Matthew McConaughey Tuna Salad
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Table Talk with Tawnie
Alright, alright, alright! By now, this Matthew McConaughey viral tuna salad is about three weeks old, but I’ll forever love tuna salad (and Matthew McConaughey), so it’s always trending in my opinion! His tuna salad got a lot of traction on social media because of how oddly strange, yet somehow totally delicious, his recipe is. The corn and frozen peas threw me off at first, but surprisingly, I enjoyed it. What I love most is the addition of wasabi paste and crunchy jalapeno chips. If you don’t add the corn or peas, do yourself a favor and add the wasabi paste and chips. It’s a game changer, and I agree he is a “tuna fish salad mastermaker”! The spice and crunch are just too good! Have you made it yet? Let me know what you think!
Looking for even more easy lunch salads? Check out my Chopped Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing, Mason Jar Salad with Tortellini, and Healthy Broccoli Salad for some more of my faves!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
For the dressing
- Mayonnaise: A tuna salad staple ingredient.
- Wasabi Paste: This is one of the key ingredients that sets this tuna salad apart from a traditional one. If you can handle some spice, feel free to add more to your liking!
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Gives the salad it’s tart, tangy kick.
- Vinegar: You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar – any will do the trick!
- Agave Syrup or Honey: Adds a bit of sweetness to the dressing.
- Italian Dressing: Mixes with the other flavors to give the dressing the well-rounded flavor that makes this salad what it is.
For the salad
- Tuna: Matthew makes it a point to say make sure you’re using good quality tuna, like Wild Planet or Safe Catch. The tuna is the base of your salad so you want to make sure you’re using the good stuff!
- Red Onion & Dill Gherkin Pickles: Both of these are pretty usual suspects when you think of ‘tuna salad’. I like to chop them in a similar size so that each bite has a little bit of everything.
- Green Apple: Alright, here’s where Matthew starts to get a little wacky! 🙂 All joking aside, the green apple adds a sour but sweet kick to the salad!
- Corn & Peas: I know, I know… You’re reading this thinking “Tawnie have you lost your mind?” But just trust me (and Matthew) on this one. You can use frozen or canned corn and will want to use frozen peas.
- Crispy Jalapeños: Okay these are my favorite part of the salad. Even if you leave out some of the other ingredients, I highly recommend having the crispy jalapenos! I used Fresh Gourmet Brand (you can find them in the grocery store with salad toppings like croutons). If you’re making the salad ahead of time, leave these on the side so they stay fresh and crunchy. You can add them when you’re ready to enjoy the salad!
- Other Ingredients Needed: Fresh lemon juice, plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For serving (optional)
- Butter Lettuce: You can spoon the salad into the leaves and eat them like lettuce cups! Romaine or any other large leaf lettuce should work too.
- Sandwich Bread: I like using a nice thick bread for my tuna sandwich, but use whatever bread is your fave!
- Sliced Tomato: Perfect to accompany some lettuce in your tuna salad sandwich! (see photo below)
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the dressing
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
Add the salad ingredients
In a larger mixing bowl, add the tuna and remaining salad ingredients.
Mix in the dressing
Add the dressing to the bowl with the salad ingredients. Mix well. Taste the salad and adjust the dressing ingredients as needed.
Serve tuna salad and enjoy!
Serve this tuna salad in lettuce cups, in a sandwich, or eat it on its own. Enjoy!!
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use a good, high-quality tuna for this salad. Matthew McConaughey recommends Wild Planet or Safe Catch!
- For the chopped ingredients, chop them in similar sizes so that the ingredients are well-distributed throughout the salad.
- If you’re meal-prepping this tuna salad, hold off on adding the jalapeño crisps until right before serving. This helps them stay crispy which really adds dimension to this salad.
- If desired, top with some sprigs of fresh dill for a little extra pizzazz!
Storage
- Store the Matthew McConaughey Tuna Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You may need to stir the salad again before serving to make sure everything is well mixed.
- If preparing the tuna salad ahead of time, omit the crispy jalapeños and add them right before serving. This helps them stay fresh and crunchy!
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Matthew McConaughey Tuna Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise (or more as desired)
- 1 Tbsp. wasabi paste (or a touch more if you like the spice)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. vinegar (white wine vinegar, red wine, or champagne vinegar)
- 1 Tbsp. agave syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp. Italian dressing
Salad:
- 4 cans good quality tuna (like wild planet or safe catch) (drained)
- 1 cup crispy jalapeños (fresh gourmet brand, crushed (leave these on the side if you’re not going to enjoy the salad straight away so they stay fresh and crunchy))
- ⅓ cup finely minced red onion
- ¼ cup dill gherkin pickles (finely chopped)
- ½ large green apple (diced small)
- ½ cup corn (fresh or canned)
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional, for serving:
- fresh dill
- sandwich bread
- butter lettuce leaves
- sliced tomatoes
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, wasabi, lemon juice, vinegar, agave, and Italian dressing.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. wasabi paste, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, 1 Tbsp. agave syrup or honey, 1 Tbsp. Italian dressing
- Add the tuna and remaining salad ingredients to a larger mixing bowl.4 cans good quality tuna (like wild planet or safe catch), 1 cup crispy jalapeños, ⅓ cup finely minced red onion, ¼ cup dill gherkin pickles, ½ large green apple, ½ cup corn, ¼ cup frozen peas, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, Plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Add the dressing.
- Toss everything well to combine.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings or mayonnaise according to your preferences.fresh dill, Plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Serve straight away, or cover and chill. Will last for up to 4 days. (Two of my favorite ways to serve this tuna salad is by putting it in a piece of butter lettuce to make a little cup, or between two slices of bread to make a sandwich. But you also can eat it straight from the bowl if desired – whatever your preference is!)sandwich bread, butter lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes
Notes
- If you don’t plan on eating the salad when you make it, you may want to hold off on adding the crispy jalapeño pieces in Step 2 and mix them in when you serve the salad. This helps them maintain their crispy texture.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may need to stir the tuna salad again before serving to mix the ingredients again.
- This recipe as written makes a LOT of salad using 4 cans of tuna. This makes it great for meal prepping, but if you don’t want to use that many cans of tuna, locate the “servings” button at the top of the recipe card and adjust it to 1/2.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé
