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Turn a can of albacore tuna into this bright and fresh Lemon Pepper Tuna. An easy, super tasty lunch or dinner choice.
Most of the time in our house, lunch is a “fend for yourself” situation. But with recent events keeping most of us home, I feel inclined to keep the fridge stocked with some easy lunch stuff. We’ve been noshing on my Classic Chicken Salad and Salmon Salad Sandwiches and more than a couple of batches of this Lemon Pepper Tuna have made an appearance as well.
I don’t hesitate to add these simple sandwiches to my dinner menu either. Soup and sandwich night is a regular occurrence here. A pot of Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup round out the menu perfectly.
Ingredients
This Lemon Pepper Tuna Salad consists of just five ingredients.
For the Lemon Pepper Tuna:
- canned solid white albacore in water (like Bumble Bee wild caught)
- mayonnaise
- diced red onion
- lemon pepper seasoning (like Lawry’s Lemon Pepper Blend)
- fresh lemon juice
For the Sandwiches:
- sturdy sliced sandwich bread
- optional toppings – tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, pickles
The Best Tuna for Tuna Salad
The most important element in creating tuna salad with great texture and flavor is starting with high quality, solid white albacore tuna in water. You do not want a lower quality variety, like chunk light tuna that is packed in oil, for a recipe like this. Solid white albacore is a bit pricier but SO worth the cost. You can pick up an 8-pack of Kirkland brand Albacore Tuna at Costco for a good price. When I can’t get to Costco I like Bumble Bee’s Wild Caught Albacore in Water in the big 12 ounce can which I can almost always find at my local grocery store. Wild Planet is a great brand of sustainably caught wild tuna.
Tuna cans will indicate both the undrained and drained weights. The amount indicated in the recipe card refers to the undrained weight (the weight of the can before you drain the water).
Different brands of tuna will come in different weights but you can easily modify this recipe to work with any brand/weight. Just use the necessary number of cans to get as close to the 12 ounces (undrained) indicated in the recipe as possible. For instance, Kirkland brand comes in 7 ounce (undrained) cans so use two and add additional mayonnaise, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
What is in Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
The main ingredients in all brands of Lemon Pepper Seasoning are lemon zest and cracked black pepper. From there it can vary a bit but the bottle in my pantry, Lawry’s Lemon Pepper Blend, also contains salt, a bit of sugar, garlic and onion. It is a great choice for seafood, a variety of meats (most commonly poultry) and pasta dishes.
Instructions
- Drain the tuna well and place it in a large mixing bowl with mayonnaise. Add diced red onion.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice from one lemon.
- Sprinkle in the Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
- Mix well to combine.
How to Serve Lemon Pepper Tuna
- Layer the tuna on sturdy sandwich bread like sliced sourdough, a thick-sliced, or multigrain bread.
- Add your toppings of choice. For us that means thick slices of tomato, lettuce, and bread and butter OR spicy pickles!
- For a delicious, nutritious lunch, add a scoop or two to a halved avocado and serve it with sliced tomatoes.
Lemon Pepper Tuna
Ingredients
- 12 ounces solid white albacore in water well drained (like Bumble Bee Wild Caught, Kirkland, or Wild Planet)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise plus additional as needed
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
For Sandwiches
- 8 slices sturdy sandwich bread (like sourdough, thick-sliced, or multigrain)
- Optional toppings: sliced tomato, lettuce, pickles
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add additional mayonnaise to reach desired texture, if needed.
- Layer the tuna salad on sturdy sandwich bread with your toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Jo Ann says
Thank you, Valerie, for sharing this recipe. It’s a WONDERFUL “basic” recipe [VERY easy to toss together and a GREAT way to introduce kids to the marvels of Tuna (I always add more Mayo to theirs — my Grandchildren)], but it does have a “shelf-life” — meaning that it can get “boring” for us adults in a relatively short time. To “beat the boredom”, I like to add either a quartered or sliced Hard Boiled Egg or a Fruit (e.g., diced Apples or Pears, Raisins, Craisins, or some Berries of choice). A tsp. or 2 of Pickle Relish (sweet relish is my personal preference) or a finely chopped Pickle Spear (or 2) are yet other options. I put Garlic in pretty much EVERYTHING, so I suggest others might consider doing that, too (powdered Garlic works very well for this Tuna Salad). Other Herbs or Spices (fresh or dried) that can be considered include DILL, Basil, Cilantro, Cumin, Oregano and/or Tarragon. Thank you, again, Valerie, for starting us off. 🙂