Easy Salmon Salad Recipe

You can serve this salad over a bed of greens for a low-carb lunch option, stuff it in a sandwich, or fill your favorite wrap!

Salmon salad is made with simple ingredients: a dab of mayo, squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and cumin powder for extra flavor. If you want a little “spicy,” sprinkle some cayenne pepper, and you’re good to go!

I prefer salmon salad over tuna salad for the richer flavor and heartier texture, including the omega-3 benefits. 

Ingredients

You’ll find the ingredients measurements in the recipe card at the end of the post, but let’s give a quick look at everything you need to make a healthy salmon salad:

• Canned salmon: I recommend boneless skinless salmon. Did you bake fresh salmon and have leftovers? Use them up!
• Mayonnaise: to combine the ingredients. Non-fat plain Greek yogurt makes a great swap.
• Celery: that dose of crunchiness that makes this salad so epic!
• Lemon juice: adds a fresh citric note that goes great with salmon.
• Cumin: adds extra flavor!
• Salt and black pepper: the classics for seasoning.

Canned Salmon or Cooked Salmon for Salmon Salad

You can make salmon salad with both canned salmon and fresh salmon that you’ve cooked and cooled. 

When buying canned salmon, look for the boneless skinless variety -it’s only a few cents more and worth it! Each 5-ounce can yields a little over ½ cup salmon meat, enough for 1 to 2 servings. 

You can also make this recipe with cooked salmon after you’ve allowed it to cool down and then shredded with two forks. 

Both options taste great, but fresh cooked salmon adds a flakier and thicker texture, and it’s a great way to use up leftovers. For one serving, you’ll need a 4-ounce fillet which yields about a ½ cup. 

And if you like all things spicy, like my Spicy Chicken Salad, add ½ teaspoon of Creole seasoning, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce to the mix. 

How to Make Easy Salmon Salad

Grab a bowl, those ingredients, and let’s make this easy salmon salad! 

1. Break it up
   In a large bowl, break the salmon meat into smaller flake-like pieces. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients
   Add the mayonnaise, diced celery, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper to the salmon and fold to combine. 

You can also watch the video below and make this recipe alongside me: 

From here, it’s up to you how to serve this easy salmon salad, so I’ve listed a few ideas below.

Salmon Salad Sandwich

One of my favorite ways to serve this recipe is in a sandwich. Just like classic chicken salad, it’s creamy, filling, and goes perfectly between 2 slices of whole-grain bread with lettuce and tomato. 

This recipe also uses less mayonnaise for a lighter option, but you can swap it for non-fat plain Greek yogurt if mayonnaise isn’t your thing. 

Looking for more fresh and simple lunch options outside of the usual ham and cheese sandwich? 

The 101 Packed Lunches eBook is full of recipes both kids and adults will appreciate, such as epic salads, power bowls, and hot lunches. And just as I provided in this post, each recipe provides details on how to prep ahead and pack it for lunch. 

More Ways to Serve Salmon Salad

Of course, using this recipe as a healthier sandwich filling isn’t the only way to enjoy it, you could also: 

• pack it in a bento box with crackers and veggies
• serve it in a pita pocket
• wrap it up with lettuce and avocado in a tortilla
• create a salmon salad melt, similar to tuna melts but with salmon salad. 
• make a simple canned salmon nicoise salad

How Long does Salmon Salad Last?

Like chicken salad’s shelf life, this will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if refrigerated at 35F to 40F in an airtight container, lidded jar, or zip bag. 

This salmon salad is also a great meal prep recipe you can have prepared for lunches throughout the week, although I recommend doubling or tripling the batch if you are feeding a family since the recipe below is based on two servings.