17 tinned tuna recipes for when you feel drained (2024)

Give one of our tinned tuna recipes a go to give your weekly rotation of recipes a freshen up. There’s more to that can than you might first think…

Our best tinned tuna recipes…

Ultimate niçoise salad with roasted new potatoes

Purists will not abide our ultimate niçoise salad, but we love its crispy potatoes, and think they make this Mediterranean dish hearty enough to enjoy in winter as well as summer!

Find the recipe here

Tuna and anchovy pasta

Sometimes you want a pasta dish but you don’t want a red sauce or something heavy with cheese… Enter tuna and anchovy pasta. There’s a secret to why this pasta dish tastes so good, and it’s a little thing called BUTTER. It brings together the slow-cooked onions, anchovy and meaty tuna wonderfully, to create a hearty pasta dish, scattered with flat leaf parsley.

Find the recipe here

Tuna and egg puff pastry pie

Leave your scepticism at the door, tinned tuna in a pie DOES work and it’s a comforting, warm hug of a meal. It’s paired with boiled egg and the sauce it’s stirred through is really tasty. Try it with mashed potatoes with plenty of butter and we think you’ll be surprised.

Find the recipe here

Tuna fishcakes

Our tuna fishcakes are made with tinned tuna, matzo meal, finely chopped onion and mashed potato. Serve them with salad, pickles and tartare sauce, or give them a go fish-and-chip-shop style alongside homemade chips!

Find the recipe here

Puttanesca pasta bake

This pasta takes the base of a puttanesca and makes it something extra-comforting with the addition of tuna and mozzarella. It’s all baked in the oven for a gooey, golden treat of a midweek meal.

Find the recipe here

Tuna niçoise salad

What do you get if you take the flavours of a classic French salad – tuna niçoise – and turn them into a healthy and filling pasta dish? An epic lunch, that’s what. It’s high in protein too, so is great for a post-workout meal.

Find the recipe here

Tuna croquettes

Fancy a bit of cheat’s tapas? Make speedy microwave mash, then stir in tinned tuna, fresh parsley, lemon and egg yolk. Shape into croquettes, then breadcrumb and fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Delightful!

Find the recipe here

Pasta with anchovies and capers

Another pasta, this time for garlic lovers. Here, a pasta sauce is made from anchovies, capers, garlic and lemon and it’s all ready in a speedy 10-minutes. You can’t say fairer than that.

Find the recipe here

Easy tuna pasta

Kids adore our easy tuna pasta. But whether you’re feeding children, cooking to a budget or need something fast when you get home from work, tuna pasta salad makes the cut every time. This one only takes five ingredients to rustle up.

Find the recipe here

Rice with chicory, tuna and orange cream

In this dish, we’ve used black rice which offers a certain dramatic impact – but you could use brown, white or red if you prefer. Stir it through a creamy tuna sauce, before serving with chicory and coriander. This makes a beautiful lunch or side to a dinner party.

Find the recipe here

Tuna maki rolls

This healthy, low-fat dinner of tuna and avocado inside-out rolls is much less expensive to make than you might think. AND even better, it’s a lot of fun to put together. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be spreading sushi love.

Find the recipe here

Quinoa, tenderstem broccoli, avocado and tuna salad

There’s so much nourishing goodness packed into this hearty salad that you’re bound to feel invincible after just one bowl!

Find the recipe here

Tuna chilli linguine

You can’t have too many inexpensive and quick pasta dishes. Try this 15-minute tuna linguine which we’ve pepped up with chilli, parsley and lemon juice.

Find the recipe here

Crunchy-melty tuna pasta bake

People go wild for our crunchy tuna pasta bake: it’s one of our most popular recipes! Inexpensive, and texturally satisfying, we think you should give it a go…

Find the recipe here

Tuna, cannellini bean and red onion salad on griddled tomato bread

The combination of tuna and cannellini beans is always successful. Here it’s turned into the perfect filling at-home lunch, with the use of a few store-cupboard ingredients.

Find the recipe here

Tomato and tuna pilaf

Tuna and rice is a lovely combination, but it’s rarely found in recipes. Here butter, beans and tuna are stirred through a simple tomato pilaf for a 20 minute fuss-free family supper.

Find the recipe here

Tuna pasta shells with sweetcorn

Tuna and sweetcorn pasta shells is our saving-for-payday saviour! This store-cupboard combo works every time. Bubbling and golden from time in the oven, it’s perfect for making in a big batch and saving for tomorrow’s lunch. ⁠

Find the recipe here

Discover all our storecupboard recipes for more ideas using the contents of your cupboard.

17 tinned tuna recipes for when you feel drained (2024)

FAQs

How do you make canned tuna more interesting? ›

5 Flavor Combos That Keep Canned Tuna Recipes Interesting
  1. Tuna + Pasta. For an instant boost of filling protein in your carb-loaded pasta night, add a can of tuna. ...
  2. Tuna + Cheese. ...
  3. Tuna + Bread. ...
  4. Tuna + Beans. ...
  5. Tuna + Egg.
Mar 18, 2020

How do you eat canned tuna if you don't like it? ›

1. Add a little moisture to the mix
  1. Oil. Olive, truffle, and even toasted sesame (which I use in my recipe below) are just a few drool-worthy examples. ...
  2. Mustard. If tang is your thang, a sharp Dijon will mask any sort of fishiness. ...
  3. Hot sauces, vinegars, and salad dressings. ...
  4. Hummus. ...
  5. Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Jun 28, 2021

Is 1 can of tuna a day safe? ›

Although mercury is a toxic chemical, it's usually not present in tuna in large enough quantities to cause serious issues. Canned tuna's health benefits seem to outweigh any small negative effect of its mercury concentration. In general, eating canned tuna once or twice a week is safe.

What can I mix with canned tuna? ›

Dress up your canned tuna in these healthy recipes.
  • 01 of 05. Tuna Cakes: Add Eggs, Herbs & Breadcrumbs. ...
  • 02 of 05. One-Pot Pasta: Add Pasta, Olives & Lemon. ...
  • 03 of 05. Tuna Melt: Add Greek Yogurt, Veggies, Cheese & Bread. ...
  • 04 of 05. Niçoise Salad: Add Potatoes, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Green Beans & Dressing. ...
  • 05 of 05.
Aug 19, 2022

What spices to add to canned tuna? ›

For a garden-y element, try dried dill and marjoram either with or instead of fresh herbs. However, we'd steer clear of any spices or dried ingredients that will suck moisture or freshness away from your dishes such as cumin, baking spices, and nutritional yeasts. Save those for earthier, heartier dishes.

What can I mix with tuna besides mayo? ›

12 Delicious Substitutes For Mayo In Your Tuna Salad
  • Greek yogurt. Maslova Valentina/Shutterstock. ...
  • Avocado. Irina Rostokina/Shutterstock. ...
  • Hummus. Tempura/Getty Images. ...
  • Olive oil. Maryia_K/Shutterstock. ...
  • Dijon mustard. Stepanek Photography/Shutterstock. ...
  • Ranch dressing. RebeccaDLev/Shutterstock. ...
  • Sour cream. ...
  • Cottage cheese.
Jan 24, 2024

What is canned tuna best in? ›

Versatile and packed full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna can be a snack with chips on its own or the star ingredient in salad Niçoise or a simple pasta.

How do you elevate a tuna sandwich? ›

Add crunchy, tangy, pickle-y things to your tuna salad

Onions and celery are popular (and good) additions that add texture, but they're not the only options. Choosing something that adds crunch but also brings a hit of tangy, pickle-y flavor is my favorite way to punch up a tuna melt.

When should you not eat canned tuna? ›

Exposure to mercury can be especially harmful to small children and people who are pregnant. While the brain of a child develops, it rapidly absorbs nutrients. Mercury can affect that absorption, causing learning disabilities and developmental delays.

Why does canned tuna not taste like fish? ›

Why does canned tuna taste so very different from fresh tuna? Because it's over cooked and under seasoned. Canned tuna is boiled in it's own juices, inside the can. It's basically pressure cooked and heat treated during the canning process.

Can you eat salmon out of the can like tuna? ›

Canned salmon is already cooked - just drain the liquid and it's ready to eat or add to your favourite dish. You can remove the skin if you like. Don't throw out the soft, calcium-rich bones! Mash them with a fork and you won't even notice them.

What are the symptoms of too much mercury? ›

Symptoms of mercury poisoning
  • tremors.
  • headaches.
  • difficulty sleeping.
  • impaired sensations.
  • muscle weakness and twitching.
  • emotional changes (mood swings, irritability, nervousness)
  • kidney damage.
  • breathing difficulties.
Nov 21, 2023

Is 8 cans of tuna a week too much? ›

But how many tins a week? Lab tests we did for the ABC TV science program Catalyst in 2015 suggest – depending on your body weight and the exact brand of tuna you buy – you could eat anywhere between 25 and 35 small tins (95g each) of tuna a week before you hit maximum mercury limits.

How many cans of tuna can you eat in a week? ›

Canned light tuna is in the “Best Choices” category and it is fine to eat 2 to 3 servings per week. We recommend that you eat a variety of fish. You may wish to try other affordable fish in the “Best Choices” category such as canned salmon or sardines, frozen fish, or fresh fish that are at a reduced price. 3.

What can I put in tuna besides mayo? ›

Best tuna salad without mayo

Instead, we use a combination of Greek yogurt, lemon, and Dijon mustard to mimic the tangy flavor of mayo with half the amount of calories. This healthy tuna salad is light, simple, and easy to make.

Do you rinse canned tuna before eating? ›

Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as beans, tuna, and vegetables before eating. This removes some of the sodium. Canned fish is often packed in oil or water.

How to make tuna taste good without mayo reddit? ›

Mix a little soy sauce and sesame oil and grated ginger, maybe with a little more rice vinegar (I love rice vinegar!). Yum. Diced onion, tomato, jalapeño/serrano, cilantro, lots of lemon, salt & pepper, avocado. I put it on salad with just my regular vinaigrette or on buttered bread with a pinch of salt and pepper.

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