Today’s recipe is one that your whole family is sure to find delicious: tuna pizza burgers recipe! Tuna Pizza Burgers are a lush hot sandwich that you can either serve for a simple lunch or for a wholesome supper. It all depends on what you choose to serve with them. This meal can be light or as substantial as you like.
Tuna Pizza Burgers are not only very simple and quick to make, but they are also absolutely delicious. They use things that many of us have in our cupboards all the time, which makes them a great store-cupboard recipe. Children and grown-ups alike just love them.
I have been making these for my own family for over 40 years now. There are some recipes which simply stand the test of time, and this is one of them!
What You Need for Tuna Pizza Burgers
You will need some very simple basic ingredients to make these fabulous pizza burgers.
| INGREDIENTS |
| A tin of quality albacore tuna, in spring water (you can use any tuna, but I always use albacore) |
| Finely chopped red onions (you can use white if that is all you have) |
| Finely chopped green pepper |
| Finely chopped celery |
| Salt and black pepper to taste |
| Dried oregano and basil flakes |
| Garlic powder |
| Grated parmesan cheese |
| A good quality mayonnaise |
| Tomato paste |
| Mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated) |
| Sliced green olives |
| English Muffins (you can also use toasted bread rolls if that is all you have) |
Tuna Pizza Burgers: Hints And Tips
- If you don’t have fresh peppers and onions, feel free to use frozen peppers and onions
- Make sure you chop your vegetables very finely using a sharp knife.
- If you don’t have Mozzarella Cheese slices in the refrigerator, you may use grated cheeses or even a grated four-cheese blend.
- If you don’t have English Muffins, feel free to use hamburger buns, split and toasted. For more inspiration, check out this Big Mac Slider recipe!
- A good quality mayonnaise makes all the difference. Do not be tempted to use low fat or no fat.
- I like to use a good quality Albacore Tuna, packed in water for the best flavour, but at the end of the day, you can use whatever tinned tuna you have. They will still be very delicious.
- Grate your own cheeses if possible.
- If you don’t have green olives you may use black olives or pimento-stuffed olives
- If you are lucky enough to have fresh herbs to use, you certainly can use them, just double the quantities
How to Make Tuna Pizza Burgers
Whichever tuna you use, it is important to drain it really well. I remove the lid with a can opener and then drain the tuna over the sink, using the lid as a lever to press against the tuna in the tin, extracting as much liquid as I can. If you leave your tuna too wet, it will make for soggy Tuna Pizza Burgers.
I use a fork to flake the tuna into a bowl, flaking it into small pieces. This is one case were you do not want to have huge chunks of fish. The more flaked you can get it the better!
It is okay if you only have tuna packed with oil, just make sure that you drain as much oil from the tuna that you can. Once you have all of the tuna flaked into a bowl, mash it as much as you can with the fork in preparation for adding the other ingredients.
I like to chop all of my fresh ingredients quite finely. The finer they are the better they will mash into the flaked tuna. I also think they create a better texture in the finished product. You don’t want crumbly Tuna Pizza Burgers.
I like to use a full-fat quality mayonnaise, as it will not separate. Full-fat mayonnaise has a lovely rich flavour. Low fat and no fat mayonnaise have extra sugars and sweeteners added that can mess with the flavour of your finished burgers. I know we all like to watch our calories, but this is one instance where you really want to be using the full-fat product, especially because it has some health benefits that will truly surprise you.
I like to grate my own Parmesan Cheese for the filling, using a fine micro-plane grater. This gives me the best consistency. Pre-grated cheeses always had things added to them to make them flow easier. I prefer to grate my own, but if you only have pre-grated cheese then feel free to use it.
You will need to add all of your chopped fresh ingredients, the mayonnaise, the grated Parmesan cheese and your herbs to the flaked tuna. Mash everything into the tuna really well.
Once again, I use a fork to mix everything evenly together. You can taste the mixture at this point and decide if you need more salt and pepper. I always like to have everything else added before I do this. That way I can better judge exactly how much seasoning I need to use.
English muffins really make the best base for these delicious Tuna Pizza Burgers. I had to bake my own on this occasion as I could not find any in the shops. If you are a keen baker, this works very well. If you would rather not bake your own, feel free to use split and toasted burger buns.
Check out the recipe for Blueberry Pancake Bites if you want some delicious dessert for this flavorful lunch idea!
The important thing is that whatever you use provides a sturdy base for your tuna filling. Whichever you use, it is important that you split them in half. If you are using burger buns, you need to toast them. Toasting them will provide a bit more support. There is no need to butter them.
Lay your chosen pizza bases onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Each will be spread with a quantity of tomato paste for a really authentic pizza flavour. Don’t be tempted to spread it too thickly. A thin and even layer is perfect.
You can now spread your tuna filling on top of the tomato paste. I like to spread the filling right to the edges of the muffins in an even layer, mashing it down lightly with a fork to secure it in place.
Once you have the tuna in place you can top the burgers with the cheese. Ideally you will want to use sliced Mozzarella Cheese, but don’t worry if you have not got any. You may absolutely use grated cheese.
Mine was a cheddar and mozzarella blend. Other cheeses that might work well would be a Gouda or a Swiss cheese, or even a combination of cheeses. You want a cheese with good melting properties. That is the most important criteria.
I simply top these Tuna Pizza Burgers with sliced olives. This is one case were you really need to keep it simple. I have used plain green olives today because that is what I had.
Pimento stuffed olives are my usual choice, but when you are in lockdown, you have to use what you have in the cupboard. Sliced black olives will also work well. Just don’t be tempted to overdo it. This is really a case of less being more.
Once you have all of your fillings in place you can pop the Tuna Pizza Burgers into a preheated 425*F oven and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, they should be perfectly heated through and the cheese should be melted on top.
Mine came out a bit on the golden brown side because I used a Cheddar & Mozzarella blend. They will not be as dark if you use Mozzarella on its own. The important thing is that they are heated through and the cheese has melted.
What to Serve with Tuna Pizza Burgers
Now that your burgers are all baked and ready to serve you might be wondering what to serve with them. They lend themselves to all sorts of accompaniments and garnishes.
A lot will depend on what your family’s tastes are. Today I served ours with some plain salted potato chips and a few sliced bread and butter pickles. Some other things which go very well are crisp vegetable sticks, carrot and celery sticks are especially good, as is a tossed salad.
If you are serving this for a supper rather than lunch, you might want to serve something a bit more substantial on the side. Something like a potato salad or a pasta salad work very well, as does macaroni and cheese.
The important thing is to have fun with this and to take your own family’s tastes and preferences into consideration.
Tuna Pizza Burgers
These are very retro and quite delicious. My children have been enjoying these delicious hot sandwiches for over 40 years, which tells you how old I am.
Ingredients
- 1 (7-ounce) tin of albacore tuna, drained and flaked
- 2 TBS finely chopped onion
- 2 TBS finely chopped green pepper
- 2 TBS finely chopped celery
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ tsp dried oregano flakes
- ½ tsp dried basil flakes
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 3 TBS finely grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup good quality mayonnaise
- 3 TBS tomato paste
- 5 1/2 slices of mozzarella cheese (or the equivalent in grated cheese)
- Green olives sliced (optional)
- 3 English muffins split in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.
- Mash together the tuna, onion, green pepper, celery oregano, basil, garlic powder, cheese and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Stir well to combine. Stir in the mayonnaise.
- Place the split muffins on the baking sheet. Spread each with ½ TBS of tomato paste.
- Divide the tuna mixture amongst the muffins equally, spreading it out evenly to cover the tomato paste.
- Cut the cheese slices into quarter triangles. Place three on top of each muffin. Alternately sprinkle a bit of grated mozzarella on top of each.
- Top each with a few olive slices.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through, golden brown and the cheese has completely melted. Serve hot with your favourite accompaniments on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.
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