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No-Waste Tuna Salad with Homemade Mayo

Recipe by Jenn Giam Smith

This no-waste tuna salad uses oil-packed tuna to create a rich, flavorful homemade mayonnaise—keeping every bit of flavor while building a protein-packed, satisfying meal. Made with celery, fresh herbs, capers, and a little heat, this tuna salad is perfect for sandwiches, crackers, or lettuce wraps.

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 (4-ounce) cans tuna in olive oil
  • Additional extra virgin olive oil (enough to reach 1 cup total with reserved tuna oil) (see note 1)
  • 1 egg, room temperature (see note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (see note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped (see note 3)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, roughly chopped (see note 3)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped (see note 3)
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese mustard (see note 4)
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (see note 5)
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the homemade mayonnaise

Drain the oil from the tuna cans into a jar or container that fits an immersion blender. Add additional olive oil until the total amount reaches 1 cup.

Add the egg, rice wine vinegar, honey, and smashed garlic clove.

Place the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar and blend until the mayonnaise starts to form. Slowly move the blender upward until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.

2. Prep the tuna salad ingredients

Add the tuna, diced celery, diced shallot, capers, parsley, chives, and dill to a large mixing bowl.

3. Add flavor and mix

Add the homemade mayonnaise, Chinese mustard, chili garlic sauce, salt, and pepper.

Stir everything together until evenly combined.

4. Serve

Serve immediately with crackers, in sandwiches, wrapped in lettuce, or enjoy straight from the bowl.

Equipment

Notes

1. No raw egg option

If you prefer not to use a raw egg, skip both the olive oil and egg and use about ¾ cup mayonnaise instead.

2. Vinegar substitute

White vinegar can be used instead of rice vinegar.

3. Dried herb substitute

Use about 2 teaspoons total dried herbs in place of the fresh parsley, chives, and dill.

4. Mustard substitute

Dijon mustard can be used instead of Chinese mustard.

5. Chili garlic sauce substitute

Replace with:

  • ½ teaspoon vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or garlic scape powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Jenn’s Kitchen Tip

If making homemade mayo isn’t your thing—or you just need this done fast—you can absolutely take a shortcut.

Use the full can of tuna (oil included), add your mayonnaise, and mix everything together as written.

You’ll still get great flavor, and it keeps this recipe flexible for real-life cooking.

Find it online: https://www.jenn-smith.com/no-waste-tuna-salad/