This tuna and potato salad is a new take on the classic potato salad. It's hearty enough to serve as your lunch meal prep, which is great because it tastes even better the next day!
Note: this post was originally published in 2024 and updated in 2026 with new photos and improved instructions.
This tuna and potato salad is a great option if you're looking for a grab-and-go lunch that's filling enough to hold you until dinner. It's bright and refreshing as well, with a tangy dressing made with lemon and red wine vinegar.
I love this salad because I can make it in only about 25 minutes, start to finish. Part of the reason why it's so quick to make is because we're using baby potatoes, which don't need to be peeled. And, they're done cooking in only 8 - 9 minutes.
This is the kind of salad that tastes better on day 2, and even day 3. If the salad gets a little dry after sitting in the fridge, you can add a splash more lemon juice to brighten it back up.
Lunchtime made easy!
Here are a few more easy make-ahead lunch ideas:
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Ingredients you will need:
A couple notes on the recipe ingredients:
- Baby potatoes: these are a great option for potato salad because they are easy to prep and hold their shape well after cooking. But, you can use any waxy potato such as red skin potatoes, yellow potatoes or fingerling potatoes.
- Canned tuna: you can use any type of tuna you like. I like to use solid tuna packed in oil. The oil gives the tuna a rich, moist texture.
- Capers: these are purely optional, if you like capers. I think they add a nice briny, tangy pop that works really well with the lemon.
- Cilantro/parsley: You can use either cilantro or parsley for this recipe, or a combo of both! You can also substitute another fresh herb you like; dill would be very nice as well!
How to make the salad
Step 1
Cut the baby potatoes in half. Place them in a pot of water and bring to a gentle boil. Gently boil the potatoes until tender.
A potato tip for you!
It's important to cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces so that they cook evenly. If you have a few baby potatoes that are larger than the rest, cut those into quarters instead of halves.
Step 2
While the potatoes are cooking, chop the cilantro (or parsley), slice the red onion, and mince the garlic.
Step 3
Add the ingredients for the dressing to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 4
When the potatoes are cooked, drain them well and rinse with cool water. Add the potatoes, drained tuna, herbs, capers, and onion to the dressing.
Step 5
Mix gently to combine the salad ingredients with the dressing. Enjoy!
Recipe tips
- When cooking the potatoes, be sure to use a gentle boil (not a full rolling boil). When testing this recipe, I found that using a full boil would cause some of the potatoes to break up into small pieces and get mushy before they were done cooking.
- And, when cooking the potatoes, use a generous amount of salt in the water (I like to use a few big pinches). Adding salt to the cooking water is the best way to season the interior of the potatoes, ensuring you get the most flavorful potato salad possible!
- If you want larger chunks of tuna in the salad, you can add the drained tuna after you mix the other salad ingredients. You can leave the tuna sprinkled on top, or very gently mix it in.
Storing the salad (and refreshing leftovers!)
- Store the tuna and potato salad in the fridge, tightly covered. It will last in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
- As the salad sits in the fridge, the potatoes will continue to absorb the dressing and the herbs and onions will soften. To refresh the leftovers, you can add in some more freshly chopped herbs and an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar.
Recipe FAQs
The skins on baby potatoes and other types of waxy potatoes are very thin. Therefore, there is no need to peel the skins. In fact, the skins on red potatoes add a beautiful color to the salad.
However, if you're using larger waxy potatoes and you want to peel the skins, you can. But, peeling baby potatoes would be so tedious just don't bother!!
If your tuna and potato salad doesn't taste as flavorful as you would like, I suggest adding another pinch of salt and another squeeze of lemon juice. That should go a long way! If you feel like the potatoes are lacking flavor, next time try adding in more salt when boiling the potatoes. You need to add a generous amount of salt to the cooking water to season the inside of the potatoes.
More easy salads:
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Print📖 Recipe
Tuna and Potato Salad
This is a fresh and tangy salad that's easy to prep ahead of time for a filling lunch. It tastes even better the next day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For salad:
- 2 pounds (907 g) baby (or other waxy) potatoes, scrubbed with water
- 2 five-ounce (142 g) cans of tuna, drained (preferably tuna packed in oil)
- ½ medium red onion (113 g), thinly sliced
- ½ cup (18 g) chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (or other leafy fresh herb)
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) capers, optional
For dressing:
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (32 g) grainy mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain salt, or to taste (plus salt for cooking water)
Instructions
Cook the potatoes:
- Cut each baby potato in half (for larger baby potatoes, cut into quarters). If using full-sized waxy potatoes, cut them into about 1-inch chunks.
- Place the potatoes into a large saucepan. Fill with cold water until potatoes are covered by about 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat and add a generous amount of salt to the water (about 1 tablespoon). Gently boil the potatoes until fork-tender, about 8 - 9 minutes. During the cook time, turn the heat down as necessary to maintain a gentle boil.
- When the potatoes are cooked, drain and rinse them with cold water to cool them down a bit, and drain again well (potatoes should still be warm, but not steaming hot). Set potatoes aside if still prepping the other ingredients.
Prep the vegetables and make the dressing:
- While the potatoes are cooking, prep the veggies: slice the onion, chop the herbs, and mince the garlic. Set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, grainy mustard, dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine.
Assemble the salad:
- Add the cooked potatoes, drained tuna*, thinly-sliced onion, chopped herbs, and capers to the bowl.
- Stir gently to combine. Taste the salad and add more salt if needed. The potato salad can be served warm right away, or at room temperature, or cold.
Notes
*If you want the tuna to remain in larger chunks in the salad, add the drained tuna to the salad after the other ingredients have already been mixed in. You can just sprinkle the tuna over the top of the salad, or very gently mix it in.
The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 16.2 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
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