15+ Dinner Recipes That Start with a Can of Tuna

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On May 13, 2025

Take a can of tuna and turn it into a healthy, delicious dinner! These recipes elevate this popular, affordable pantry staple by adding fresh vegetables and pasta to create a nutritious dinner. Recipes like Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole and our Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad are filling, well-rounded and the perfect way to utilize tuna fish.

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High-Protein Tuna & White Bean Melt

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

This ultra-quick tuna melt with white beans is a protein-packed sandwich that’s perfect for a fast and satisfying dinner. The beans add creaminess and fiber, while the tuna provides lean protein and omega-3s, making this dish as nutritious as it is flavorful.

Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole

Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl

A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job.

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Greg DuPree

Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

Air-Fryer Tuna Patties

Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

These bright and savory air-fryer tuna patties won’t disappoint for a quick dinner. They hold their shape nicely while cooking, with a tender middle and a crispy crust on the outside. Peppery arugula and a lemony mayonnaise sauce round out the meal.

Avocado Tuna Salad

Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that’s cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.

Tuna Salad with Egg

Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis

This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.

One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

Joy Howard

Use the one-pot pasta cooking method to make this tuna pasta recipe, which calls for just 5 ingredients and is ready in just over half an hour. For extra crunch and a tuna noodle casserole feel, sprinkle this speedy pasta dish with toasted whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs.

10-Minute Tuna Melt

Joy Howard

This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise, but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo’s place in the salad, along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ali Ramee / Audrey Davis

This simple tuna and macaroni salad is easy to pack and enjoy for work or school. The celery and bell pepper add a refreshing crisp crunch while the dressing, packed with flavor from dill, Dijon and lemon juice, complements the tuna.

Tuna, White Bean & Dill Salad

Take canned tuna to new heights by adding creamy cannellini beans, fresh dill and a tangy Dijon dressing.

Tuna Casserole with Orzo, Eggplant & Feta

Tuna casserole is a timeless comfort-food recipe; this one incorporates eggplant, artichoke hearts, oregano, olives and feta cheese for a Greek-inspired flair.

Tomato Bun Tuna Melt

Make a bun out of a tomato in this healthy low-carb tuna melt recipe that swaps bread for veggies. You save 23 grams of carbohydrate and get 1 veggie serving while you’re at it!

Sun-Dried Tomato-Tuna Panini

Photographer: Diana Chistruga

Sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella work well together in this easy tuna sandwich. Serve with a green salad with a red-wine vinaigrette for a light dinner.

Penne with Tuna & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Need a quick pasta dish that’s flavorful and colorful? This penne pasta dinner-for-two combines leeks, baby spinach, tuna and sun-dried tomatoes—and it’s ready in just 20 minutes!

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Use reduced fat soup and fat-free milk to make this favorite casserole lower in fat and calories. Adding a variety of vegetables makes it more nutritious than the traditional recipe.

Farfalle with Tuna, Lemon and Fennel

This warm, flaked tuna and lemon pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes. Diced tomatoes add a refreshing bite.

Tuna & Olive Spinach Salad

This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.

Tuna Melt

Robby Lozano

In this updated tuna melt recipe, we go light on the mayo and top it with fresh tomato slices and shredded sharp Cheddar. This allows us to use considerably less cheese while ensuring that there’s great cheese flavor in each gooey bite of this healthy tuna melt recipe.