Stuffed Peppers With Tuna and Breadcrumbs

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/22/21
stuffed peppers with tuna
Bruce McIntosh/E+/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Tuna-stuffed bell peppers make a delicious lunch or healthy side for family dinners. This easy recipe comes together quickly and is baked to perfection with a breadcrumb topping. It's a great option for summer, especially if the peppers come out of your own garden. Since bell peppers are readily available year-round, though, it's perfect any day of the year.

The savory filling features canned tuna and breadcrumbs with a boost of flavor from a little lemon juice. Unlike other stuffed pepper recipes that cut off the tops, the peppers are cut in half. This makes it easier to eat and, if you have light appetites in the house, allows you to stretch one pepper to feed two people.

Ingredients

  • 4 green bell peppers

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

  • 1 cup soft breadcrumbs, divided

  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 (7 1/2-ounce) can tuna, flaked

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • Shredded cheddar, Swiss, or Parmesan cheese, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

  2. Cut the bell peppers in half vertically and remove the stem, seeds, and white membrane.

  3. Boil the pepper shells in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain well.

  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, beaten egg, milk, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and tuna.

  5. Fill the pepper shells with the breadcrumb mixture.

  6. Mix the melted butter with the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; sprinkle over stuffed peppers. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. If desired, top with shredded cheese 5 minutes before the peppers are finished baking.

  7. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Orange, red, and yellow bell peppers work for this recipe, too. The red variety has the most flavor of the three and all have a hint of sweetness not found in green bell peppers.
  • Fresh lemon juice is highly recommended. Bottled varieties are typically sweetened and lack the brightness of the real thing.
  • Since the average lemon yields 3 tablespoons of juice and you only need 1 teaspoon for the filling, cut the lemon into wedges and squeeze one of those into the tuna mixture. You can serve the extra wedges on the side so diners can add a little extra if they like.

Recipe Variations

  • Substitute canned salmon or chicken for the tuna.
  • Rather than breadcrumbs, pair rice with the tuna. This stuffed pepper recipe may appeal more to kids because it's topped with crushed potato chips.
  • For a no-cook stuffed pepper recipe, try the Spanish tapa pimientos rellenos de atun. This one uses roasted piquillo peppers, and it will work for nearly any roasted sweet peppers, too.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
275 Calories
11g Fat
25g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 275
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 622mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 22mg 108%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 328mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)