Easy Canned Salmon Salad
Looking for an easy high protein lunch idea? This Canned Salmon Salad checks all the boxes! It’s creamy and flavorful with crunchy veggies, fresh lemon and dill, and it comes together in about 10 minutes. It’s perfect for meal prep and is great served in sandwiches, lettuce wraps or with crackers and veggies!
This Canned Salmon Salad recipe has been one of my go-to recipes this summer. It love having it prepped and ready to eat after my workouts because it’s so satisfying and high in protein.
It’s so versatile too. It’s great in lettuce wraps, sandwiches or enjoyed with crunchy veggies!
Of course I love my baked lemon dijon salmon and blackened salmon recipe, but canned wild salmon is a much more affordable option. I always have it in my pantry so that I can prepare a high protein lunch or snack at any given time.
Like my dill pickle tuna salad, this salad comes together in mere minutes. Simply place the salmon in medium bowl and mash it up well with a fork.
Next, it’s time to add the mix-in’s. I chose celery and red onion for crunchy texture, and capers for a nice, briny punch of flavor. The glory of the mix-in’s is that you can use any of your favorite ingredients!
The dressing is a combination of mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, fresh dill and prepared horseradish. The horseradish is totally optional, but I love the flavor that it adds.
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together, then add it to the salmon mixture and stir to combine. That’s it!
This is a great no-cook recipe for summer that’s great for lunch, appetizers or even a fresh, light main course over your favorite greens. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This salmon salad is an easy no-cook summer meal that’s high in protein and packed with flavor.
- It utilizes canned wild salmon, so it’s very affordable. Canned salmon with bones is roughly $3.99 per can, and the bones are very high in calcium.
- The salad can be easily customized with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and your favorite veggies or mix-in’s.
- It’s extremely versatile! Serve it as an appetizer with crackers and crunchy veggies, in a sandwich or lettuce wraps, and so much more.
Recipe ingredients
This canned salmon salad recipe is a super simple meal made from mostly pantry and refrigerator staples. It comes together in minutes and it can be changed up with a variety of ingredients that you have on hand.
- Canned salmon. I prefer to use canned salmon with bones as it provides a huge boost of calcium. One 2 ounce serving contains 15-20% of your daily value of calcium. The bones are very soft, so once the salmon is mashed with a fork and combined with the other ingredients, you can’t even tell the bones are in it. It is also more affordable — one can of wild salmon with bones is usually around $3.99 per 14.75 ounce can.
- Veggies. Crunchy veggies such as celery and red onion add texture and flavor to the salmon salad. Change things up with your favorite veggies.
- Capers. Rinsed and drained capers add briny flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon. Omit if you don’t have them on hand, or sub them with chopped briny olives.
- Mayonnaise. Not a fan of mayo? Sub with plain Greek yogurt (which also provides a protein boost!).
- Dijon mustard. Adds savory depth of flavor. Sub with yellow mustard.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon zest and juice really brighten the flavors of the salad.
- Dill. Sub with your favorite fresh herbs.
- Horseradish. This is completely optional, but it adds a nice background flavor that’s not at all spicy when mixed with the other ingredients.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make salmon salad
This salmon salad is very easy to make. If you have 10 minutes, you have time to make it!
Pro tip: Use canned wild salmon with bones as it is very high in calcium and it’s minimally processed. The bones are soft, so once the salmon is mashed for the salad, they’re not noticeable whatsoever.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Recipe FAQs
Raw wild salmon is placed in a can, traditionally with skin and bones intact. The can is sealed, then placed in a retort, which is a type of pressure cooker, then it’s heated to about 240-250 degrees.
This process cooks the salmon, sterilizes it and makes it shelf stable for up to 5 years.
The bones soften during the cooking process, making them completely edible. They’re also very high in calcium.
Yes! Canned wild salmon with bones and skin is roughly $3.99 per 14.75 ounce can. The skin can be removed easily, but definitely utilize the bones as they are soft and mash-able, and provide 20% of your daily calcium intake in a 2 ounce serving.
Canned wild salmon without bones or skin is more expensive at $4.50 – $6.00 per 6 ounce can. It has a milder taste, but it is not a good source of calcium without the bones.
If you’re not a fan of mayo, sub it with plain Greek yogurt, which will also provide more protein and calcium.
Use a combination of mashed avocado and olive oil to make it dairy-free.
Serving suggestions
This canned salmon salad recipe is great served as-is, but below are even more ideas:
- Serve it as a sandwich in your favorite bread, or in lettuce wraps for a low carb option.
- It makes a great appetizer served with crackers and crunchy veggies.
- Halve a cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stuff it with this salmon salad for a fresh, light summer dish. You can also slice a cucumber into round and top the rounds with a scoop of the salad.
- Serve over a bed of your favorite greens and top with sliced avocado.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Use canned wild salmon with bones as it is very high in calcium and it’s minimally processed. The bones are soft, so once the salmon is mashed for the salad, they’re not noticeable.
- Customize this salad with your favorite pantry staples and fresh veggies and herbs.
- Serve in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or with crunchy veggies.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
More salmon recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Easy Canned Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned wild salmon drained well; see note 1
- 1 stalk celery chopped; about 1/3-1/2 cup
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion sub with shallot or green onion
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained; sub with dill pickle relish
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise sub with plain Greek yogurt as desired
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill sub with your favorite fresh herbs
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish optional
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the salmon in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork. If using canned salmon with the bones and skin, you can remove the bones and skin, but the skin adds extra Omega3's and the bones are very high in calcium. Once the salmon is mashed and mixed with the other ingredients, the bones and skin aren't noticeable at all. Add the celery, red onion and capers to the bowl and set aside.15 ounces canned wild salmon, 1 stalk celery, 1/3 cup chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons capers
- Whisk together the mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, dill, horseradish, salt and pepper in a small bowl until well incorporated.1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the salmon mixture and stir until well coated with the dressing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Using canned salmon with the skin and bones is the most affordable option. The skin and bones may be removed, but I recommend using the bones as they’re high in calcium (up to 20% daily value), and they’re soft and mash-able.
- Customize this salad with your favorite pantry staples and fresh veggies and herbs.
- This recipe is great served as sandwiches, in lettuce wraps, or as an appetizer with crackers and crunchy veggies.
- Store salmon salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
