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A salmon salad sandwich is a quick and easy lunch idea! Creamy and savory, it’s a tasty spin on the classic tuna.
Need a quick and easy lunch idea? Try this Salmon Salad Sandwich, a spin on the classic tuna version! It’s irresistibly creamy and savory, and comes together in minutes. Spread it on bread for a quick lunch, or try it on a croissant for brunch. Either way, it’s hard to resist this hearty sandwich that requires no cooking at all. Ready to get cooking?
Ingredients for a salmon salad sandwich
Salmon makes the ideal spinoff on the classic tuna salad, which was invented in the early 1900’s as a way to use up leftovers. Canned salmon is much cheaper than fresh, and it’s a fun way to mix up the classic recipe. Or, salmon salad is perfect for using leftover salmon you have on hand from last night’s dinner. Here’s what you’ll need to make a salmon salad sandwich:
- Canned salmon or cooked salmon
- Celery
- Red onion
- Dill pickle
- Capers
- Greek yogurt or plain yogurt (optional)
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Yogurts makes a creamy sauce (or sub mayo)
The secret to the texture in this salmon salad sandwich? Greek yogurt! Using yogurt in combination with mayo makes the salmon salad ultra creamy while keeping the calories low. It also makes the flavor fresh instead of heavy!
You can also use plain yogurt as a stand-in for Greek. Mayo and yogurt work perfectly together to create creamy sauces: we also use this trick in our classic Tuna Salad, Healthy Ranch Dressing, and more.
Don’t have yogurt or dairy-free salmon sandwich? Skip the yogurt and use 3 tablespoons mayonnaise total.
Ways to serve a salmon salad sandwich
You can slap salmon salad onto any old bread. But to make a killer salmon salad sandwich, quality bread is key! Use artisan-style bread for a top quality result. Keep in mind you can also serve salmon salad over greens as an alterative or a gluten-free option. Here are a few ideas for making this sandwich shine:
- Artisan bread
- Sourdough bread
- Croissant (perfect for brunch!)
- Focaccia bread
- Ciabatta bread
- Pretzel rolls or buns
- Artisan sandwich buns
- Wraps
Sandwich mix-ins and topping ideas
The other way to innovate on a sandwich is the topping ideas! We like keeping this salmon salad sandwich simple with lettuce and a tomato slice, if we have one on hand. Want to get fancier? Add one of these toppings or mix-ins to your sandwich:
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or basil
- 1 tablespoon grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- Lettuce or baby arugula
- Microgreens
- Shredded carrots
- Sliced tomato
- Mayonnaise or mustard spread on the bread
- Pickled red onions
- Pickles
- Avocado slices
And that’s it! Let us know how you decide to build or customize this sandwich. We hope it becomes a lunch standby like it has for us!
More salmon recipes
Got more cans? Here are a few more canned salmon recipes and leftover salmon recipes you might enjoy:
- Make tasty Salmon Salad
- Go for easy Salmon Cakes or Salmon Croquettes
- Throw it onto a Salmon Caesar Salad
- Make Salmon Burgers
Want more with fresh salmon? Go to our top 35 Easy Salmon Recipes.
This salmon salad sandwich recipe is…
Pescatarian. For dairy-free, use mayo instead of Greek yogurt.
Salmon Salad Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 sandwiches 1x
Description
A salmon salad sandwich is a quick and easy lunch idea! Creamy and savory, it’s a tasty spin on the classic tuna.
Ingredients
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 dill pickle, finely chopped (¼ cup)
- 1 5-ounce can salmon (2/3 cup cooked flaked salmon)
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise*
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt*
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 4 slices bread
- Lettuce leaves, tomato, etc: for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the celery, red onion and dill pickle as noted above.
- Drain the salmon and place it in a medium bowl: mash it lightly with a fork. Add the chopped vegetables, capers, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- If desired, spread the bread with mayonnaise. Add lettuce or other sandwich toppings. Spread the salmon salad onto one half of the bread and top with the other slice of bread.
Notes
*If desired, skip the yogurt and use 3 total tablespoons mayonnaise: add more to taste if desired.
- Category: Main dish
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
One word: Delicious!!!! This has the perfect flavor and crunch! I used your tip, and put this on a croissant, and it seriously tasted like something from a really nice deli restaurant. I doubled the recipe to have leftovers for my family. On a side note: I LOVE your website. You guys are the love child of all of the sources I like to get recipes from (cue NYT cooking, Sam Sifton, Mark Bittman, Samin Nosrat, etc.), but you make it so much easier by giving me family-friendly approachable recipes and inspiration – all while still challenging my cooking skills and giving tons of how-to advice. Your website is spot-on and SUCH a valuable resource for me!! Thank you!!! :)
Thank you for the kind note! So glad you love this sandwich!
Let us know if you have any questions!