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Aug 27, 2020 By Stacie Hassing

5-Minute Salmon Salad

Dairy-Free
Egg-Free
Gluten-free
Grain-Free
Nut-free
Paleo
Whole30
Jump to Recipe

All you need is 5 minutes of your time and 5 ingredients to make this flavorful and satisfying Salmon Salad. It’s the perfect recipe when you’re in need of a quick lunch and even makes for a tasty afternoon snack. It can be served in a variety of different ways – as a sandwich, a lettuce wrap, on top of cucumber slices, or on a bed of greens. This recipe can be made with canned salmon, leftover cooked salmon, or even canned tuna. Use what you have on hand, what’s on sale or what sounds best to you.

 

Salmon salad lettuce wrap with a side of carrot sticks and cucumbers all on a white plate with a gold fork and lemon wedge.

This 5-Minute Salmon Salad is here to save the day! A new go-to recipe for when life just gets busy.

People are busy but that doesn’t mean we can’t live a healthy life and eat wholesome and real foods. We’re here to bring you healthy recipes that can be made in a pinch like this 5-Minute Salmon Salad. This salad is Whole30 friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free and provides a great source of protein as well as healthy fats which makes for a satisfying addition to a meal.

I almost always have canned salmon or tuna in my pantry. It’s an easy source of protein and there are countless ways you can add pizzaz to both canned salmon and canned tuna. In addition to this 5-Minute Salmon Salad recipe, you’ll also find me making Salmon Burgers or Tuna Cakes. Both are easy to make and oh-so-delicious!

A speckled white bowl holding all of the ingredients for the salmon salad.

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Ingredients for 5-Minutes Salmon Salad

  • Canned salmon – boneless and skinless canned salmon. For canned salmon, I like Wild Planet or Safe Catch. You could also use leftover cooked salmon or canned tuna.
  • Mayonnaise – I recommend an avocado oil mayo or homemade. While I like the taste of mayo best for this recipe, you could also use plain greek or regular yogurt. For egg-free, choose a vegan mayo or make with yogurt.
  • Celery – adds a nice crunch. You could also use carrots or peppers.
  • Onion – any kind of onion will work. Red, yellow, sweet, or green.
  • Dill – fresh or dried.
  • Black pepper
  • Lemon juice  – optional but recommended.

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A speckled white bowl holding the salmon salad that is laying on top of green leafy lettuce with a couple of lemon wedges.

How to make 5-Minute Salmon Salad

  • Step 1: drain the salmon and chop the onions and celery.
  • Step 2: in a bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well. Add additional mayo to reach your desired creaminess.
  • Step 3: Serve however you please.

Salmon salon on a lettuce leaf with a side of sweet potato chips all on a white plate.

Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned salmon? How about canned tuna?

Absolutely. All of the above work great! Canned salmon and canned tuna make for great pantry staples. I almost always have one or both on hand. So if you have canned tuna but no canned salmon, feel free to use the tuna. I also like to make Salmon Salad with leftover grilled, baked, or broiled salmon. Just use what you have on hand.

On a white plate, salmon Salad on a lettuce leaf with a gold fork holding a bite.

How to serve 5-Minutes Salmon Salad

There are several ways you can serve salmon salad so it’s really however you prefer.

  • Serve it in a traditional way as a salmon salad sandwich with your favorite bread.
  • Serve it in your favorite tortilla wrap such as our grain-free tortillas or corn tortillas.
  • Wrap it in a lettuce leaf (I like to add a sprinkle of feta cheese!).
  • Serve it on top of crackers or cucumber slices
  • Serve it on top of a bed of green.

Looking for guidance with meal planning? Check out Real Plans, a highly customizable online meal planning service that includes over 300 of our very own recipes.

Salmon salad topped on a cucumber slice.

What is the best canned salmon?

This is a great question! When choosing a high-quality salmon I recommend you look for the following:

  • Sustainably caught
  • Tested for mercury
  • No additives
  • BPA-Free cans
  • Nothing added – only ingredients being salmon and possibly salt

Two reputable brands for their quality and taste are Safe Catch and Wild Planet.

For more info, check out this post on how to choose the safest seafood.

Salmon Salad served on a lettuce leaf with feta cheese sprinkled over top and a side of cucumber slices and carrots sticks all on a white plate.

Other quick and easy lunch recipes to try

  • Chicken Waldorf Salad
  • Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad
  • Buffalo Ranch Egg Salad
  • Blueberry Chicken Salad with Rosemary

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Let's Get Cookin'

5-Minute Salmon Salad

All you need is a few minutes of your time and 5 ingredients to make this 5-minute salmon salad. This recipe is kid-friendly & great for a lunch or a snack. This recipe is Whole30 and paleo-friendly.

  • Author: Stacie Hassing
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
Print Recipe
★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

  • 2 (5-6 oz) cans of salmon, drained
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 medium stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Add additional mayo to reach your desired consistency.
  2. Serve as a sandwich, in a lettuce wrap, on a bed of greens, on top of cucumber slices or cracker, or however you’d like!

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 210
  • Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 415 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 17 g

 

Pin now, make later!

Salmon Salad on a bed of lettuce with dill on top

 


All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and daughter reside with their two pups. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

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Reader Interactions

Join the Conversation

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

  1. marge says

    March 4, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    if i add a bit of sweet piccalily it gives the salad a nice tang.

    Reply
  2. JOHN D LEWIS says

    March 30, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    Could not change YIELD Multiple, would like to have made 3X for needs and can size, 14.75 oz.
    Quick, easy, tasty. Add a light shake od red pepper flakes for kick. Service a finger foo in small lettuce wraps tiem with green onion strings and ends clipped with kitchen scissors.

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      April 2, 2020 at 11:37 am

      The yield is something we are currently working on fixing. Glad to hear you enjoy this recipe!

      Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    August 27, 2020 at 11:01 am

    I love salmon salad too. My Mom made it often when we were growing up. I like to add a spoonful of capers….

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Mmmmm! Love the addition of capers. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  4. Jamie Stutes says

    September 3, 2020 at 10:22 am

    So yummy! I added fresh parsley and it is divine!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    September 3, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Any recommendations to replace the celery if you’re not a big fan?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      September 7, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      Anything crunchy will work – jicama, finely diced carrots, radishes, etc. or you can leave it out entirely.

      Reply

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The Real Food Dietitians is the passion-driven product of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom. They’ve combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.

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