will. Unfortunately, many tuna recipes call for mayonnaise, and there's no love lost between me and that particular condiment. I can't get beyond the texture in large doses, so a mayo-laden tuna salad is a no-go for me. As someone who loves tinned fish, I had to look elsewhere for the perfect tuna salad. What do I use instead of mayo? Olive oil.

Olive oil doesn’t just replace mayonnaise in tuna salad—I'd argue that it actually makes it taste better. Mayo clumps tuna, making it mashed, dense, and with a single creamy (greasy!) note. Olive oil brings out tuna's natural brininess; it coats the flakes lightly, making them taste fresher. Plus, if you add other ingredients, you can actually taste them when you use olive oil.

Instead of big spoonfuls of mayo, drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil per can of well-drained tuna. Toss gently with a spoon and add more olive oil only if the tuna still looks dry. Your goal is to coat the tuna, not saturate—you don't want tuna in a pool of olive oil.

My Favorite Way To Use Olive Oil in Tuna Salad

When I was a kid, my mother would make this gorgeous salade niçoise. I take those same flavors and give them the tuna salad treatment. Tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, and a splash of red wine vinegar, then loaded with chopped olives, red onions, capers, and green beans, this is reimagined tuna salad inspired by the flavors of the South of France.

I often add a big pinch of herbes de Provence for extra flavor. Because olive oil is already a familiar flavor in Mediterranean cooking, it acts like a bridge between the tuna and the bold, salty add-ins rather than competing with them.

After flaking the tuna into a bowl (use whatever type of tuna you have on hand—just drain it well), add about a tablespoon of good-quality olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a hefty squeeze of lemon juice. Fat is definitely a must for tuna salad. If you have it, extra virgin olive oil rises beautifully to the occasion, keeping the tuna moist and binding the ingredients together. I recommend using a good-quality one because the flavor really does shine through. Opt for a little less if you're using oil-packed tuna.

Then it's as simple as adding in the rest of the ingredients: chopped capers, olives, green beans, red onions, and herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper, and give everything a light mix. All in, it takes less than 10 minutes from the time I start to my first bite.

The best way to enjoy this tuna salad is to toast sourdough or ciabatta, smear it with Dijon mustard, spoon the tuna salad onto the bread, and top it with sliced cherry tomatoes and some greens.