Is Matthew McConaughey A Tuna Salad Master? I Tried His Recipe To Find Out

"I'm a tuna fish salad master," said actor Matthew McConaughey during an episode of the podcast "2 Bears, 1 Cave" with Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer. As the three men reflected on McConaughey's culinary upbringing, which consisted of a lot of boiled squash and boiled okra, McConaughey waxed poetic about his homemade tuna fish salad. "Every Sunday night, clean out the fridge, machito style, gonna make a badass tuna fish to last through the week," McConaughey said.

Defining oneself as a "master" of any dish is a fairly lofty claim. Tuna fish salad, while a seemingly simple deli salad, requires answering a lot of questions before getting to the chopping and mixing of it all. What kind of tuna are you using? Are you including chopped celery and mayo, or do you use mustard instead? What about hard-boiled eggs? Do you make it spicy? Thankfully, self-proclaimed master that he is, McConaughey shared his tuna fish salad recipe during the podcast — which meant I had no choice but to recreate it myself.

I purchased each item on McConaughey's ingredient list and recreated his recipe to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, he didn't provide precise measurements, so I had to use my best judgement. Did McConaughey's tuna salad recipe did in fact earn him the title of "tuna salad master," or if it's no more than "alright, alright, alright?" Read on to find out. 

McConaughey's recipe for tuna salad isn't for the tuna salad simpleton — not by a long shot. The ingredient list is lengthy, but each item brings a different element to the salad, whether it's terms of flavor or texture.

He starts with a high-end canned tuna, and because he didn't specify the brand he uses, I went with my go-to high-end tuna: Tonnino yellowfin tuna in olive oil. He then puts in lemon juice, vinegar, chopped red onion, chopped gherkins, chopped apple, agave, corn, and frozen green peas. For his creamy binding element, he makes a sort of spicy, herby mixture using mayonnaise, wasabi, and Italian dressing. And finally, for a little bit of crunch and added spice, he uses chopped-up crispy jalapeño chips. 

After combining all of the ingredients together in a bowl, McConaughey specifically instructs that this mix is to be left in the fridge to meld overnight. This allows the tuna salad's many, many ingredients to come together and for those flavors to develop further. 

Matthew McConaughey isn't the only celebrity to share a personal recipe of his with the masses. In order to get a better understanding of just how masterful McConaughey's tuna salad recipe may or may not be, I compared and contrasted it with some other celebrity tuna salad recipes posted online. 

Starting in the celebrity chef world, Gordon Ramsay's elevated tuna salad uses "bougie" ingredients for a more elevated take. Ramsay puts lightly-seared ahi tuna and olive tapenade on a Triscuit cracker, then tops it with French green bean salad, and a runny quail egg. Martha Stewart's tuna salad is simple but wonderfully aromatic, as she adds chopped apples and basil for sweetness and a fresh, peppery aroma. Valerie Bertinelli's tuna salad leans into her Italian roots; she makes hers with Italian tuna, mayo, capers, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, sweet and hot cherry peppers, kalamata olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Meanwhile, Chrissy Teigen's recipe for tuna salad is in the form of a tuna melt. She incorporates mayo, diced onion, sweet pickle relish, and Dijon mustard with her tuna on a sandwich with tomato and cheese.

After comparing McConaughey's version with these other celebrity versions, my conclusion is that McConaughey's version is more an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style than the rest, but just like his celebrity counterparts, each ingredient has a purpose.

Before we get to the taste, let's talk about the look. Aesthetically, this tuna salad is stunning. The chopped red onion, corn, and frozen green peas provide these little pops of bright color throughout, turning what was once a one-note deli salad into something beautiful. It also has a lot going on in terms of its aroma. The smell of tuna is a recognizable one, and while that is certainly present here, there's a noticeable briny, slightly-sweet aroma that is both pleasant and mouth-watering. We eat with our eyes, so having a good-looking tuna fish certainly works in its favor. But how does it taste?

This tuna salad is a flavor and texture bomb in the best possible way. There's an undeniably perfect combination of crunch and much, and the textural contrast in each bite is kind of mind-blowing. Using the high-end tuna really elevates everything here, but each additional ingredient brings something to the party too. The chopped apple and red onion bring in a bit of sweetness and crunch, and the mayonnaise mixture with the wasabi and Italian dressing has just the right kick of heat. The vinegar and gherkins cut through the rich, oily tuna, and the crispy jalapeño chips are the perfect balance of spice and salt. I even sprinkled some of the chips on top for added crunch.

Is Matthew McConaughey a tuna salad master? This is the first question I wanted to answer. For me, being recipe master means making it over and over to achieve perfection. Each ingredient should have a purpose, rather than just being there for fun. After listening to McConaughey talk about his recipe, it does sound like he's put in the hours to master the recipe development component. He's made it repeatedly and has determined that these ingredients work in harmony. Every element has a crucial role in making this recipe ultra-enjoyable. 

Moreover, he's taken a classic recipe and turned it on its ear by improving upon it. After trying this recipe myself, I do believe he has earned the title of tuna salad master. A tip of the cap to you, Matthew McConaughey, and a rousing "alright, alright, alright" is in order.

As far as if it's worth trying, I say a resounding yes. Yes, this is a lengthy recipe — it has 13 ingredients and needs to sit overnight. But there's something beautiful about preparing each ingredient, seasoning and tasting accordingly, and giving the tuna salad the time it needs to fully develop. You could easily throw a tuna salad together in a matter of minutes and have it be perfectly fine, or you can put in the time and effort to make something really extraordinary. When it comes to enjoying the fruits of my culinary labor, I'll opt for the latter every time.