Mini peppers stuffed with tuna: my recipe for perfectly roasted tapas!

I have a particular fondness for mini peppers stuffed with tuna: it's the kind of dish that looks like "Southern tapas", but is actually made in a normal kitchen, without any fuss! I cooked them a lot when I needed a quick and complete dinner, with something colorful on the plate and a stuffing that doesn't dry out.

The secret is to roast the peppers just enough to soften them, then finish with a small gratin for a crispy touch.

I deliberately keep the filling classic: tuna, a little cream cheese to bind it, mustard, lemon, and herbs. The lemon brightens everything up and prevents it from feeling heavy. And the breadcrumbs on top are the simple trick that makes all the difference: you get a golden exterior while the inside stays soft.

Seasonally, I like to add wholesome and readily available ingredients: tomatoes (diced into the stuffing), a little grated zucchini to add creaminess without making it soggy, and fresh herbs. This makes for a juicier, more vegetal stuffing, and it balances the tuna perfectly.

If you like appetizers or main courses that can be prepared in advance, these are perfect: stuff the peppers, keep them chilled, and bake them at the last minute. And if you serve them with a well-seasoned green salad, you're all set!

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Mini peppers stuffed with tuna

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main course, starterKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Portions

4

people

Preparation

16

minutes

Cooking

30

minutes

Calories

343

kcal

Total time

46

minutes

A roasted mini peppers perfectly tuna filling , then baked until golden brown. It makes a simple, fragrant dish with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a slightly charred finish.

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Ingredients

• 12 mini peppers (approx. 50g each)

• 280g of drained canned tuna

• 150g of fresh cheese such as Saint-Moret

• 1 small courgette (approx. 120g each), grated and well drained

• 2 tomatoes (approx. 90g each), seeded and diced

• 1 small shallot (approx. 30g per unit), finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (15g per tablespoon)

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (15g per tablespoon)

• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley (5g per tablespoon)

• 30g of breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (10g per tbsp)

• Salt, pepper

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Preparation steps

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan oven).
• Prepare the mini peppers: cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and the small white membranes. Place them on a baking sheet, skin side down.
• Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season lightly with salt, then bake for 12 minutes to soften them a little.
• Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing: mash the drained tuna with a fork in a bowl. Add the cream cheese, mustard, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, and parsley. Season generously with pepper.
• Add the grated zucchini (well drained) and diced tomatoes. Mix. Taste and adjust the salt (tuna is already salted depending on the brand).
• Remove the baking tray from the oven. Turn the pepper halves over (hollow side up). Fill them with the stuffing, pressing it down lightly.
• Mix the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then spread over the peppers to make a nice crispy topping.
• Bake for 18 minutes at 200°C, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the filling is piping hot. Let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 portion (approx. 260g, or 6 half-peppers)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

If you're serving these tuna-stuffed peppers as a sharing platter, allow 3 pepper halves per person as an appetizer. For a main course, a green salad with a generous mustard dressing and some steamed potatoes make a perfect pairing.

💡 Chef's Tips

To avoid a soggy filling, thoroughly squeeze the grated zucchini (in a clean tea towel) and deseed the tomatoes. If your breadcrumbs are browning too quickly, cook them for the last 3 minutes over a lower heat setting or reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F).

🔄 Variations

• Pepper with tuna, more herbaceous: replace half the parsley with chives and add a little lemon zest to the tuna stuffing.
• For a more gratinéed recipe: add 30g of grated Emmental cheese to the pepper stuffing and reduce the salt.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.