I Made Matthew McConaughey’s Viral Tuna Salad Recipe. It Was, Like, Really Good.

Matthew McConaughey and I have two things in common: We’re both from Texas and we both think we’re really good at making tuna fish salad.

My ears perked up when McConaughey claimed he was a “tuna fish salad master maker,” on a November episode of the “2 Bears, 1 Cave” podcast. Finally, me and the “Alright, alright, alright” guy are on the same page, I thought. And then I saw the recipe: A lemon, a red onion, an apple, a can of tuna in oil, corn, frozen peas, white wine vinegar, wasabi paste, mayo, Italian dressing, agave, dill pickles, and crispy jalapeño chips.

This all sounds pretty gross to me. An apple? Truly, what the hell? I don’t want agave syrup with my canned fish! I don’t want frozen peas! I hate peas!

I make an absolutely delightful and pretty traditional tuna fish pasta salad that I bravely, and proudly, do not add any apples or syrup to it. And, my love for tuna fish salad goes back decades. My mom would pack me tuna fish salad sandwiches for my elementary school lunch. Although it sometimes felt like that one “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scene, I enjoyed my notoriously smelly fish!

It’s the perfect snack with crackers and it’s great in a casserole. What does McConaughey know?

I whipped up the salad, which McConaughey says is his clean-out-the-fridge recipe, in about 10 minutes. I did have to do a little bit of guessing – I just assume he’s opting for a Granny Smith apple because that sounds less gross than adding, say, a Honeycrisp apple to my tuna.

To note: I didn’t measure anything.

After mixing it all together, I popped it in the fridge for a couple hours, as per the Austin actor’s advice.

“... As every redneck knows, is it better right then or is it better covered after you put it in the fridge the next day? It’s all coagulated. All the tastes are right,” McConaughey said.

Y’all. It’s the best tuna salad I’ve ever had. It’s perfectly acidic. The addition of jalapeño chips is inspired. The sweetness delivered by the corn and the apple is just right. I ate the whole thing. I’m probably going to make more tomorrow. I also love how classically southern this recipe is. Where else would these ingredients work but Texas?

The man might be known for his Oscar-award winning acting, his dedication to the Longhorns, and his Lincoln commercials, but oh my god his tuna salad recipe. If McConaughey is sharing recipes, I am absolutely listening!

📢 Let me know if you try this out!