Dill Pickle Tuna Salad Sandwich

Who has time for boring sandwiches? You won’t find that here, and this Dill Pickle Tuna Salad Sandwich is making sure of it! The tuna is prepared with dill pickles and fresh dill for maximum dill flavour. Finish it off with a slice of cheese, crisp lettuce, and sliced tomatoes all on great-tasting, multi-grain bread!

DILL PICKLE TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

So, Dear Reader, I know I’ve said this before, but the Thomas-Ewing household loves everything there is to love about dill, and we’re very passionate about our dill pickles! When I set out to make a really great tasting Dill Pickle Tuna Salad Sandwich, I thought it would be easy. But, I had to make it a few times to get it just right.

What’s the secret? It’s simple, really. The secret to maximizing the dill flavour without it being too overbearing, was the combine fresh dill with dill pickles. I love the flavour of fresh dill, but I also love the flavour of that salty, garlicky, extra-dilly dill pickle juice. Both of them together, was just what I needed to do to make the best sandwich possible.

If you love dill and you love tuna, I’m sure you will love the pairing of them both. We love it so much that I combined the two into a pizza! Don’t believe it!? Check out my Tuna Pizza with Lemon and Dill recipe. So, with fresh dill and dill pickles in hand, let’s get to making this sandwich!

DILL PICKLE MAYONNAISE

Some sandwich lovers swear that buttering the bread is the key to a good sandwich. I had many sandwiches in my lifetime with butter on the bread, and to me, it’s just okay. I’m a lover of Hellman’s mayonnaise in general and only ever buy that brand. Furthermore, every sandwich I make will have mayonnaise, or a jacked up version of it, on each slice of bread.

Making a dill pickle mayonnaise is easy. Before I talk about how to do it, please note that you don’t have to do this step at all. You can use mayonnaise just as it is. As for me, I was determined to maximize the dill flavour. And, why not make the mayo? It’s so easy. This is how I did it.

For four sandwiches, I used a 3/4 cup of mayo. Yes, that sounds like a lot. But, I did smear it on the bread, and I incorporated it into the tuna salad itself. Toss the mayo into a food processor, along with 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and a roughly chopped dill pickle. Pulse until the pickle is finely chopped and incorporated into the mayo. That’s all!

MAKING THE TUNA SALAD

Whether you decide to make the dill pickle mayonnaise or not, you will need something to bind the tuna with the other ingredients. As previously mentioned, regular mayonnaise is perfectly fine. If using the dill pickle mayo, set aside 1/4 cup to spread on the bread. Add the rest to a bowl with the lemon juice, fresh dill, and chives. Stir to combine.

If using regular mayo, add it to a bowl with ground black pepper, dill pickle juice, fresh chopped dill, and chopped chives. Stir well to combine.

Next, flake in the well-drained canned tuna. Use a fork to combine the tuna with the mayonnaise mixture. You can make this ahead of time, cover it well, and refrigerate it. It will keep fine in the fridge for 2 days. Or, you can use it immediately.

PICKING PICKLES AND CANNED TUNA

Well, Dear Reader, the best type of dill pickle for this Dill Pickle Tuna Salad Sandwich recipe is quite simply the dill pickle that you personally buy each time you buy pickles. I find some dills too salty, but if that’s the type you like, buy those.

Some dills are too dilly, but if that floats your boat, get those kind! For us, there’s only one brand of dills that we buy and have never bought any other brand for the past 7 years. They’re the Bick’s Polskie Ogorki. They have just the right amount of dill-salt-garlic ratio and they’re always crunchy.

I used two cans of tuna for this recipe. Two cans seems like a lot for four sandwiches, but these were really big sandwiches. Look at how much room they take up on the plate! The tins were each 170 grams. I think that’s roughly equivalent to 3 ounces per can. You can use any brand you prefer, but it’s imperative to use tuna that is packed in water, not oil.

It’s very important to squeeze as much water out of the tuna as possible. Normally, I tend to open the can, leaving the lid in place. I turn the can upside down and push the lid up, squeezing out the water. Please be careful if you do this. Just one slip and you’ll slice your hand open on that lid. You could use a can drainer. They’re great and can be used quite often to drain liquids from canned goods.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Tuna – I prefer to use canned tuna packed in water when making sandwiches. Save the tuna packed in oil for pasta salads.
• Bread – Use your favourite sandwich bread. I love to use a grainy rye bread.
• Tomato and Lettuce
• Cheese Slices
• Mayonnaise
• Dill Pickles and Dill Pickle Juice
• Fresh Dill – Please don’t skip this ingredient. The fresh dill adds so much dill flavour.
• Fresh Chives – For freshness and oniony flavour.
• Ground Black Pepper – You will not need any salt because mayo is salty and so are dill pickles.

HOW TO SERVE A SANDWICH

I dearly love sandwiches; I really do! I’m that one person who loves to bake and cook, but can be easily satisfied with a sandwich. In fact, a few times a week, I’ll have a sandwich for lunch. My favourite quick lunch is ham and cheese on a good grainy bread with a hot cup of coffee. I love sandwiches with hot coffee!

But, on the occasion that I make sandwiches for dinner, I go all out. I love to serve sandwiches with kettle chips and a pickle on the side. Sometimes, I serve them with coleslaw and potato salad. A good, well-made sandwich can be quite impressive. Look at my White Bean Salad Sandwich and my Smashed Lentil Salad Sandwich. I would totally serve one of these, or this Dill Pickle Tuna Salad Sandwich, to any guest! Wouldn’t you?

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!