• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Food Meanderings
  • Start HERE
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Breakfast and Brunch
        • Pancakes, Waffles & French Toast
        • Breakfast Potluck Ideas
      • Lunch
        • Sandwiches and Burgers
        • Salads
        • Soups, Stew & Chili Recipes
      • Dinner
        • Main dish
        • Pork Recipes
        • Pasta & Pizza Recipes
        • Casseroles
        • Chicken Recipes
        • Beef
        • Beef Recipes
        • Fish & Seafood
      • Desserts
        • Baked Goods
        • Bars and Squares
        • Cake
        • Cookies
        • Cupcakes
        • Frosting and Icing Recipes
        • Frozen Dessert Recipes
        • Healthy Dessert Recipes
        • No Bake Desserts
        • Pie and Pastry Recipes
        • Sweets
    • Cuisine
      • Asian Recipes
      • Italian Recipes
      • Mediterranean Recipes
      • Mexican Recipes
      • Southern Recipes
    • Dish Type
      • Appetizers
        • Dip Recipes
      • Breads
        • Bread Machine Recipes
        • Muffins
      • Side Dishes
        • Vegetables
      • Snacks
      • Sauces, Spreads and Condiments
      • Drinks
        • Smoothies
        • Mocktails
      • One-Pot and One-Pan meals
    • Cooking Style
      • Dinner Party Recipes
      • BBQ & Grilling
      • Healthy Recipes
      • Seasonal Cooking
      • Slow Cooker Recipes
      • Vegetarian
    • Special Diet
      • Gluten-free Recipes
      • Vegan Recipes
      • Vegetarian
      • Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes
    • Holidays
      • Canada Day
      • Christmas Recipes
      • Easter Recipes
      • Earth Day Recipes
      • Father's Day Recipes
      • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
      • 4th of July Recipes
      • Halloween Recipes
      • Mother's Day Recipes
      • New Year's Eve Recipes
      • St. Patrick's Day Recipes
      • Stampede Recipes
      • Thanksgiving Recipes
      • Birthday Recipes
      • Valentine's Day Recipes
      • Game Day Recipes
    • Ingredient
      • Meat
        • Pork
        • Poultry
      • Pasta
      • Beans
      • Potatoes
      • Fruit
      • Rice
      • Egg Recipes
      • Chocolate
  • Meanderings
    • Articles
      • My Weight Watchers (WW) Journey
      • Weight Watchers Tips & Tricks
      • Comfort & Baked Expectations
      • Gingerbread: The Art of Food
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start HERE
  • Recipes
  • Easter Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
×

Home » Recipes » Dish Type » Salads

Macaroni Salad with Tuna (4 Ingredients)

Published: Jun 2, 2019 by Terri Gilson · Modified: May 5, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

Sharing is caring!

199 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • Yummly
  • Mix
Jump to Recipe
pin with text at top and close up photo of tuna macaroni salad in bowl
Pinterest pin with white text on brown background on the bottom and close up photo of Tuna Macaroni salad in a yellow bowl on top

This Macaroni Salad with Tuna is something my Mom made often while we were growing up so it's one of my favorite comfort foods. It's the perfect side salad for a BBQ, picnic or potluck and I love that it's only 4 simple ingredients!

Close up of Tuna Macaroni salad in a yellow bowl

It's like a tuna sandwich, but instead of bread, it's encased in macaroni. Maybe I think of it that way because I love tuna sandwiches! But what surprised me most is that my kids absolutely love this salad! Because apparently, they don't even like tuna. It's interesting how kids won't eat something unless it's offered by someone other than their parents.

Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 📖Variations & Substitutions
  • 🔪Instructions
  • 💭Calories in Tuna Macaroni Salad
  • 👪 Serving Size
  • 💭 Storing
  • ⭐ Reviews
  • 📋 Macaroni Salad with Tuna Recipe (4 Ingredients)
  • 🥗More Side Salad Recipes!

Had I been the one to introduce this Macaroni salad with tuna to them, I'm guessing they wouldn't have eaten it. However, since Grandma made it, they were all over it! But I guess I shouldn't be surprised- my kids pretty much love everything that their Grandma makes. And although it may have tuna in it, tuna is simply a supporting character - macaroni is still the star of the show! And what kid doesn't love macaroni? In fact, my kids love macaroni more than almost any other food. Macaroni and cheese was not only my son's very first solid food, it was one of his first words; or 'nanaroni' as he called it back then. Macaroni is pure comfort food! And this is the best tuna macaroni salad and the ultimate summer way to enjoy macaroni!

🥘 Ingredients

This healthy Tuna Macaroni Salad (without green peas) is a simple salad that can be thrown together last minute or made ahead. It's served cold so it's perfect for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck, picnic or BBQ! The bonus is... it only has 4 ingredients:

  • macaroni pasta (I use 'smart pasta' - see below)
  • green onion
  • low-fat mayonnaise (I use Hellman's ½ the fat because I think it tastes the best)
  • canned tuna (packed in water)

📖Variations & Substitutions

  • Mayonnaise - you can use full fat (if you prefer) or a homemade mayonnaise or any type or brand you like (i.e. Miracle Whip)
  • Pasta - you can use regular macaroni, another type of pasta, whole wheat macaroni or smart pasta (see below)
  • Tuna fish - use any type of canned tuna you prefer, but I recommend tuna packed in water because it is lower calorie
  • Onions - you can also substitute red onion, if you don't like green onions
Tuna Macaroni Salad on plate with fried chicken and red bowl of salad in background

🔪Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni in a large pot, as per package directions until al dente. * I add a teaspoon of olive oil to the water I boil it in, as I find this is the best way to prevent it from sticking.
  2. Drain cooked pasta and cool. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. * If you are in a hurry, you can rinse the macaroni with cold water to cool it faster!
  3. Drain tuna and add to macaroni to a large bowl, along with ½ cup mayonnaise and green onion. Stir until incorporated.
tuna mixed with mayonnaise in a bowl

Garnish

  • Garnish with additional chopped onion. Serve cold.

💭Calories in Tuna Macaroni Salad

If I'm going to eat macaroni, I want to make it as healthy as possible. This Tuna Mac Salad recipe has 204 calories per serving and is Weight Watchers friendly at 6 WW points on my plan.  I use a light mayonnaise with half the fat (Hellman's is my favorite) and since whole wheat pasta takes such a long time to cook (and I find it a bit too dense), I prefer to use “smart pasta”. Smart pasta tends to cook faster than whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fibre than white pasta. Although it’s not quite as healthy as the whole wheat, you are still getting those additional benefits. And if you’re not a fan of whole wheat, it’s a good alternative. This will make your healthy tuna pasta salad even healthier than if you used white macaroni! 

Read more about Smart Pasta HERE

Macaroni salad in red bowl with uncooked macaroni in background

I love this Cold Tuna Macaroni Salad recipe because you can make it ahead or throw it together last minute. We often have macaroni salad with tuna on hot days with BBQ Pork, steak, or Fried Chicken  and grilled veggies. It's also great for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck! 

👪 Serving Size

This Macaroni Salad with Tuna recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

💭 Storing

This will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge (in an airtight container), but I only like to keep it a day or two at most. It's best fresh. If you want to prep it in advance, then I recommend you add the tuna and green onions closer to serving. 

Macaroni salad in red bowl with uncooked macaroni in background

So, if you're looking for easy recipes for macaroni salad with tuna (that's also healthy), then give this a try!

And if your looking for additional tuna recipes, give my Tuna Burgers (with canned tuna), Open Faced Tuna Melts (no mayo), Easy Tuna Casserole (with macaroni) or my Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes a try too.

⭐ Reviews

Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below and leave a comment!

Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

Close up of Tuna Macaroni salad in a yellow bowl
Food Meandering Logo

📋 Macaroni Salad with Tuna Recipe (4 Ingredients)

A simple 4 ingredient Healthy Macaroni Salad with tuna that can be thrown together last minute or made ahead. It's served cold so is perfect for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck, picnic or BBQ! It's Weight Watchers friendly at 6 WW points on the blue plan.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: healthy, macaroni, salad, tuna
Special Diet: Vegetarian, Weight Watchers
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 204kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Refrigeration: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 340 g - box elbow macaroni * I use SMART pasta
  • ½ cup mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
  • ¾ cup green onions, chopped *about 5 green onions
  • 184 g -can of tuna, flaked drained
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook macaroni as directed on box * I add a teaspoon of olive oil to the water I boil it in. This prevents it from sticking.
  • Once cooked, drain and cool. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. * If you are in a hurry, you can rinse the macaroni with cold water to cool it faster!
  • Drain tuna and add to macaroni, along with mayonnaise and green onion. Stir until incorporated.
    tuna mixed with mayonnaise in a bowl

Garnish

  • Garnish with additional chopped onion. Serve cold.

Notes

 
Nutrition Facts
📋 Macaroni Salad with Tuna Recipe (4 Ingredients)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 204 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 166mg7%
Potassium 158mg5%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 1.7mg2%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal (10%) | Carbohydrates: 34g (11%) | Protein: 11g (22%) | Fat: 4g (6%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 11mg (4%) | Sodium: 166mg (7%) | Potassium: 158mg (5%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 115IU (2%) | Vitamin C: 1.7mg (2%) | Calcium: 28mg (3%) | Iron: 2.1mg (12%)
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
Rate this Recipe

🥗More Side Salad Recipes!

  • Easy Bean Salad in 5 minutes
  • Perogy Potato Salad
  • Healthy Classic Potato Salad
  • Easy Quinoa Salad
  • Easy Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Healthy Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Coleslaw

More Salads

  • Mandarin Orange salad in a small glass bowl with a fork
    Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe
  • cajun chicken avocado mango salad in a bowl with small dish of dressing in the background
    Cajun Chicken Avocado Mango Salad
  • collage of 6 photos of healthy comfort food with text in the middle
    Healthy Comfort Foods
  • easy fruit salad in white bowl with honey lime dressing being poured over salad
    Old Fashioned Fruit Salad (with Honey Lime Dressing)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina

    June 09, 2019 at 9:41 am

    I have had macaroni salad before but I never knew it could be this easy. I have never made this before. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 12, 2019 at 5:31 am

      Thanks, Tina! Yes, it's crazy easy and so delicious!

      Reply
  2. Jenni LeBaron

    June 09, 2019 at 10:05 am

    I love that this comes together with only 4 ingredients. I am a big fan of both tuna salad and pasta salad so it's great to see them combined together!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 12, 2019 at 5:32 am

      I agree, Jenni! It's like a macaroni tuna sandwich 🙂

      Reply
  3. michele h peterson

    June 09, 2019 at 11:38 am

    I love a great tuna sandwich so this recipe is a must-try for me!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 12, 2019 at 5:32 am

      Thank you, Michele - hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  4. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

    June 09, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    I love a simple pasta salad that's perfect for making ahead. Sounds perfect for packet lunches too!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 12, 2019 at 5:33 am

      It definitely is a great salad to pack for lunches, Amanda!

      Reply
  5. Shinta Simon

    June 09, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    I think this is such a clever idea! I love simple, yet delicious recipes like these which can be put together quickly for a summer party or just when you're pressed for time. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 12, 2019 at 5:33 am

      Hi Shinta, Yes, I love that it's perfect for last minute!

      Reply
  6. Jenn cheung

    June 12, 2019 at 11:28 pm

    Hi Terri! Thx for the lunch idea! Just came home and I’m cooking up macaroni! Lol

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      Awesome! Hope you enjoy it, Jenny!

      Reply
  7. Tracy Aulbrook

    February 01, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    My Mother used to make tuna salad like this when I was a kid, everybody elses Mothers did too. I am 60 now.

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      February 02, 2021 at 6:09 am

      Yes, my Mom and Grandma both made this salad. It's such comfort food, isn't it, Tracy?!

      Reply
  8. paul clinton

    December 17, 2021 at 12:19 am

    How big is a serving?

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      December 17, 2021 at 9:32 am

      Hi Paul,
      It’s about 2 cups for a serving.
      Enjoy!
      Terri

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

More about me →

Easter Recipes

  • a piece of lemon pie being lifted out of a whole pie, with a lemon cut in half in background
    Old Fashioned Lemon Pie
  • collage of 4 photos of healthy leftover ham recipes with black text on white circle in the middle.
    35 Healthy Leftover Ham Recipes
  • collage of 4 photos of Easter brunch recipes with text in the middle
    Easter Brunch Menu Ideas
  • a slice of daffodil cake on a white plate with lattice trim and a blue material background
    Daffodil Cake

More Easter Recipes --->

Footer

Featured On:

Taste Of Home Logo Parade Logo MSN Logo Master Chef Canada Logo Huffpost Logo Good Housekeeping Logo

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
  • Accessibility Policy

Subscribe

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work with me

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Foodmeanderings.com

199 shares