0 from 9 votes
Tunapeño Poppers
Tunapeño poppers are irresistible little peppers stuffed with tuna and baked up with lots of bubbly cheese.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
36 mins
Servings: 20 poppers
Calories: 73 kcal
Course:
Appetizer
Cuisine:
Mexican-American Fusion
Ingredients
tuna salad
- 10 ounces canned tuna, well drained
- 1/3 cup finely minced red onion
- 1/3 cup finely minced celery
- 1/3 cup finely minced bell pepper, any color
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (use a little more if your salad seems dry)
- Juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
poppers
- 10 jalapeño peppers, about 4-5" long. You can use more or less, as you like.
- 6 ounces shredded cheese, I used a bag of Mexican blend cheeses.
Instructions
- Mix together your tuna salad and taste to adjust it to your liking. Make sure to break up the tuna well so the salad has an even (not lumpy) consistency. This is better for stuffing the small peppers. Refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line your sheet pans with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out the veins and seeds. Note: wash your hands well after prepping your peppers, and avoid touching your eyes or other sensitive parts of your body.
- Stuff each pepper half with tuna salad. I mound it up slightly. The easiest way to do this is to hold the pepper in one hand, over the tuna bowl, and use a small spoon to fill the pepper. Place them on your baking sheet.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for about 15 minutes. This heats up the tuna and softens the pepper a bit.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Top each pepper with cheese. The easiest way to do this is to place the (hot) pepper on a spatula and hold over the bowl of cheese when sprinkling. The excess cheese falls back into the bowl. Place each pepper back on the baking sheet.
- Now you just need to melt the cheese. You can put them back in the 400F oven to do this, or you can do it under the broiler, it's up to you. If you broil you must stand there and wait, because it happens fast and they can burn. When the cheese is melted and bubbling, they're done.
- Serve hot ~ garnish is optional. I sometimes add minced onion, olives, or scallions..
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
73kcal
(4%)
Carbohydrates
1g
(0%)
Protein
5g
(10%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
Trans Fat
0.01g
Cholesterol
15mg
(5%)
Sodium
109mg
(5%)
Potassium
69mg
(2%)
Fiber
0.2g
(1%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
219IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
13mg
(14%)
Calcium
61mg
(6%)
Iron
0.4mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20poppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 73
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 73kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 109mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 69mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 219IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 61mg | 6% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.