4 Ingredient Macaroni Salad (with Tuna)

This 4 Ingredient 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 dish for BBQ's, picnics, and summer potlucks or a hot day and I love that it's only 4 simple ingredients!

This creamy macaroni salad is 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 cold pasta 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.

Had I been the one to introduce this simple macaroni salad recipe (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, but it was also 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 noodles (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
• Add-ins - red bell pepper, green pepper, dill pickles

🔪Instructions

1. Boil pasta 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 cooled macaroni to a large bowl, along with ½ cup mayonnaise and green onion. Stir until incorporated.

Garnish

• Garnish with additional chopped onion. Serve cold. *You're going to want to refrigerate it for a couple of hours.

💭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

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 Chops, steak, or Fried Chicken (shown) and grilled veggies. It's also great for feeding a crowd or bringing it 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.

🔢WW Points

This easy recipe is 6 ww points!

🌡️ Storing

This easy macaroni salad recipe 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. 

So, if you're looking for simple macaroni salad recipes (that are 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.

📋 4 Ingredient Macaroni Salad (with Tuna) Recipe

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 also Weight Watchers friendly.

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 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Refrigeration: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent 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 cooked macaroni, along with mayonnaise and green onion. Stir until incorporated.
  

Garnish

• Garnish with additional chopped onion. Serve cold. *You're going to want to refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
  

Notes

 

Nutrition Facts

📋 4 Ingredient Macaroni Salad (with Tuna) Recipe

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%)

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