What to Cook with Canned Tuna
A can of tuna is almost a finished dish — all that's left is a few simple moves. From a single tin you can easily make a salad, a sandwich filling, a warm pasta, patties or a bake, and most of it fits inside 10-20 minutes. Below are seven tried-and-true ideas plus a bonus one: from a cold snack to a proper hot dinner, with no cooking from scratch.
Before you start, one small tip: drain tuna in water more thoroughly for salads and patties so the mixture holds together, and reach for tuna in oil where you want more moisture and a richer taste — in pasta or on toast. The rest is a few flicks of a fork, and dinner is practically on the table.
1. Quick tuna salad
Mash the tuna with a fork, then add finely chopped onion, a boiled egg, sweetcorn and a spoon of mayonnaise or Greek yoghurt. Mix it right in the bowl and, if you like, toss in a handful of greens or a few cucumber slices for freshness. You get a filling, tender mix with a nice contrast between the soft tuna and the crunchy onion. The whole thing takes about 7-8 minutes, and even less if the egg is already cooked.
2. Tuna pasta
While the spaghetti or penne cooks, warm some garlic in a spoon of oil in a pan, then add the tuna and a spoon of tomato paste or some chopped tomatoes. Tip the cooked pasta straight into the sauce and stir in a few spoonfuls of the pasta water — the sauce turns silky. The flavour comes out warm and slightly of the sea, with a gentle tomato tang, and the texture coats every strand. The whole dish is ready in about 15 minutes.
3. Tuna sandwiches and toast
Mix the tuna with mayonnaise, a drop of lemon juice and black pepper, then spread it over fresh bread or a toasted slice. Lay a round of tomato, a lettuce leaf or a thin slice of cheese on top. The cold version is ready in a couple of minutes, while a hot toast under cheese in the oven or pan turns crisp outside and melty within. It's perfect when you need to pull together a snack or breakfast fast.
4. Tuna patties
Combine the mashed tuna with an egg, a spoon of flour or breadcrumbs and some finely chopped onion, then season with salt and pepper. Shape small patties and fry them in oil for a few minutes on each side until golden. Inside they stay soft and moist, while the edges crisp up pleasantly. From bowl to plate takes about 15-18 minutes.
5. Tuna bake
Layer boiled potatoes or pasta in a dish, scatter the tuna over them, pour on a mix of egg with sour cream or milk, and top with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top sets into a golden crust. The dish comes out tender inside, with a golden cheesy top and a cosy, homemade aroma. This is the case where the prep takes little time and the oven does the rest.
6. Tuna with rice
Cook some rice or use yesterday's, then warm it in a pan with the tuna, sweetcorn and peas, and add a spoon of soy sauce. In a few minutes everything heats through and folds into one warm dish. The taste is balanced and filling — the rice soaks up the juices from the tuna, and the peas add a touch of sweetness. A bowl like this comes together in about 10 minutes, especially with rice already on hand.
7. Tuna omelette or frittata
Beat a few eggs, pour them into a hot pan, then arrange tuna, sliced tomatoes and a little cheese on top. Cook covered over low heat, or finish it in the oven so the top sets. You get a fluffy, hearty omelette with pieces of tuna in every bite and a soft, slightly creamy centre. The whole thing takes around 12 minutes — a good option for breakfast or a light dinner.
8. Filling for baked potatoes
Bake a large potato until soft, cut it in half and fluff the flesh with a fork. Mix the tuna with sour cream, spring onion and pepper, then heap it on top. Hot, fluffy potato with a cool tuna filling is a lovely contrast of temperatures and textures in every spoonful. If you bake the potato ahead of time, assembling it takes only a few minutes.
Got a can of tuna, a few eggs and half a fridge of odds and ends? Type in what you have, and abc-eat will show you ready dishes made from exactly your ingredients.
Find a dish →Why canned tuna is so handy
Tuna almost always sits ready in the cupboard and asks for no defrosting or long prep — open the can, drain the extra, and put it straight to work. It behaves just as well cold or hot, holds its shape in patties, melts into the sauce in pasta and keeps its flavour even in a plain omelette, so a single product turns into a dozen different dishes. Add the fact that a can keeps quietly for months, and it really is a lifesaver for days when time is short.
The handiest part is that tuna almost always teams up with things you already have at home: an egg, an onion, rice, bread, cheese, a spoon of mayonnaise. If you'd rather not puzzle over what to make each time, just list your ingredients on abc-eat — the service gathers concrete dish ideas from whatever is within reach, with no sign-up and no extra steps.