Have you ever had Tuna Empanada? While it’s more known for its short-cut pastry parcel, I’ve always enjoyed them because of the tasty, tomato-y, peppery fish filling. Today, I want to show you how to make the tuna, peppers and tomato mix that goes into the Spanish empanada pies. What’s good about this dish s that it’s super versatile, great for meal prep and can be used in dozens of ways. If you’re looking for some new, healthy canned tuna recipes, make sure to bookmark this one! 

What Is Empanada?

If you ever travel through Spain or Latin America, you will undoubtedly come across a few empanada bakeries. Empanada is a baked or fried turnover (like a parcel) consisting of pastry and filling and there are many variations of this moreish snack around the world.

The fillings range from beef, cheese, corn, chicken, fish and vegetables but my favourite has always been tuna empanada from Spain. It’s a bit of a Galician staple, in which tuna is mixed with braised onions, peppers and tomatoes. It’s tasty, savoury, a little sweet with a touch of acidity from tomatoes.

Tuna Empanada Filling

I have always thought that this empanada filling would be a great way to use up canned tuna and that it could be used in so many other dishes.

Canned tuna is nutritious and affordable; it’s high in protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. Make sure to get responsibly sourced tuna. Other tinned fish like salmon and sardines could also be used in this recipe.

Ways To Use Up Tuna Empanada Filling

The most obvious would be to make empanadas themselves. There are a few ways you could make empanadas: as parcels or turnovers with short-cut pastry or simple filo pastry from the shop or as a pie.

This pic below is of Galician style tuna empanadas from Spanish Sabores blog. This recipe from Taste.com.au shows you how to make it with store-bought pastry.

But, what if you don’t eat pies or pastry? Don’t worry! Tuna filling has many uses. 

• Use tuna peppers mix as a stuffing with sweet potatoes or jacket baked potatoes. For a low-carb version, you can use it to stuff peppers, zucchini, spaghetti squash and more. How about keto-friendly stuffed avocados with tuna filling? 

• Use the filling as a topping on corn tortilla nachos, pop some cheese on top and grill until melted. You can also do it with sweet potato chips and without cheese. I love a bit of guacamole on top too. How about tuna tacos? 

• Use the filling in wraps and sandwiches, in lettuce cups, seaweed nori rolls and cheese toasties. 
• Use it in salads: potato and tuna salad, gluten-free pasta tuna salad, quinoa and tuna salad.
• Make a casserole: quinoa, rice, gluten-free pasta, veggies with tasty tuna filling and bake with or without cheese on top.
• Make a tuna Shepherd’s pie or fish pie with sweet potato or regular potato crust. 
• Try it in a tuna omelette.
• Or simply eat it out of the container for a quick, protein-rich snack! 

How To Make Tuna Empanada Filling Mix

Okay, you will find the full recipe, instructions, and nutritional breakdown further below but here are some step-by-step pictures to help you along. 

Step 1. Dice all the veggies. White or red onions could be used. If you don’t have both red and green peppers, it’s okay to use one colour. 

Try This Next Sheet Pan Salmon & Green Vegetables With Herb Garlic Sauce

Step 2. The next two ingredients are not always in the filling but I think they make it extra special and I love when they are used in the Spanish versions. Green olives (which is very Spanish) and roasted or grilled red peppers. You can get these in a jar, canned or pickled, and they are available in most supermarkets. Look for them in the same section as gherkins or other pickles. They add extra sweetness and acidity but aren’t essential if you don’t have any. Dice it all up! 

Step 3. The key to a good tuna empanada filling is to saute the onions, peppers and garlic in plenty of olive oil until very soft and slightly caramelised. This gives a lot of sweetness to the vegetables and enhances their flavours. Don’t rush this step! Once softened, add the spices and tomatoes and finally the tuna.

Step 4. Once all mixed, cook the tuna in the sauce for a little bit longer and finish it with a few slices of roasted peppers and olives. 

Store this Spanish tuna filling in an airtight container for 4-5 days. It can be eaten cold or reheated. You can add a little more water to tomato passata when reheating if you want a little more liquid. 

More Recipes With Canned Fish

Full Recipe & Ingredients

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions and extra cooking notes below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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Description

Versatile and perfect for meal prep, this tuna empanada filling is made with sauteed onions and sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic and canned tuna (can also be salmon). This filling can be used in an empanada pastry or a pie, as a stuffing for baked potatoes, in pasta sauce, salads, sandwiches, wraps, as a topping on tortilla chips, in nachos and more.

• Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions, red and green peppers and salt. Stir and cook for 12 minutes, stirring through a few times. Add the garlic and chilli halfway through. While these are cooking, prepare other ingredients.
• The onion and peppers mix should be soft, golden and caramelised by now. Add the paprika powder, diced roasted pepper, olives and stir through. Add tomato passata and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Finally, drain the tuna through a sieve making sure to squeeze out excess liquid. Add the fish to the pan and stir through the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if needed. Cook for 2 minutes, stir again and it’s done.
• Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4-5 days. This tuna mix can be used cold or reheated (see some ideas above).

Notes

Roasted or grilled red peppers are often canned or pickled in juice and sold in a jar. You can buy them in most supermarkets and the leftovers can be used in salads, soups, dips and sauces.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup or so
• Calories: 239
• Sugar: 5.1 g
• Sodium: 591 mg
• Fat: 13.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 10 g
• Fiber: 3.3 g
• Protein: 20.6 g
• Cholesterol: 33.6 mg

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Sheet Pan Salmon & Green Vegetables With Herb Garlic Sauce

This healthy and nutritious sheet pan baked salmon with herb & garlic sauce and green vegetables is quick and easy and suitable for paleo, keto, whole30 and AIP diets.

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Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been obsessed with quick and easy sheet pan meals recently. You might have tried my chorizo, chicken and asparagus bake, this quick and easy baked spiced cod with Brussels sprouts, my mushroom with balsamic chicken and onions, or my Italian sheet pan baked eggs. Today, I’m giving you a nutritious, delicious, super food packed meal of baked salmon with zesty herb and garlic sauce and green vegetables.

This sheet pan meal ticks so many boxes: paleo, keto, AIP and Whole30 friendly, it’s a perfect meal for anyone doing a reset. It has loads of green veggies, it has omega-3s rich fish, it’s quick and easy, and most importantly, it’s full of flavour.

 

Cook’s notes

I am using salmon fillets because I love oily fish and my partner really likes this particular type of fish. You can use any other part of salmon, like salmon steaks which are cheaper, or any other fish that suits your budget and location.

You can also make this with prawns or chicken instead of fish. For prawns, start baking the vegetables earlier and add the prawns in the last 5 minutes as they don’t need much time to cook. For chicken, it’s the other way around. Slice the chicken fillets into thinner strips and bake for 5 minutes before adding the vegetables, then cook for 15 more minutes together, so a total of 20 minutes for thin strips of chicken.

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Popular Recipe Shrimp Tomato & Avocado Salad Stacks

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Description

This healthy and nutritious sheet pan baked salmon with herb & garlic sauce and green vegetables is quick and easy and suitable for paleo, keto, whole30 and AIP diets.

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For the sauce

For the rest

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1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
2. Mix together the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Grease a large sheet pan or flat-ish baking tray with about a tablespoon of olive oil and place the salmon fillets in the middle, leaving about an inch of space in between. Spread even amounts of the sauce over the top of each salmon fillet.
4. Scatter the green vegetables around and in between the fillets, overlapping each other is fine. Drizzle the vegetables lightly with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and the juice of half of the remaining lemon. Sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt and pepper.
5. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes, rotating halfway if your oven is slightly uneven in temperature (like mine).
6. Serve while hot with any additional vegetables, salads, or starchy carbs, if you needed.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 403
• Sugar: 4.4 g
• Sodium: 458.2 mg
• Fat: 22.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
• Fiber: 5.5 g
• Protein: 41.7 g
• Cholesterol: 82.9 mg

Keywords: Salmon, Sheet Pan, Dinner, Asparagus, Sprouts, Healthy, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Keto

 

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