Best Canned Salmon Salad
on May 22, 2025
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Rich and flavorful with a bit of onion, relish, mustard, and lemon.
Many of us have a few cans of tinned salmon in our pantries and forget about them. Here’s how to put them to use in a super quick, super easy canned salmon salad recipe that takes about 10 minutes to pull together! It will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, so it’s a great make-ahead lunch salad.
You can make canned salmon salad into a satisfying sandwich on many different types of bread. Buns are great, pita bread works beautifully, and there is nothing wrong with a couple of slices of your choice of bread. Anything from whole-grain bread to plain old country white bread is fine. Serve with old-fashioned potato salad, cole slaw, or macaroni salad on the side.
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Or, serve the salmon salad in a bowl with pita triangles or crackers for scooping. Or pile a generous spoonful on a green lettuce salad. As you can see, I picked pita bread and stuffed it with some crunchy lettuce and juicy slices of ripe tomato.
Table of Contents
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The Best Canned Salmon to Use
You can use any canned salmon brand you like. Wild-caught canned salmon is a terrific choice and has a richer flavor. Canned salmon has a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids and is also high in vitamin D and calcium.
Remove any extraneous bones and skin from the salmon before mixing it with the other ingredients. Even if the label says boneless and skinless, there might still be some residual bits in there that you’ll want to toss before blending the fish into this salad.
Kitchen Smarts
If you want to use fresh salmon instead of canned salmon, this will take on a whole other level of luxuriousness. Try poached salmon, grilled salmon, or baked salmon.
Ingredients
- Canned salmon – See above for more info! This recipe calls for two 6-ounce tins, but you can also use four 3 1/2-ounce tins or whatever gets you to the equivalent of about 12 ounces of canned salmon.
- Mayonnaise – This is the main binder, and I prefer using full-fat mayo, but you can use any mayo you like. Olive oil mayo, low-fat mayo, and avocado mayo — they all work.
- Fresh parsley – I prefer flat-leaf parsley over curly. It has a better texture and flavor. Mince it fairly well so it blends into the salad.
- Onion – Adds a sharp, crunchy bite.
- Celery – This is optional, but I love the fresh crunch it provides.
- Lemon juice – Use fresh if at all possible. The acidic tartness creates a sweet relish and adds a little more texture and a sweet-tangy flavor note.
- Dijon mustard – Just a touch elevates all of the flavors, with some acidity and sharpness.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – Be generous with the pepper, and see how salty your salmon is before adding the salt.
How to Make Canned Salmon Salad
- Make the salad: Mix the salmon, mayonnaise, parsley, onion, celery, lemon juice, relish, and mustard in a medium-sized bowl. Add the salt and pepper and blend well.
- Serve: Serve on a lettuce salad, in a sandwich, or with crackers.
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ShareWhat to Serve With Canned Salmon Salad
I don’t think anyone would object to a handful or two of crunchy potato chips on the side (or tuck them right into the sandwich!). You could also serve the salmon salad with…
I also think making a salmon salad melt would be amazing — just like a tuna salad melt but with salmon. If you want to make a lunch sandwich salad-themed buffet, consider offering a selection including Best Egg Salad, Italian Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad with Grapes, and Best Chicken Salad. And, for something similar but different, try Salmon Spread made with fresh salmon and smoked salmon combined!
More Salmon Recipes
- Get tips for cooking perfectly grilled salmon.
- Put that favorite small appliance to work and enjoy Air Fryer Salmon — quick and simple.
- The Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Use the Simple Asian Salmon recipe when you want to a different flavor profile.
- Dedie’s Herbed Salmon will always remain a favorite recipe. Once you try it, you’ll know why!
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Best Canned Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (6-ounce) cans salmon (drained, any extra bits of skin and bones removed)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped celery (optional)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Mix the salmon, mayonnaise, parsley, onion, celery, lemon juice, relish, and mustard in a medium-sized bowl. Add the salt and pepper and blend well.
- Serve on a lettuce salad, in a sandwich, or with crackers.
