In Spain any top quality fresh ingredient that has been conserved jarred or canned can easily be the star of any dish. I love the amount of respect tinned tuna and jarred peppers are given in Spain. In fact there are many restaurants that have their entire menu worked around ‘conservas’ preserved ingredients. The peppers used here are from Lodosa, Navarra in Northern Spain. They are fire roasted, deep vibrant red and have a sweet, fruity taste and slight buzz of heat. ‘Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atun’ Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad is creamy and rich from the mayonnaise and tuna but tangy and briny from the capers, whilst fruity and smoky from the roasted peppers. Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad make a very easy make-ahead appetizer, light summer lunch with a green salad and such fun as a canape for party to serve as a ‘pincho’ (straight on top of a slice of baguette).

Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad

Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad

  • Cook Time: 10 min prep 3 hours to chill
  • Persons: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy

  • Ingredients
  • 1 jar of Piquillo Peppers (12 oz or 11 small ones for this recipe)
  • 2 small tins of tuna in oil (9 oz total)
  • 3/4 cup of mayonnaise 
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp capers in brine
  • 1 green onion
  • Handful of fresh parsley chopped
  • Few grinds of black pepper
  1. Instructions
  2. Start by boiling a small pan of water. Add egg. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
  3. Open the jar of the Piquillo Peppers. Be sure to shake the jar open and to ease them out and not to pull the peppers out. (The peppers are so delicate and very easily torn!)
  4. Open and drain the tuna.
  5. Wash and finely chop the green onion.
  6. Wash and chop the parsley.
  7. Peel and chop up the hard boiled egg.
  8. In a bowl combine the tuna, mayonnaise, egg, capers, green onion, chopped parsley and black pepper. Do not add salt! 
  9. Mix all ingredients well and taste for seasoning. 
  10. Using a tea spoon fill each pepper with the tuna salad. 
  11. Leave for at least 3 hours to chill in refrigerator before serving.

Top Tips

  • Serve this for a cocktail party as a ‘pincho’. Make sure the stuffed pepper is very well chilled before serving! 
  • The tuna salad stuffing alone makes a hearty and moreish sandwich filling. Even more delicious when you chop up a coupe of piquillo peppers to add to the mix!

Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad – Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atun

Sweet, fruity Piquillo Peppers stuffed with a creamy, rich and briny tuna salad ‘Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Atun’ Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Salad. So versatile, quick, cheap and easy to make. Think easy but elegant as an  appetizer, or an impressive cocktail ‘pincho’ and also perfect picnic food to share.