Name: Creamy Tuna Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks); 1 teaspoon Salt (for potato water); 1 cup Mayonnaise; 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard; 1 Tablespoon Vinegar; ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder; ½ teaspoon Salt; ½ teaspoon Black Pepper; 2 5 ounce cans Tuna (in water, drained and flaked); 3 Hard-boiled Eggs (chopped); ½ cup Celery (finely diced); ⅓ cup Red Onion (finely diced); ¼ cup Sweet Relish; 1-2 Tablespoon Fresh Dill

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If tuna salad and potato salad had a baby, this would be it. The unexpected combination is delicious!

I started making this Tuna Potato Salad years ago when I needed a quick side dish to take to a party. Since everything in it is a pantry staple for me, it was the perfect last-minute recipe — and let me tell you, it was a huge hit.

Tuna Potato Salad in a white serving bowl.

Some of my favorite go-to side dishes for potlucks are this tuna salad with potatoes, my steakhouse salad, and pesto potato salad. They all pair perfectly with burgers, grilled chicken, or a marinated steak hot off the grill.

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Simple Ingredients

Recipe Notes

Why I usually go with albacore tuna: Albacore has a firmer texture and a milder flavor, which works really well in a creamy salad like this. That said, if you’ve got light tuna in the pantry, go ahead and use it — it’ll still taste great.
Mayonnaise – You might already know this about me, but I’m team mayo all the way. I’ve just never been a Miracle Whip fan. If it’s your thing, feel free to use it!
Potatoes – I usually go with russets for this salad because I like their soft, fluffy texture, but Yukon gold works great too.
Relish – I’ve tried chopped dill pickles before (and they’re good!), but I always come back to sweet relish. It adds just the right balance to the creamy dressing.
Dill – I love the dill in this salad. If you’re using dried instead of fresh, just reduce the amount — about 1 teaspoon dried instead of 2 tablespoons fresh should do the trick. Or just season to taste.

Tuna Salad Tips

Let the potatoes cool completely before mixing in the tuna and dressing. This keeps the salad from getting gummy.
Flake the tuna gently with a fork so you get nice bites throughout the salad instead of it breaking down too much.
Chop the add-ins small. Finely diced red onion, celery, or pickles give great texture without overpowering the dish.
Taste and adjust! Add more salt, pepper, relish, or dill after it chills—flavors can mellow in the fridge.
Let it chill. Give the salad at least 30 minutes in the fridge so the flavors come together.

How to make Tuna Salad with Potatoes

Diced raw potatoes in a dutch oven before adding water to boil the potatoes.

Step 1: Cook and cool the potatoes.

Ingredients in a glass bowl to make the dressing for easy tuna and potato salad.

Step 2: Make the dressing.

Egg, cooked diced potatoes, red onion and celery in a large clear mixing bowl.

Step 3: Mix the tuna, veggies, and potatoes.

Dressing added to a bowl with potato salad ingredients.

Step 4: Stir in the dressing. For the best results chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Potato salad that has eggs, tuna, celery, onion and mayo on a white serving plate with hard boiled eggs in the back ground.

What to serve with

This salad is super versatile — it fits right in on a big potluck table loaded with different dishes like coleslaw, baked beans and macaroni salad. I love serving it with burgers, brats, grilled steaks, or BBQ chicken.

It’s also great on its own for a quick lunch or an easy dinner straight from the fridge.

Did you make the recipe? Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook! Thanks so much!

Creamy Tuna Potato Salad