Tuna stuffed peppers is the BEST way to enjoy the classic tuna melt while sticking with your healthy eat lifestyle. Perfect for lunch or dinner, and cooking up in just 30-minutes, these baked peppers stuffed with tuna and topped with your favorite cheese are a WHOLE LOTTA YUM way to enjoy a quick seafood dinner.
Peppers Stuffed with Tuna
When the kids were little, we often enjoyed tuna melts for lunch. This quick meal was perfect for the three of us. And while we still enjoy the combination of tuna and melted cheese, we have worked to adopt healthier eating habits, even if that means giving a grown-up twist to a childhood favorite.
Our tuna stuffed peppers fit the bill perfectly, as we makeover a beloved dish that is part nostalgia and part healthy eating. By replacing the bread with bell peppers, we are able to cut the carbs and reduce the calories without sacrificing flavor. We pair our baked peppers stuffed with tun with oven-roasted broccoli or green beans with mushrooms for a quick dinner that is bursting with flavor and enjoyed by all.
Why You'll Love This!
- Tuna stuffed peppers are so easy to make and require just a few minutes of prep work before the oven does all of the heavy lifting turning your peppers and tuna into a delicious dinner.
- Easily customized based on your personal preferences, baked stuffed peppers with tuna can be as simple as tuna and cheese, or you can opt to include flavorings including onion, celery, and pickles.
- With just 5 net carbs per serving, tuna melt stuffed peppers can easily be a part of your healthy eating lifestyle as they are compliant with gluten-free, low-carb, and keto lifestyles.
- Feeding a crowd? You can easily double or triple your tuna stuffed peppers to accommodate!
We love stuffed pepper-inspired dinners that take classic dishes and give them a healthy lifestyle upgrade! Be sure to try our other stuffed pepper dinner options including Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers, Italian stuffed peppers without rice, and stuffed pepper soup.
On Keto? Grab our FREE keto foods list here OR Snag our Keto Binder HERE
Ingredient Notes
Fresh bell peppers, tuna mixed with mayo and some amazing aromatics, and your favorite type of cheese are exactly what you need to create the tuna stuffed peppers.
- green bell peppers
- mayo
- lemon juice - fresh
- celery stalk - minced
- pickles - chopped or relish
- red onion - minced
- albacore tuna
- sea salt
- black pepper
- herbs such as fresh parsley or cilantro or dill
- cheese slices
Variations
- Bell Peppers - While green peppers are traditional for stuffed peppers, you can always opt for a variety of colorful peppers including red, yellow, or orange.
- Pickles - Relish will work in place of pickles, but look for a low-sugar or sugar-free option if trying to stay low carb.
- Cheese - We prefer deli cheese, but you can also opt for shredded cheese (just watch out for hidden carbs).
- Tuna - For a richer flavor, use tuna packed in oil rather than water.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep your peppers by roasting them empty, then add the tuna and top with cheese. Your tuna stuffed peppers are a cinch to put together and a joy to eat.
Prep Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
Prep all of the ingredients by slicing, chopping, draining, etc. as specified in the ingredient list.
Slice the bell peppers in half and remove the inner membrane and seeds.
Assemble
On a baking sheet, bake the pepper halves in the oven for 15 minutes to soften them.
While the bell peppers are baking, combine the remaining ingredients (other than the cheese) in a small bowl.
After the peppers have baked for 15-minutes, remove them from the oven. Divide the tuna mix evenly between the 4 bell pepper halves, pushing the mix down into the peppers until they're completely full.
Place a half slice of cheese over the top of each pepper.
Bake
Bake them for 5-10 minutes until the tuna is heated through and the cheese is melted.
Top with minced fresh parsley or chives and serve!
Recipe Tips
- We used two large deli slices of cheese and cut them in half on the diagonal. You can also use smaller cheese slices from a block or shredded cheese (just watch the carbs in shredded cheese).
- Tuna melts are easy to modify. Just remove any ingredient you don't care for. Change up the fresh herbs, swap red onion for chives, or skip onions completely.
- If you prefer your stuffed peppers to be crisper, bake the peppers for half the time before stuffing them with the tuna mixture.
- Broil the stuffed peppers for 1-2 minutes to add a golden char to the top (just keep a close eye on the peppers while they are broiling).
Common Questions
Serve your stuffed peppers with a simple side salad, cauliflower rice, oven-roasted broccoli, or green beans with mushrooms for a quick dinner that is easy to prepare and full of healthy, flavorful options.
Store any leftover tuna stuffed peppers covered in the fridge and eat within 1-2 days. Unlike most foods, stuffed peppers with tuna need to be eaten quickly.
Yes, you can store peppers stuffed with tuna in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook them from frozen in the oven or a crockpot until they are heated through.
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes
Looking for more stuffed pepper recipes?
- Stuffed Peppers without Rice
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Boursin Stuffed Mini Sweet Stuffed Peppers
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Tuna Stuffed Peppers
Tuna melt stuffed peppers take the classic sandwich up a notch and make them a hearty and easy recipe for dinner. The recipe is also keto, low carb, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or orange)
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
- 1 large celery stalk, minced
- 2 pickles, chopped
- 2 tablespoon red onion, minced
- 2 cans albacore tuna
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh herb garnish -green onions, dill, parsley
- 2+ ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
- Prep all of the ingredients by slicing, chopping, draining, etc. as specified in the ingredient list.
- Slice the bell peppers in half and remove the inner membrane and seeds.
- On a baking sheet, bake the pepper halves in the oven for 15 minutes to soften them.
- While the bell peppers are baking, combine the remaining ingredients (other than the cheese) in a small bowl.
- Divide the tuna mix evenly between the 4 bell pepper halves, pushing the mix down into the peppers until they're completely full.
- Place a half slice of cheese over the top of each pepper.
- Bake them for 5-10 minutes until the tuna is heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Top with minced fresh parsley or chives and serve!
Notes
We used two large deli slices of cheese and cut them in half on the diagonal. You can also use smaller cheese slices from a block or shredded cheese.
Tuna melts are easy to modify. Just remove any ingredient you don't care for. Change up the fresh herbs, swap red onion for chives, or skip onions completely.
Relish can be used instead of chopped pickles.
For a richer flavor, use albacore tuna packed in oil (drain before using).
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 436Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 75mgSodium 1131mgCarbohydrates 6gNet Carbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 28g
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