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A close-up of a sandwich cut in half, filled with a mixture of tuna, corn, peas, and chopped vegetables on brown bread, resting on a wooden surface.
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Matthew McConaughey's Tuna Salad Recipe

Creamy, punchy, and loaded with real textural contrast: this is the viral McConaughey tuna salad, made with wasabi, apple, and jalapeño chips on toasted sourdough. The drainage step makes it.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 to 4 (open-faced or full sandwiches)
Calories: 1097kcal
Author: Abi Gunasekaran

Ingredients

tuna

  • 1 can 1 (10 oz) can tuna drained completely
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Italian dressing
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix-Ins

  • 1/4 cup dill pickles chopped
  • 1/2 apple finely chopped (Honeycrisp or Fuji)
  • 1/4 cup red onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup frozen corn
  • 3/4 cup jalapeño crispy chips crushed

For Serving

  • 4 slices sourdough bread toasted

Instructions

Drain the Tuna

  • Open the can and press the lid hard into the tuna over the sink to force out all liquid. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer and press again. The tuna should be dry and chunky.

Make the Dressing

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, wasabi paste, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 30 seconds.
    A bowl containing separate piles of chopped apples, red onion, pickles, corn, and peas on a creamy mayo base, surrounded by small bowls and sliced bread.

Make the Dressing

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, wasabi paste, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Build the Salad

  • Add the drained tuna and fold gently with a fork, keeping chunks intact. Stir in the pickles, apple, red onion, frozen peas, and frozen corn until evenly coated.
    A bowl with tuna, chopped red onions, peas, sweetcorn, and diced jalapeños, surrounded by small bowls of ingredients and a plate of sliced bread in the background.

Add Chips and Serve

  • Toast sourdough until deep golden and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir crushed jalapeño chips into the tuna salad right before assembling. Spoon generously onto toast and serve immediately.
    Bowl of tuna salad mixed with chopped onion, peas, corn, apple, and mayonnaise.

Notes

  • Drain the tuna as completely as possible. Wet tuna = runny salad.
  • Stir jalapeño chips in at the last second — they lose crunch fast in the dressing.
  • Tuna salad base (without chips) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
  • If you're not going to eat all the tuna salad at once, scoop out what you will before adding the chips so that they don't go soggy mixed into the leftovers. 
  • For meal prep, toss the chopped apple in a small squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1097kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 2280mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 8mg