My Easy 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Tuna Salad

I very seldom make the same tuna salad twice. The add-ins vary—sometimes I’ll use green onions and peas, and other times it’s shallots and celery. There are only three consistencies: the tinned fish, trusty mayo, and dill.

The fresh herb never fails to kick up the flavors, despite what else ends up in the mix. Adding dill is a must for my perfect tuna salad.

Why I Always Add Dill to Tuna Salad

I discovered this one-ingredient upgrade almost accidentally. One summer, I had a bumper crop of dill in my herb garden, so I harvested some and brought it to my kitchen counter in a vase. I thought that, since I often add the herb to my salmon dishes, why not try it in my tuna salad?

It was a cooking epiphany: A few snips of fresh dill really woke up the tuna salad. It made it taste fresh and light and oh-so-so-good!

After that, there was no going back. Though I only had fresh dill in my garden during the summer months, I decided to try it with dried in the off-season, and to my great delight, it works just as well. And since I have dried more often than fresh, it’s become my go-to add-in for tuna salad.

Despite the other add-ins used, I’ve found that dill pairs well with just about everything in my tuna-and-mayo-based salads. Whether I add a bit of mustard or a squeeze of lemon or chopped celery or yellow onion, the herb brings a pop of color and a burst of flavor that turns an average salad into something superlative.

How to Use Dried Versus Fresh Dill in Tuna Salad

If I’m using dried dill, I typically add 3/4 teaspoon per can of tuna. If I’m bulking it up with leftover cooked pasta, peas, or a bunch of other veggies, then I’ll go up to a full teaspoon. If I have fresh on hand, I’ll use 1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons minced, plus a little more sprinkled on top as a garnish.

If you’re going the dried route, make sure you buy dill weed, not dill seed. The latter is the actual seeds of the herb, and they don’t work at all for this. (I know this because I accidentally purchased it once and added it to my tuna salad before realizing it wasn’t the same.)

Other seafood salads work, too: I’ve tried (and loved) it in shrimp salad. Seafood and dill seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.