Inexpensive, practical and easy to store, canned tuna allows you to prepare a gourmet meal in just a few minutes, even when your fridge is almost empty. If you used to enjoy it simply in a rice salad with mayonnaise, know that canned tuna can be turned into a multitude of easy and tasty recipes. In fact, we’ve selected 20 that will delight everyone!
What to do with a can of tuna?
The answer is much broader than you might imagine. Savory tarts, pasta bakes, composed salads, croquettes, pizzas, sandwiches, savory cakes or even rillettes for aperitifs: canned tuna adapts to all desires and all moments of the day. It often only takes a few everyday ingredients to transform it into a full, indulgent and balanced meal.
Bonus: recipes with canned tuna are generally very easy to prepare and affordable! It’s therefore a particularly interesting ally for weekday meals, take-away lunches, picnics or last-minute aperitifs. Paired with pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables or simply spread on good bread, it easily allows you to vary pleasures without ever getting bored on your plate.
So if you’re looking for a meal idea with canned tuna, you’re in the right place! We’ve gathered for you 20 easy and indulgent recipes based on canned tuna, all the simpler, faster and cheaper than the others. Enough to rediscover this pantry staple and never run out of ideas to cook your next can of tuna!
Tuna Pasta Bake with Tomato Sauce
The tuna pasta bake is a safe bet for easily preparing a meal for the whole family with a few pantry ingredients. This version with tomato sauce, cream and cheese is truly comforting and comes together in a few very quick steps.
Budget Tuna and Tomato Tart
For a simple and economical dinner, this tuna and tomato tart is ideal. With a shortcrust pastry, canned tuna, tomatoes, mustard and cheese, it lets you prepare a generous dish without spending hours in the kitchen.
Express Tuna Quiche
Quiche is an excellent solution when you’re looking for a quick recipe with a can of tuna! This express version is ready in only 5 minutes before going into the oven and can be served with a salad to form a complete and balanced dinner.
Tuna Grilled Cheese
In the mood for a quick bite? Revisit the classic grilled cheese with canned tuna! Easy and quick to prepare, this indulgent recipe pairs good bread with melted cheese and a blend of cream cheese and tuna for a generously filled sandwich.
Tuna and Corn Pizza
The homemade pizza is perfect for using up a tuna can you have in the pantry. Here, we focus on canned tuna, corn, mushrooms, red onion and mozzarella for an easy and generous pizza ready in 4 simple steps.
Tuna Stuffed Naans
To mix things up from classic toasts, treat yourself to these tuna-stuffed naans. Filled with spreadable cheese, tomato sauce and shredded cheese, they are cooked directly in the pan. An original idea for an easy lunch or dinner.
Budget Tuna and Zucchini Savory Cake
Savory cake is especially practical for a picnic, an appetizer or a simple but indulgent dinner. This tuna and zucchini cake recipe is easy, affordable and fluffy, with a base that can easily be varied with the vegetables you have on hand.
Tuna Croquettes
For a more original way to cook canned tuna, make delicious tuna and potato croquettes. Golden and crispy on the outside, melting on the inside, they can be served as an appetizer or paired with a salad to make an impressive starter.
Tuna Empanadas
These South American-origin turnovers are perfect for turning a simple can of tuna into tasty bites! Tuna empanadas are filled with a tuna and tomato filling before being baked to a golden finish. A great idea for aperitif or as a starter.
Easy and Cheap Tuna Rillettes
With only a few ingredients, prepare homemade tuna rillettes in under five minutes. Canned tuna, cream cheese, lemon and a few herbs are enough to make a budget-friendly and gourmet spread perfect for an improvised aperitif.
Tuna Sandwich
The tuna sandwich is an ideal solution for a quick lunch or a take-away meal. This recipe pairs canned tuna with cream cheese and lemon for freshness and with lettuce for a touch of greenery in an easy-to-make (and easy-to-eat) sandwich!
Avocados stuffed with Tuna Rillettes
For a fresh and original starter, avocados stuffed with tuna rillettes are an excellent alternative! The avocado flesh is mixed with tuna, cream cheese, lemon and onion before being placed back into the scooped-out halves. A visually appealing and flavorful no-cook recipe.
Rice Salad with Peas and Tuna
The tuna rice salad is perfect for preparing a complete meal in advance. This version combines rice, peas, peppers, zucchini and canned tuna for a colorful salad easy to take to the office or enjoy at a picnic.
Budget Tuna Mimosa Egg
For an easy, quick and economical starter, these tuna mimosa eggs are a wonderful idea! Canned tuna adds a gourmet touch to this classic, accompanied by tomatoes, red onion and parsley for a fresh and flavorful filling.
Budget Cannellonis with Tuna and Tomato
Want a generous dish with just a can of tuna? These tuna and tomato cannellonis are easy to prepare and perfect for a family or friends dinner. Stuffed with tuna and cream cheese, then gratinated with mozzarella, they make a gourmet and economical recipe while delighting everyone around the table!
Savory Tuna Cookies
What if you turned your canned tuna into delicious savory biscuits? These tuna cookies, both crunchy and tender, are so easy to prepare in just a few minutes that you’ll make them again for all your upcoming parties! They can also be enjoyed as a starter with salad.
Potato and Tuna Salad
Simple, economical and satisfying, this potato salad with tuna is ideal for composing an easy meal with everyday ingredients. Enhanced with a mustard, lemon and parsley dressing, it’s best enjoyed cold for a no-fuss lunch or dinner.
Healthy Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Tuna
To switch things up from traditional pasta dishes, go for gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and tuna! This simple recipe pairs soft gnocchi, roasted cherry tomatoes and canned tuna for a complete, indulgent and healthy plate.
Tomatoes as Egg Casserole with Tuna
For an original presentation, tuna goes directly into tomatoes before being accompanied by an egg and cream. These tomatoes in the style of tuna egg casserole provide an easy and indulgent meal idea in only 15 minutes of cooking.
Stuffed Peppers with Tuna
We end our selection of the day with tuna-stuffed peppers: a generous recipe that changes from the traditional meat-stuffed vegetables! The tuna is mixed with cream, parmesan, breadcrumbs and fresh herbs before being placed into half-peppers and gratinated in the oven.
