Updated June 2026

For National Pickle Day, November 14th, we present some food fun: a pickle sandwich that is not pickles on bread, but tuna salad on a pickle!

Experience a playful twist on the viral pickle sandwich with this protein-packed Tuna Salad Pickle creation, a low-carb adaptation that replaces bread with crispy, pickle halves—crunch in every bite.

It’s the creation of Donaldo Estevam for Wild Planet Foods.

Below:

> Tuna salad pickle sandwich recipe.

> More tuna salad recipes (including two celebrity recipes).

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 9 pickle holidays.

> The year’s 30 sandwich holidays.

> The year’s 60+ fish and seafood holidays.

> What should you drink with pickle canoes (and other pickle dishes): beer, cocktails, soft drinks, wine?

> The history and science of pickling.

> All the pickle types, a photo glossary.

> The history of pickles.

> How to make quick pickled vegetables and fruits in an hour.

> Pickled grapes recipe—a great garnish.

> More fun: a pickle canoes recipe.

> Even more pickle fun: Make a pickle bouquet.

> The different types of tuna.

> Albacore vs. yellowfin tuna: the difference.
 
 
RECIPE: TUNA SALAD PICKLE SANDWICH

The creamy tuna salad, enhanced with spicy jalapeños and crisp red onions, creates a satisfying crunch in every bite.

For extra fun, we added a tablespoon of sweet pickle relish to the tuna salad.

You can use any protein salad filling: chicken salad, egg salad, salmon salad, etc.

TIP: If you want a sandwich with less “spillage” when you take a bite, scoop out the center of the pickle halves to allow more space for the tuna salad. (This is called a pickle boat*.)

Ingredients

For the Pickle Base

 
For The Tuna Salad

 
For The Garnish

 
Preparation

1. MIX the tuna salad ingredients in a bowl until well combined.

2. SLICE the pickle vertically. Add the lettuce add tuna salad.

3. TOP with tomato slices and serve immediately.
 
 
MORE TUNA SALAD RECIPES

[1] We made the sandwich, grabbed a beer, and had a tasty lunch. We didn’t want the carbs and calories of chips, so we grabbed a bag of Like Air Puffcorn (Gemini Photo).

[2] Tuna is a high-quality, protein-rich food with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. The Wild Planet brand is sourced sustainably with lower mercury levels, and caught using sustainable methods like pole-and-line fishing, which is safer for dolphins and turtles (Gemini Photo).

[3] Jalapeño heat adds a nice layer of flavor to the tuna and pickle…but if you don’t like heat, see the next photo (photo © Good Eggs).
 

[4] If you don’t want the heat of jalapeño, consider sweet pickle relish. We like this brand because there’s no sugar added. The sweetness comes from sucralose (Splenda). We buy Mt. Olive on Amazon (Gemini Photo).

[5] A summery tuna and chickpea salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, on mixed greens, with a side of garlic bread. Here’s the recipe (photo © Delallo).

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