Tuna is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used in all manner of delicious recipes. And the best part is that Tuna is very healthy, with high levels of omega-3 acids, which help to promote a healthy heart. Including even just a small amount of tuna in a salad or a good sandwich can help to reduce the risk of heart disease or heart attacks.
Tuna also tastes amazing, with a wonderful flavor profile that isn’t overwhelmingly ‘Fishy’, like other fish products. You can easily get access to tuna, in various forms, such as sandwich fillings, tuna steaks, or even canned tuna.
There’s usually somewhat of a stigma attached to canned foods, an assumption that if a food is canned that it must subsequently be unhealthy. Tuna is able to retain all of its natural goodness no matter how it is stored, so you can easily maintain a healthy diet while making use of the convenience of canned tuna.
So what are some of the best ways to eat canned tuna? What are some fast recipes that are easy and taste great? Let’s find out now! Join us and explore the potential of this versatile little fish!
Tuna Nicoise Salad
The world-famous tuna Nicoise salad is well-deserving of its reputation as one of the best ways to pursue a healthy diet while also getting some immense flavors. Nicoise salad makes use of flaked tuna, so you can easily empty a can of tuna into your salad guilt-free.
The salad takes mere minutes to make, and the only difficulty comes from prepping your eggs, which are hard-boiled and then divided into halves. The eggs create a smooth flavor that perfectly contrasts with the saltiness of the tuna flakes. Getting ahold of your ingredients is as simple as popping over to your local grocery store and then throwing them together.
Varying the size of a Nicoise salad is also easy, which means you can create larger salads for get-togethers or smaller salads for an indulgent lunch!
Tuna Quesadilla
Quesadillas are an amazingly tasty Mexican staple that is easy to create. The dish requires only a few ingredients; first, you need a tortilla or two. Spread the tortilla out and then scatter it with your ingredients. Of course, you should add your canned tuna, but then you can easily mix it with a range of extra ingredients, such as onions and jalapenos, to give the quesadillas a kick.
Add some cheese, and even a tomato sauce, if you want, and then simply fold the tortilla over and toast it lightly on a pan. Keep a close check on the tortillas, you want the edges to go a golden brown color, with a crispy consistency. Then, all you need to do is slice it up, and enjoy!
Tuna and Rice
Low on ingredients in your pantry, but have a trusty can of tuna close to hand? You can easily mix the tasty flakes of tuna with rice, and various other ingredients to create a massive range of dishes.
Whether eaten hot or cold, rice and tuna complement each other brilliantly and will have your stomach immensely satisfied, thanks to the filling properties of each ingredient.
You can easily mix the rice and tuna with whatever ingredients you have around, such as vegetables and nuts or seeds. Try sauteeing these ingredients together with a bit of soy sauce to create a fragrant and savory dish!
Tuna Salad
There is a wide variety of tuna salads that you can create, with various flavorings, spices, and herbs that can really elevate the flavors to incredible levels. Simply mix your canned tuna with mayonnaise, or another sauce of your choice, to create a smooth and soft paste. The tuna should naturally fall apart as you mix it so that the salad has a soft mouthfeel.
Then, you can mix this with whatever other ingredients you can think of! Some examples include sweetcorn, cucumber, or celery, each of which can add a sweet kick. If you want to elevate the tuna salad further, you can easily add it to the top of a mixed salad of leaves, to create a wonderful side dish.
Tuna Frittatas
Frittatas can most closely be compared to the humble omelet, an eggy delight that has a soft consistency that melts in your mouth as you eat it. Simply mix together your choice of ingredients, such as vegetables or other flavorings, alongside your eggs and the canned tuna.
Then add this mixture to a lightly oiled frying pan, and allow it to fry. You should know when it’s ready to be flipped, as the frittatas should take on a brown appearance. Though make sure they aren’t actually just burnt! Flip them a few times each, so that each side is fully cooked through and through, and then serve with your choice of sides!
This is a great recipe for using up leftover ingredients, such as vegetables, and requires little prep, but yields an incredibly filling meal!
Tuna Wraps
Got spare tortillas from those delicious quesadillas you made? Use them with canned tuna to create delicious wraps, for easy and simple lunchtime solutions to satisfy those mid-work cravings!
Simply mix together your canned tuna with some mayonnaise, and a few other ingredients, such as some diced peppers, onions, or even sweetcorn. Mix these ingredients until you end up with a soft consistency, and then add a good helping to a tortilla.
Fill the tortilla with whatever else you want, and then wrap it up, and you’re good to go! We recommend adding lettuce to your wrap, to create a fresh crunch that complements the smooth feel of the tuna.
Tuna, Asparagus, and White Bean Salad
This simple recipe will have your mouth watering at every step of the way as you make it! With only a few minutes necessary to prep your ingredients, this makes a great solution to aid your hungry stomach!
Take your asparagus and boil it for a few minutes, so that they become soft and easy to eat. Then chop them up, and run them under cold water to cool them down. From here, you can mix the asparagus with your other ingredients, including your canned tuna and white beans.
The flavor of this dish can best be described as elegant. The taste of the asparagus pairs well with the slight saltiness of the tuna, and the white beans lend the dish a variety of textures.
Tuna Meatballs
Condensing canned tuna into round shapes for frying is remarkably easy. These meatballs can then be prepared alongside a dish of spaghetti and tomato sauce, to create an amazing bolognese.
All that you need to do is take your canned tuna and roll it into small ball shapes. You can add all manner of extra ingredients to your meatballs, such as onions or vegetables, to give them an extra crunch.
From here, all you need to do is fry them lightly in a pan, until the outer edges become crunchy and browned. Tuna meatballs can be used in a massive range of dishes, and can even be enjoyed chilled, which makes them perfect in case you’re prone to creating leftovers!
Tuna Burgers
You can also lightly adapt the tuna meatballs recipe to create juicy and tender tuna burgers. All you need to do is shape your canned tuna and other ingredients into patty shapes. Fry them up, and then serve them up however you want.
Tuna burgers are delicious enough eaten on their own, but they truly flourish when wrapped in a soft burger bun, with lettuce, and your choice of sauce or relish.
Mexican Tuna Salad
Tuna tastes absolutely amazing when mixed with any number of Mexican spices and staple ingredients. Toss the tuna in with some beans, avocado, and peppers, and mix them together softly, you don’t want to break the tuna apart too much.
From here, you can add your dressing of choice, to cater the taste to your needs or desires, and then you can serve it up and enjoy.
This recipe is great if you need a quick last-minute recipe for a get-together.
Tuna Lettuce Wraps
If you want to take a standard tuna wrap a healthy step above, then you can make easy use of romaine lettuce to create wonderful tuna wraps that are completely guilt-free.
Simply prepare your canned tuna however you want, and mix it with whatever ingredients you feel complement it best. Then add this mix to the top of an individual lettuce leaf. It’s amazing how satisfying such a simple combination can be!
Conclusion
Canned tuna is perhaps the best thing since sliced bread! Unlike other tinned foods, tinned tuna loses none of its nutritional value, and is full of essential vitamins and minerals straight out of the can. Tuna is easy to mix in with existing dishes to add extra flavor and has a subtle flavor that keeps it from clashing with other ingredients.
Try mixing it in with some of your favorite dishes, or try one of the amazing recipes listed above, you never know what amazing flavors await you!
