📌 Potato Salad with Tuna and Hard-Boiled Eggs

Posted 2 April 2026 by: Admin #Recipes

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Total Time

45 minutes

Servings

4 to 6 servings

Potato salad with tuna is one of those dishes we systematically underestimate. Big mistake. It’s one of the few recipes where the result depends almost entirely on the quality of ingredients and seasoning timing—not complicated technique. Why make it harder when the simple version is already perfect?

Final result — A large, generous bowl of potato-tuna-egg salad, ready to delight the whole table.

Look at this bowl. The potato chunks have a slightly pearly cream tint, with edges that have absorbed the olive oil like a sponge. The tuna flakes into small, light filaments between the egg wedges, whose yolks are still slightly soft—that pale honey-colored yolk that indicates perfectly controlled cooking, neither too much nor too little. A subtle scent of thyme and fruity olive oil rises from the bowl. It smells like a meal made with good ingredients, no fuss.

Why you’ll love this recipe

✓Zero special technique : Boil potatoes and eggs, flake some tuna, mix gently. That’s it. Even a complete beginner succeeds on the first try if they respect the seasoning timing.

✓A complete meal on its own : Proteins from the tuna and eggs, carbohydrates from the potatoes, good fats from the olive oil. No side dish needed—except maybe some bread, if you’re in the mood.

✓Leftovers are better than the first serving : The next day, the potatoes have absorbed everything: the oil, thyme, pepper. The salad is denser, more fragrant. It’s one of those rare dishes where making too much is never a problem.

✓It travels without complaining : Airtight container, cooler bag, picnic or office lunch—this salad lasts two days in the fridge without losing flavor. It’s made for it.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients

Everything you need for this salad: potatoes, canned tuna, eggs, and a good drizzle of olive oil.

The Potatoes : Choose a waxy variety—Charlotte, Amandine, or Ratte. No Bintje, no floury varieties that turn into mash as soon as you mix. Charlotte holds up perfectly during cooking and has that slightly buttery taste that works so well with tuna. About 800 g for 4 to 6 people.
Canned Tuna : Tuna in brine, not in oil. Oil-packed tuna makes the dish heavy and too greasy, especially since we’re already adding olive oil. Three 160 to 180 g cans, well-drained. If you find tuna in glass jars, get it—the texture is less compressed and flakes better.
The Eggs : 9 to 10 minutes from boiling, not a minute more. Beyond that, the yolk turns grey-green at the edges and the texture becomes sandy. We want a yolk that’s still slightly creamy in the center. Chill immediately in cold water—this stops the cooking instantly and makes peeling easier.
Olive Oil : This is the only sauce for this dish, so don’t skimp. An extra virgin fruity oil, slightly peppery on the finish. A bland oil gives a bland salad. Simple as that.
Thyme : Dried or fresh, both work. Fresh gives a brighter, almost lemony scent. Dried is more concentrated—one level teaspoon is enough. Oregano or finely chopped rosemary also work very well if that’s what you have on hand.

Cook the potatoes whole, with the skin on

That’s the rule. Don’t peel them beforehand, don’t cut them into pieces. Put them whole into cold salted water, bring to a boil, and let cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on size. The test: the tip of a knife should slide in without resistance, but the potato shouldn’t fall apart. Drain them and let them cool for barely 10 minutes—while still slightly warm, they peel in seconds, the skin sliding under your fingers like wet paper. Cut into generous chunks, not tiny cubes.

Season while it’s still warm—it’s now or never

Put the flaked tuna in the bottom of the bowl. Add the still-warm potatoes on top. This residual heat is precious: pour the olive oil directly over them; it penetrates the flesh differently than if the potatoes were cold. Salt, pepper generously, and add the thyme. Mix a first time very gently, lifting rather than stirring—two or three gentle passes, no more. Add the egg wedges on top, one last pass to integrate them without breaking them.

Wait 15 minutes before touching anything

Resting is the part everyone skips and everyone regrets. These 15 minutes allow the olive oil to meld with the tuna juices, the salt to dissolve evenly, and the thyme to release its essential oils throughout the dish. It smells different after—rounder, more coherent, less raw. Taste it. A squeeze of lemon juice can radically change the balance if you feel it lacks liveliness. A spoonful of wholegrain mustard incorporated with the olive oil is another version of the dish, punchier. Give it a try.

Tips & Tricks

Never mix too hard or too long—every extra spoonful crushes the potatoes a bit more. Two or three gentle passes are plenty.
If you prepare the salad in advance, take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving. The cold solidifies the olive oil and mutes the flavors—at room temperature, everything comes back to life.
A finely chopped shallot added at the moment of seasoning brings a little bite that raw onion wouldn’t provide. It makes the difference without changing the character of the dish.

Close-up — The detail that makes you hungry: olive oil, flaked tuna, and a soft egg yolk.

FAQs

Can I prepare this salad the day before?

Yes, it’s actually recommended. After a night in the fridge, the potatoes have absorbed the olive oil and thyme, making the taste deeper and more balanced. Take the salad out 20 minutes before serving so the olive oil returns to temperature and the flavors wake up.

How do I prevent the potatoes from getting crushed when mixing?

Two things: choose a waxy variety (Charlotte, Amandine, Ratte) and never mix more than two or three times, lifting gently rather than stirring. Cut generous pieces—not too small—so they resist handling better.

How long does the salad keep in the refrigerator?

Two days maximum in an airtight container. Do not freeze this salad—potatoes and hard-boiled eggs do not handle freezing well, and the texture becomes cottony and unpleasant upon thawing.

Should this salad be served cold or warm?

Both work, but warm just after preparation is often the best moment. If it’s coming from the fridge, take it out 15 to 20 minutes before serving—the cold suppresses the aromas, especially the olive oil.

Can I replace the tuna with something else?

Yes. Canned salmon works very well with a touch of dill instead of thyme. Canned mackerel fillets in brine give a smokier, more intense result. For a vegetarian version, drained chickpeas replace the tuna convincingly.

Can the olive oil be replaced by another oil?

Technically yes, but the result will be different. Olive oil brings character and binds the flavors in a way that neutral oils cannot. If you don’t have any, a quality rapeseed oil with a squeeze of lemon juice can work in a pinch.