Canned tuna is a pantry staple that often goes unnoticed, but its versatility and convenience make it a secret weapon for creating delicious and satisfying meals. Whether you’re looking for quick and easy weekday dinners or impressive dishes for entertaining, canned tuna can be transformed into delicious recipes that are sure to please!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Platings + Pairings.
Canned tuna is a versatile and budget-friendly ingredient that I always keep on hand!
Why? It can be used in so many recipes.
You can transform humble canned tuna into comforting casseroles, zesty salads, and so much more!
Whether you’re looking for quick and easy options or gourmet-inspired dishes, these recipes demonstrate the incredible potential of canned tuna and invite you to explore new flavors and textures. So, grab a can of tuna from your pantry and let your culinary imagination run wild.
The BEST Canned Tuna Recipes
This Mediterranean Chickpea Tuna Salad is the perfect dish for when you’re trying to eat lighter but still want a delicious meal.
Get the RECIPE
Tuna Rice is a quick and easy Hawaiian-inspired dish made with a spicy sriracha tuna mix layered over white rice. Add crunchy, umami toppings and dig into this budget-friendly and protein-packed meal that everyone will love!
Get the RECIPE
This easy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Cheese is an upgraded version of classic tuna noodle casserole. Spiked with piquillo peppers, white wine & topped with panko.
Get the RECIPE
This Tuna Spaghetti recipe is an easy way to revamp canned tuna into a flavorful and budget-friendly main course. Made with a can of tuna, the pasta of your choice, and a simple olive oil and garlic sauce, this is a restaurant-quality meal that’s ready in minutes.
Get the RECIPE
10-Minute Avocado Tuna Salad. Creamy avocado, crunchy cucumbers and tuna combine inthis delicious mayo free tuna salad. It's a healthier way to enjoy tuna saladfor lunch or dinner.
Get the RECIPE
This canned tuna pasta recipe is quick, healthy, and comforting. The perfect recipe when you don’t have a lot in your pantry!
Get the RECIPE from Salt and Lavender
This Tuna Cucumber Sandwich is easy to make, really versatile, and perfect for a quick lunch. Keep it simple or add more toppings!
Get the RECIPE from The Healthful Ideas
This Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad is a lighter alternative to the classic tuna pasta salad. It’s packed with flavor, easy to make, and so delicious!
Get the RECIPE from The Healthful Ideas
This spicy tuna stuffed avocado recipe is a quick and easy low-carb snack or light meal. You can have it ready in about 10 minutes!
Get the RECIPE from Salt and Lavender
This tuna noodle casserole recipe has a creamy and cheesy sauce, egg noodles, tuna, and a ridiculously tasty crunchy topping. It tastes so much better from scratch!
Get the RECIPE from Salt and Lavender
This easy tuna salad recipe is a classic that has no complicated ingredients! It’s perfectly creamy and crunchy, and you’ll look forward to making a quick lunch.
Get the RECIPE from Salt and Lavender
Canned tuna meets hearty green lentils for a dressed up tuna salad. We encourage you to serve this with crackers and endive for scooping up the perfect bite!
Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper
Crispy, crunchy sourdough bread topped with a tangy, herbed tuna salad and melted cheddar makes this classic tuna melt recipe one that we make anytime we need an easy and satisfying meal.
Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper
Here is an easy Cannellini Bean Salad with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts recipe that requires mostly pantry items. It’s quick, delicious, nutritious, and filling.
Get the RECIPE from Calm Eats
Flavorful low carb tuna stuffed peppers mixed with veggies, greek yogurt & buffalo sauce and topped with layers of melted cheese!
Get the RECIPE from Ambitious Kitchen
These simple Tuna Stacks are an explosion of flavor! We use a 1 cup measuring cup to quickly assemble these stacks which have 4 easy layers
Get the RECIPE from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
This creamy Tuna Pasta Bake is a family-friendly, classic cheesy pasta dish made up of a few pantry staple, simple ingredients.
Get the RECIPE from The Irishman’s Wife
These tuna patties aka tuna fish cakes, are a perfect way to use up cans of tuna. They're simple, crispy and so good! You'll be amazed at how cans of tuna fish can make such delicious patties!
Get the RECIPE from Whisk It Real Gud
This simple baked tuna and pasta dish is a comforting one with a fun twist on everyone’s favourite classic tuna casserole. It has a made-from-scratch creamy sauce and a crunchy parmesan topping that puts this classic recipe over the top.
Get the RECIPE from Olive and Mango
Baked tuna meatballs are a healthy seafood spin on your average meatballs. They’re easy to make with a few cans of tuna fish and perfect for a low-carb snack or topped on zucchini noodles for a full meal.
Get the RECIPE from Downshiftology
This keto-friendly stuffed zucchini boats recipe is loaded with tuna and cheese for a low-carb, healthy dinner option. Perfect for lunches, too! Ready in under 30 minutes.
Get the RECIPE from The Honour System
A kid friendly Poor Man’s Spicy Tuna Roll Recipe you can easily make with everyday pantry ingredients! Ready in 15 minutes from start to finish.
Get the RECIPE from Pickled Plum
This light and refreshing tuna salad starts with canned tuna and dresses it up with radishes, cilantro, shredded carrot, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
Get the RECIPE from Simply Recipes
The perfect combination of flavorful ingredients, this classic Tuna Nicoise Salad is a simple, fresh, and easy lunch or dinner option for the sunny months ahead. With warm, crispy roasted potatoes and green beans, tuna, olives, and more, it’s a healthy meal that truly satisfies!
Get the RECIPE from The Seasoned Mom
These Tuna Salad Deviled Eggs combines the classic tuna salad you grew up loving and the everyone’s favorite party food, deviled eggs!
Get the RECIPE from Take Two Tapas
These tuna burgers are thick, savory, and irresistible! Pile on the toppings and smother with aioli for a satisfying meal.
Get the RECIPE from A Couple Cooks
Tuna Stuffed Baked Potatoes are such a budget friendly and versatile meal. Easy to adapt with different vegetables, it's a comforting lunch that the whole family will love.
Get the RECIPE from Hungry Healthy Happy
These zesty white bean and tuna lettuce wraps are a healthy, high protein lunch or dinner idea. For a twist on traditional lettuce wraps, we stuff vibrant magenta-hued radicchio lettuce cups with a creamy, punchy tuna white bean salad dressed with a lively Green Goddess dressing and slices of buttery avocado.
Get the RECIPE from Garlic and Zest
This tuna wrap recipe is a fun, tasty way to mix up your lunch routine: no cooking required. It’s bursting with flavor, featuring a zingy tuna salad filling and fresh, crunchy veggies.
Get the RECIPE from A Couple Cooks
While this kimchi soup may not look fancy, it is so refreshing and delicious. It’s also very easy to make and budget friendly.
Get the RECIPE from My Korean Kitchen
Once you make this buffalo tuna dip once, it’s sure to be a recipe you’ll turn to again and again. With less than 10 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make, it’s not only easy to prepare, it’s creamy, savoury and simply delicious!
Get the RECIPE from Girl Heart Food
With traditional nacho flavors and the addition of delicious and nutritious tuna fish, this addicting dish will be your go-to when it comes to entertaining on a budget.
Get the RECIPE from Marley’s Menu
A Southwest-inspired version of tuna mac and cheese with taco seasoning, black beans, yellowfin tuna and plenty of cheese. This creamy, spicy tuna mac and cheese recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and is packed with protein.
Get the RECIPE from Ambitious Kitchen
This recipe makes a great quick lunch or dinner, delicious tuna fried rice made with some of our favorite pantry staples: canned tuna, corn, rice, and eggs. A great way of using leftover rice or any vegetables you might have forgotten in your crisper drawer.
Get the RECIPE from The Fast Recipe
Tuna Potato Salad, a delightful mix of tender potatoes, juicy tuna, crisp onions and fresh herbs in a zesty dressing. Perfect for any occasion, this simple, nutritious salad offers a vibrant burst of flavor to brighten your meal!
Get the RECIPE from Give Recipe
This healthy and filling Southwest Tuna Bowl is drizzled with a tangy Lime Herb Dressing, creating a refreshing lunch option you can take anywhere.
Get the RECIPE from Killing Thyme
Made with simple pantry staples, this Tuna Kimchi Fried Rice recipe comes together in minutes. Filled with flavour, this tuna fried rice recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Get the RECIPE from Carmy
This recipe is pretty much your basic jalapeño poppers recipe, but with tuna. The tuna adds a little protein, a little flavor, and a little texture to jalapeño poppers.
Get the RECIPE from Babaganosh
Sushi bake is an easy Asian casserole that is rich and creamy and allows you to enjoy sushi without having to learn how to roll! You can even make it spicy!
Get the RECIPE from Greedy Girl Gourmet
Cheesy Avocado Bagel Tuna Melts – tuna, Greek yogurt, tomatoes, basil, avocado and arugula – healthy, delish and ready in 15 mins!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Try these delicious bite-sized Tuna Melt Mini Quiches and you’ll be hooked! Made with good-quality solid tuna and a few other simple ingredients, these bite-sized mini quiches look sophisticated, but they are easy to make and pack a lot of punch!
Get the REICPE from The Flavor Blender
Crispy, crunchy and spicy! This new spin on simple tuna from a can will be your next appetizer go to! Full of bright colors and plenty of flavor these little tuna fish cakes are the best thing to have ever happened to canned tuna!
Get the RECIPE from Girl and the Kitchen
How long does canned tuna last?
Canned tuna has a long shelf life. When stored properly in a cool, dry place, unopened canned tuna can typically last for up to two to four years, depending on the specific product. However, it is always advisable to check the expiration date on the can.
How should canned tuna be stored?
Unopened canned tuna should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Once opened, any unused portion should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated. It is best to consume the opened can within 2-3 days.
More pantry staple recipes
- Canned Chicken Recipes
- Canned Salmon Recipes
- Cannellini Bean Recipes
- Chickpea Recipes
- Lentil Recipes
- Quinoa Recipes
Did you try these canned tuna recipes?
If you loved this roundup of canned tuna recipes I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
40+ BEST Canned Tuna Recipes
Whether you're looking for a quick & easy lunch or a delicious dinner dish, canned tuna can be transformed into recipes sure to please! Try this Tuna Rice. It's a quick and easy Hawaiian-inspired dish made with a spicy sriracha tuna mix layered over white rice. Add crunchy, umami toppings and dig into this budget-friendly and protein-packed meal that everyone will love!
Print
Pin
Servings: 1 people
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked white rice
- 1 5-ounce can tuna (drained (oil packed tuna preferred))
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise preferred)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
Optional Toppings:
- Black Sesame Seeds
- Furikake
- Cucumber
- Nori
- Green Onions
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce.
- Add the white rice to a bowl and spoon the tuna mixture on top. Sprinkle with your desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
To enjoy your tuna rice throughout the week, keep the cooked rice and tuna mixture in separate containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
Nutrition
Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
