You Added Too Much Mayonnaise To Your Tuna Salad. Now What?

One of the perks of making tuna salad is that it's easily customizable. Want more crunch? Throw in some mix-ins like red onion, pickles, or fennel. Want to swap out the mayo? Use Greek yogurt, vegan mayo, or avocado instead. You can even switch up the way you chop your vegetables, drain your tuna, or fluff your fish.

In fact, this dish is so flexible that it's difficult to pin down exactly what ingredients and proportions you should use. So if you go a little crazy with the mayo, we totally understand; an overly creamy salad is probably tastier than a dry one, after all. But if you find yourself about to dig into a bowl that's more mayo than anything else, know that you don't have to toss it out. There are quite a few ways to salvage an overly rich tuna salad, so it's highly likely you'll find one that tastes good to you.

Add strong flavors and a crunchy element

The simplest way to balance out too much mayo in your tuna salad is to add more of the flavor and texture-contrasting ingredients. To offset the creaminess (and potentially wetness) of too much mayo, try adding in more of whatever crunchy element you were using. Celery and red onion are some of the most common ones, but you can also try chopped red peppers, bacon bits, carrots, cabbage, apples, chopped nuts, and more. If you already went heavy on the onion and don't want to add any more, just switch it up and use another crunchy ingredient, tossing in a little at a time until you're satisfied with the bowl's texture.

And while we love mayo for its mild tangy flavor, too much of a good thing can leave your tuna salad a little bland. To fix this, simply pour in more strongly-flavored ingredients. Red onion can be a two-in-one deal here, fixing both flavor and texture, but it's not the only option. Spices like lemon pepper, curry powder, and powdered mustard may do the trick, or you can try upping the heat with hot sauce, jalapenos, or cayenne pepper. Or, go for a little sour flavor in the form of lemon juice or zest, pickle juice, or lime juice.

So if you've overpowered your tuna salad with mayo, all hope is not lost — just one or two extra ingredients can make all the difference.