A Subway tuna sandwich made at home is a soft sub roll filled with creamy tuna salad, crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, black olives and American cheese. The tuna salad itself is very plain: drained canned tuna, mayonnaise and a little lemon juice. Everything else is layered on as a topping. This copycat makes two 6-inch subs in 15 minutes with no cooking at all. It is a home recipe in the style of the sandwich shop, not the chain’s own formula.
How to make a Subway tuna sandwich: Mix 2 drained 5-ounce cans of tuna with 1/3 cup of mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Slice open 2 sub rolls. Layer each with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and red onion, cover with more lettuce and add sliced black olives. Scoop half the tuna salad onto each, top with 1 1/2 slices of American cheese, close the rolls and press down.
Why You’ll Love It
- No cooking. A bowl and a knife are all you need.
- Fifteen minutes. Lunch for two, start to finish.
- Simple tuna salad. Three ingredients, creamy and mild.
- Fresh and crunchy. Five vegetables in every bite.
- Build it your way. Add or skip toppings, as you would at the counter.
Ingredient Notes
Tuna. Two 5-ounce cans, drained very well.
Mayonnaise. A 1/3 cup.
Lemon juice. Two teaspoons. It brightens the tuna.
Sub rolls. Two rolls of about 6 inches each.
Lettuce. Six large leaves.
Cucumber and red onion. A quarter of each, sliced.
Tomatoes. Two medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds.
Black olives. Two tablespoons, sliced.
American cheese. Three slices, shared between the two subs.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna, drained
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 sub rolls (6 inches each)
- 6 large lettuce leaves
- 1/4 cucumber, sliced into rounds
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
- 3 slices American cheese
How to Make a Subway Tuna Sandwich
1. Mix the tuna salad. Mix the drained tuna, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
2. Open the rolls. Slice open the sub rolls.
3. Layer the vegetables. Put 1 1/2 lettuce leaves on the bottom of each roll. Divide the cucumber and tomatoes between the rolls, add half the onion slices to each and cover each with another 1 1/2 lettuce leaves. Divide the olives between the sandwiches.
4. Add tuna and cheese. Scoop half the tuna salad onto each sandwich and top each with 1 1/2 slices of American cheese.
5. Close and serve. Put the top halves on the rolls and press down to compact the fillings. Slice and serve.
What Goes in the Tuna, and What Goes on the Sandwich?
This is where homemade tuna subs usually go wrong. At home, we tend to stir celery, pickles, onion and seasoning into tuna salad. A sandwich-shop tuna is much plainer. The mixture is essentially tuna and mayonnaise, mixed until smooth and creamy. The vegetables are not in the salad. They are added to the sandwich, in layers, when it is built.
| In the tuna salad | On the sandwich |
|---|---|
| Drained canned tuna | Lettuce |
| Mayonnaise | Cucumber |
| Lemon juice | Tomato |
| Red onion | |
| Black olives | |
| American cheese |
The lemon juice is this recipe’s own touch. It is not a confirmed restaurant ingredient. It simply lifts the flavor of canned tuna. Leave it out if you want the plainest possible mix.
How to get the creamy texture
Two small steps make the difference. First, drain the tuna thoroughly. Press the lid into the can, or squeeze the tuna in a sieve, until no more liquid runs out. Wet tuna makes a watery salad and a soggy roll. Second, flake the tuna finely with a fork before the mayonnaise goes in, so the mixture turns smooth and spreadable with no big chunks.
Tips for Success
Should I assemble the sandwiches ahead?
No. The bread softens quickly once it is filled. Make the tuna salad ahead, keep it cold and build the subs when you are ready to eat.
Why lettuce on the bottom?
A layer of lettuce under the wet vegetables and the tuna helps keep the bottom of the roll from getting soggy.
Should I toast the rolls?
That is up to you. A light toasting adds a little crunch and helps the bread hold up.
What other toppings can I add?
Anything you would ask for at the counter: pickles, peppers, spinach or a different cheese.
Why press the sandwich down?
Pressing compacts the layers, so the sub holds together when you slice it and bite into it.
Storage
Keep the tuna salad covered in the refrigerator, at 40°F or below. It is at its best within 2 days. Do not leave tuna salad or a finished sandwich out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is hotter than 90°F. If you pack a sub for lunch, keep it in a cooler bag with an ice pack. Mayonnaise and lettuce do not freeze well, so this is not a freezer meal.
What to Serve With It
Chips, a pickle and a cold drink make it a sandwich-shop lunch. For dinner later in the week, try another restaurant-inspired dish like the Big Mac casserole. For easy family mains, there is the Ritz cracker chicken casserole, the million dollar chicken casserole and the easy chicken burrito casserole. And for something hearty, make the stuffed pepper casserole or the chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s in the Subway tuna sandwich?
The restaurant’s own recipe is not something I can confirm. This copycat uses tuna, mayonnaise and lemon juice on a sub roll with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and American cheese.
How to order Subway tuna?
At the counter, you choose the bread, the cheese and the vegetables. At home, build yours with the toppings you like.
Do the vegetables go into the tuna salad?
No. The tuna is mixed only with mayonnaise and lemon juice. The vegetables are layered on the roll.
Can I make the tuna salad ahead?
Yes. Keep it covered in the fridge and assemble the sandwiches just before serving.
Final Notes
I slice all the vegetables before I open the tuna, so the subs can be built and eaten right away. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Subway Tuna Sandwich
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Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna 5 ounces each, drained
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 rolls sub rolls 6 inches each
- 6 leaves lettuce large
- 1/4 cucumber sliced into rounds
- 2 tomatoes medium, sliced into rounds
- 1/4 red onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons black olives sliced
- 3 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Mix the drained tuna, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
- Slice open the sub rolls.
- Put 1 1/2 lettuce leaves on the bottom of each roll. Divide the cucumber and tomatoes between the rolls, add half the onion slices to each and cover each with another 1 1/2 lettuce leaves. Divide the olives between the sandwiches.
- Scoop half the tuna salad onto each sandwich and top each with 1 1/2 slices of American cheese.
- Put the top halves on the rolls and press down to compact the fillings. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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