Tuna Stuffed Peppers are cheesy, flavorful, and satisfying with creamy tuna salad filling stuffed inside colorful bell peppers. Naturally gluten-free and low-carb!
Table of Contents
If you love the flavors of a tuna melt, you will love stuffed tuna peppers. Peppers bake in just 30 minutes and are topped with melty cheddar cheese that browns under the broiler. Stuffed pepper boats are filling because they combine meat and vegetables in one tasty entree and can be served alone or with sides.
Keto tuna melt peppers use canned tuna, spinach, and delicious Dijon dressing for a stuffing that is simple to make, but big on flavor. Use your favorite color of peppers or bake up a colorful meal with green, red, orange, and yellow pepper!
What Are Tuna Stuffed Peppers?
Tuna melt stuffed peppers are halved peppers stuffed with tuna filling and melty cheese. Stuffed food recipes are a unique way to combine meat and vegetables into one dish that can be served with or without other sides. Try my Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for another satisfying and fun-to-serve meal.
Why You’ll Love Tuna Stuffed Peppers
- Filling. Tuna stuffed bell peppers are satisfying and filled with tuna, onions, spinach, and Dijon mustard flavor. Skip the tuna melt bread for an edible pepper bowl!
- Great for Meal Prep. Stuffed peppers are great for meal prep because they mix together quickly, bake in just 30 minutes, and store well in the refrigerator. Enjoy peppers cold or reheat them in the microwave for easy weekday lunches with a blend of vegetables and protein.
- No Tomato Sauce or Rice. Stuffed peppers without tomato sauce or rice are a great option for a tomato-free or grain-free meal. Tuna melt stuffed bell peppers are lower carb than recipes that include rice in the filling, making them a Keto-friendly meal.
- Budget-Friendly. Canned tuna is a budget-friendly protein and the filling is made with many kitchen staples, so there’s no need for specialty or seasonal ingredients. Buy tuna in a multi-can-pack at a warehouse store to keep on hand for meals like this!
Ingredients
- Tuna: Canned tuna, drained and flaked. Use your favorite white or light variety, packed in water varieties work best.
- Red Onion: Minced red onion for a little crunch, color, and flavor.
- Sweet Relish: Relish adds a sweet pickle flavor that compliments the tuna without having to dice pickles.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creamy texture to tuna salad. You can use light mayonnaise if desired.
- Honey Dijon Salad Dressing: Lots of Dijon flavor in one ingredient, I like Brianna’s brand of honey Dijon dressing.
- Baby Spinach: Spinach pairs great with tuna and onion for added texture and flavor, chopped.
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican cheese blend for a tuna melt flavor.
- Peppers: Large sweet, red, green, orange, or yellow, seeded and cut in half.
- Sliced Cheese: Sharp cheddar, torn in half for topping the peppers for bubbly, melty tops finished under the broiler.
Substitutions
- Mustard: Use a 1:1 mixture of honey Dijon and additional mayonnaise if you don't have honey Dijon salad dressing.
- Frozen Spinach: To use frozen chopped spinach, thaw and remove moisture from spinach by placing it in a mesh colander and pressing it with paper towels. Break up the spinach with a fork and continue pressing and squeezing until the spinach no longer gives up moisture.
- Cheese: You can substitute shredded sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese blend for the Mexican cheese.
How to Make Tuna Stuffed Peppers
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir the flaked tuna, red onion, sweet relish, mayonnaise, and honey Dijon salad dressing until well combined.
Step 3: Fold the chopped baby spinach and shredded Mexican cheese into the tuna mixture until combined.
Step 4: Add the halved sweet peppers to the prepared baking dish. Scoop about 1 cup of the tuna mixture into each pepper half. Top each pepper half with ½ of a cheddar cheese slice.
Step 5: Bake the sweet peppers for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Use a Spoon to Remove Seeds. Use a large spoon to scrape the seeds from the inside of the bell peppers. A spoon is efficient and effective but will also prevent accidental cuts or perforations that could be caused by using a knife to deseed.
- Look for Similarly Sized Peppers. Whether you pick all the same color pepper or various colors, look for similarly sized peppers. Peppers that are similar sizes will soften at the same rate and everyone will get the same amount of creamy tuna stuffing.
- Flake Tuna Thoroughly & Mix Well. After draining your tuna, flake it well with a fork and break up any large pieces. Then mix stuffing ingredients so that the flavors are distributed and no large tuna chunks remain. Combining these ingredients well will make every bite flavorful!
Dietary Adaptation
To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese and select a salad dressing that is dairy-free.
Recipe Variations
- Jalapeno Peppers: If you like a little heat in your peppers, dice 1-2 jalapeno peppers and add to the tuna mixture before stuffing the bell peppers. Top peppers with additional sliced or diced jalapenos.
- Pimento Cheese Peppers: Use 1 cup of pimento cheese (found near the shredded cheese or in the refrigerated section with French onion dip) in place of Mexican cheese and reduce mayonnaise to ¼ cup. If you can't find pimento cheese, you can also add ¼ cup diced pimento peppers to the tuna stuffing mix. Pimento peppers can be found near roasted red peppers or jarred jalapeno peppers.
- Mini Tuna Bell Peppers: Pickup a bag of mini tri-color peppers for mini stuffed tuna pepper appetizers, perfect for parties and tailgates. Halve and deseed peppers and fill with 1-2 tablespoons of stuffing, depending on size. Top with cheese and reduce baking time to 12-18 minutes before finishing under the broiler.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is great for weeknight meals, meal prep, and parties. Make mini stuffed peppers as a colorful appetizer or serve keto red bell peppers for a game night or themed dinner. Serve with Cheesy Refried Bean Dip or Zesty 5-Layer Bean Dip for a Mexican-inspired meal.
Tuna stuffed peppers pair well with so many sides. Try this recipe with Instant Pot Risotto, Cornbread without Milk, or Keto Air Fryer Zucchini.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Peppers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Wrap peppers individually in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheating: Defrost peppers overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, peppers can be reheated in the microwave on medium-high strength for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
FAQs
To prevent watery peppers, be sure to use fresh peppers free from soft or dark spots. Cut and deseed peppers right before stuffing so they have the optimum freshness. Another way to avoid watery stuffed peppers is to not overbake the peppers and finish them under the broiler. A final broil will not only make for a delicious cheesy topping but will help remove any excess moisture.
There are two equally delicious ways to eat a stuffed pepper and which one you choose is a personal preference. You can slice the pepper in both directions with a steak knife for yummy bites of tuna filling atop the pepper pieces or you can start by eating the filling with a fork and finishing with the pepper. If you prefer to eat the filling first, try slicing the pepper into strips and dipping slices in additional Dijon dressing!
Yes, stuffed peppers are great for making ahead and freezing. If you are wondering how to freeze stuffed peppers, here is how:
To freeze cooked stuffed peppers with tuna, wrap each pepper tightly in plastic wrap, then place the wrapped peppers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Plain tuna is the perfect starting point for tuna salad stuffed peppers. Plain tuna mixes well with chopped vegetables like spinach and red onion and mixing in some mayonnaise and Dijon salad dressing will add flavor and moisture. Cheese is also a wonderful addition to tuna salad.
Cheddar cheese or other cheeses that melt smoothly go well with tuna. Try sharp cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, white cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, or Gruyere cheese. All of these cheeses will brown nicely under the broiler too!
Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
More Tuna Recipes
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Tuna
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- BBQ Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Tuna Mac and Cheese
- Sweet and Sour Shrimp
- Cheesy Tuna Rice Casserole
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Tuna Stuffed Peppers
Email FacebookIngredients
- 3 7 oz. cans of tuna flaked and drained
- ¼ cup red onion minced
- ¼ cup sweet relish
- ½ cup mayonnaise traditional, olive oil, avocado, or light
- ¼ cup honey Dijon salad dressing
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 large sweet peppers (red, green, orange, and/or yellow) seeded and cut in half
- 3 slices sharp cheddar cheese torn in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large 8 x 13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flaked tuna, red onion, sweet relish, mayonnaise, and honey dijon salad dressing until well combined.
- Fold the chopped baby spinach and shredded Mexican cheese into the tuna mixture until combined.
- Add the halved sweet peppers to the prepared baking dish. Scoop about 1 cup of the tuna mixture into each pepper half. Top each pepper half with ½ of a cheddar cheese slice.
- Bake the sweet peppers for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Notes
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Wrap peppers individually in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheating: Defrost peppers overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the cheese, or use vegan cheese, and use a dairy-free salad dressing.
- Cheese: This recipe can be made with your favorite shredded cheese such as sharp cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, asiago cheese, or mozzarella cheese.
Diane G. says
Your list of ingredients mentions nothing about honey Dijon salad dressing!!
What amount do you use?
Or...what is thecrecipe for thecdressing?
Mae's Menu says
Oh, man you are not kidding! So sorry-- it did not upload properly. I added it in-- you need 1/4 cup of the dressing! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Best,
Chelsea