The Best Canned Tuna Recipes

Featuring comforting pasta dishes, easy dips and simple main courses, this is our collection of The Best Canned Tuna Recipes. We love this pantry staple, and enjoy using it in as many ways as possible. If you love canned tuna and flavoursome food, you will love these wonderful recipes.

Photo collage of four canned tunas recipes - baked pasta shells, pie, dip and creamy pasta.

Easy and Delicious Canned Tuna Recipes

There are some pantry items that are always good to have on hand. Canned crushed tomatoes and beans as an example, as well as one of our favourites, canned tuna.

Our biggest tip with using canned tuna? Find a quality brand that you enjoy eating plain; it should have great flavour without adding any other ingredients to it. This great flavour will translate to dishes when you include it in recipes.

There is such a variety of ways to use canned tuna, such as, pasta, dips, appetisers and main courses. Reader favourite recipes include our Tuna and Potato Patties and Easy Tuna Dip.

In this collection we will offer recipes that include:

Hearty main courses and delicious pasta recipes.
Simple appetisers that are quick to prepare.
Those that are ideal for sharing with loved ones.

Author note: to view each individual recipe, click on the "check out this recipe" button.

1. Spicy Tuna and Tomato Pasta

This is one of my all-time favourite pasta recipes. It holds a special place in my heart, as my Dad made it for me as I was growing up. Without fail, I make this every week!

Spicy Tuna and Tomato Pasta

My Spicy Tuna and Tomato Pasta is a full-flavoured dish that is easily made from store cupboard ingredients. Tinned tomatoes, garlic and onion are the basis of the sauce, with tinned tuna, capers, olives, and chilli flakes providing great flavour. This a meal which is perfect for days when you don't have the time or energy to go to the grocery store and is certain to become a regular addition to your meal plans.

Check out this recipe

Large pan with the cooked Spicy Tuna and Tomato Pasta, ready to serve with a wooden spoon.

A serving of Spicy Tuna and Tomato Pasta in a round grey and white bowl, with a wedge of lemon on the edge.

2. Tuna and Potato Pie

This Tuna Pie with Mashed Potato was inspired by our Cottage Pie. It is one of the best comfort foods and quite simple to prepare.

Tuna and Potato Pie

This Tuna and Potato Pie is perfect when you're short of time, but would like a meal that is nourishing and satisfying. With this recipe, we transform store cupboard staples into a tasty, comforting meal that the whole family will enjoy. It is so easy to make that I feel certain it will become a regular addition to your meal plans. Tuna is added to a creamy béchamel-style sauce that is enriched with vegetables, herbs and the uplifting flavour of lemon zest, then added to a casserole dish. This flavoursome mixture is topped with soft, fluffy garlic mashed potato and then baked until golden brown. So easy and so good!

Check out this recipe

Tuna and Potato Pie, in a round white cast iron dish, with a green cloth on the edge.

3. Tuna Puff Pastry Pinwheels

I love anything with puff pastry, and these Tuna Pinwheels are no exception. Flavoured with lemon zest, parsley and cheddar cheese, they are the perfect savoury snack or appetiser.

Tuna Puff Pastry Pinwheels

My Tuna Puff Pastry Pinwheels are the ultimate, easily prepared appetiser, suitable to serve either hot or at room temperature. However, they are not just for entertaining; they are great served as snacks or ideal to add to school or work lunch boxes.

Check out this recipe

Overhead shot of cooked pinwheels on baking paper.

4. Creamy Tuna Pasta

We love to sit down to a delicious bowl of pasta, and this is a recipe that comes together quickly. A delicious tuna pasta in a creamy sauce with lots of fresh herbs and lemon.

Creamy Tuna Pasta

My Creamy Tuna Pasta is easy to make and is packed with flavour. Chunks of tinned tuna are bathed in a flavour-filled creamy garlic sauce, highlighted by the tang of lemon and the slightly anise freshness of dill. Tossed with pasta, it is a family friendly meal using simple ingredients and is so quick to prepare that you can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes. So good!

Check out this recipe

Large frying pan filled with Creamy Tuna Pasta, topped with fresh dill, parsley and some slices of lemon.

Tongs serving up some Creamy Tuna Pasta into a round grey and white bowl.

5. Tuna and Potato Patties

This is one of my Mum, Faye's, recipes, and one we often turn to for an easy dinner. The Tuna Patties are delicious with some oven fries and a green salad, or so tasty served in a burger bun.

Tuna and Potato Patties

Turn a can of tuna into easy Tuna and Potato Patties which have a crisp, crunchy exterior and a tender, flavoursome interior. This is a great budget dinner option that the whole family can enjoy. It is a tasty meal made with staples from the pantry. It is a meal which is quick to make and is easily put together after a busy day.

Check out this recipe

White platter of Tuna and Potato Patties.

6. Easy Tuna Dip

If you have been to my house, I can almost guarantee you have been served this dip. (Likely, on several occasions!) It comes together so quickly, is absolutely delicious and can be enjoyed with your favourite crackers, veggies or fresh bread.

Easy Tuna Dip

My Delicious and Easy Tuna Dip is creamy, full of flavour and takes just minutes to prepare! When a homemade dip is this simple and tasty, there is no need for a shop-bought dip. In fact, it will likely be quicker to make it from store cupboard ingredients than go to the store.

Check out this recipe

Dip served on a round blue plate, garnished with spring onions, lemon zest and capers.

Dip served on a round blue plate, garnished with spring onions, lemon zest and capers, and a celery stick with dip on the side.

7. Tuna and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

A comforting baked pasta dish is ideal for entertaining. These shells are filled with a tuna and ricotta mixture and baked in a creamy tomato sauce. This is a great make-ahead dish and also reheats well.

Baked Tuna Pasta Shells

My Baked Tuna Pasta Shells are the ultimate comfort food. The large pasta shells are filled with a delicious combination of ricotta cheese and canned tuna, with onion, lemon zest and parsley to heighten the flavour. They are topped with a tasty, creamy tomato sauce and then baked to perfection, the edges of the pasta become crispy and brown while the filling remains rich and creamy. Few things in the culinary world are more satisfying than having a dish of baked pasta bubbling away in the oven.

Check out this recipe

Large white and grey rectangular dish of Baked Tuna Pasta Shells, garnished with chopped parsley.

Round white plate of tuna pasta shells, garnished with some basil leaves.

8. Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Dip

Combining two of my favourite pantry staples, canned tuna and beans, this is another fantastic dip recipe for easy entertaining, a simple snack or even a light lunch.

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Dip

Entertaining is made easy with this delicious Tuna and Cannellini Bean Dip! Using pantry staples of canned tuna and white beans, this dip comes together in minutes with some delicious fresh ingredients added into the mix!

Check out this recipe

Black dish of tuna and white bean dip on black marble background.

Dip platter featuring Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Dip and a selection of sliced vegetables and some toasts.

9. Tuna Pasta Salad

Delicious hot or cold, this Tuna Pasta Salad combines fresh tomatoes, olives, lemon and parsley. These flavours work so well with canned tuna and the result is fresh and vibrant.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Tuna Pasta Salad is an incredibly delicious dish that is simple to prepare. It can be made in advance and enjoyed either hot or cold. You will love the fantastic flavours of this delicious salad.

Check out this recipe

Overhead shot of a plate of pasta salad, sitting on a white cloth, with some salad servers on the edge.

Plate of pasta salad, with some salad servers on the edge of the dish.

For more delicious inspiration, you may like to check out our collection of Appetisers or Dinner Recipes.

This collection of The Best Canned Tuna Recipes has so many delicious options for you to try. I hope you will find many recipes to add to your collection!

Let me know what your favourite ways to use canned tuna are in the comments below!

Alex xx

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