Fix That Watery Tuna Salad With Some Hard-Boiled Eggs

If you make a healthy tuna salad and it turns out way too watery, rest assured that there is an easy way to fix it. Whether the tuna wasn't drained well enough, or the veggies weren't thoroughly dried after you washed them and the water ended up in the salad, or overly juicy pickles are possibly the culprit — whatever the soggy cause may be, the best way to fix watery tuna salad is by adding a dry ingredient that can absorb the excess liquid.

Simply draining watery tuna salad risks the loss of a lot of flavors from any spices or seasoning you use, so it's not advised to go that route. Luckily, there are plenty of unexpected ingredients that can be used to fix watery tuna salad. Hard-boiled eggs are at the top of the list. Not only do hard-boiled eggs add a rich, creamy flavor and texture to tuna salad, but they'll work wonders to soak up any excess liquid.

Although hard-boiled eggs with powdery yolks may be considered overcooked, a dry yolk consistency is the best at absorbing excess liquid. So don't try to make a perfect hard-boiled egg with a creamy center in this case — a drier yolk is much more effective for fixing watery tuna salad. Achieving a drier, more powdery yolk doesn't mean boiling the eggs until the whites are rubbery and the yellow center is starting to turn green or even gray. Just an extra minute or two in the boiling-hot water will do the trick. After they've been deliberately overcooked, give the eggs some time to rest instead of rushing to cool them in cold water.

Powdery, barely overcooked egg yolks will crumble as they're cut. Although a crumbly yolk would not be ideal in most cooking scenarios, that's what makes them perfect for fixing watery tuna salad. As a bonus: Not only will these dry yolk crumbs have maximum absorbency power, but as they're mixed in with the extra water and oil (or pickle juice), they'll essentially create their own delicious, creamy sauce. 

If using hard-boiled eggs to fix your watery tuna salad is not an option, the good news is there are plenty of other ways to remedy the problem of too much liquid. For one thing, you could increase the amount of the other ingredients until the extra liquid has been offset. If you don't want to end up with more tuna salad than you can eat before it goes bad, ground nuts and bread crumbs are both options for soaking up the sog. Typically, ground nuts are considered superior because they don't get soggy the way breadcrumbs can. 

If you've got some cooked pasta on hand, use it. It's well known that noodles do an excellent job of sopping up excess juices and oils — especially if the pasta is on the firmer side of al dente. Or grab that leftover rice for the same absorbing effect. Potatoes are also known for their ability to absorb liquids, and tossing in a handful of cubed boiled spuds has the added benefit of providing bulk, fiber, and nutrients to your tuna salad. 

But for an easy and effective way to fix water tuna salad, go for hard-boiled eggs. Delicious, nutritious, and creamy, hard-boiled eggs are such a boon to tuna salad, that you might be motivated to include them even when the salad isn't overly soggy.