Tuna Rice Casserole is an easy cheesy lightened up casserole perfect for those who love tuna noodle casserole or tuna melts. A delicious, comforting meal that is easy to make ahead! Bonus points: this dinner recipe is gluten-free, Low-FODMAP, and easy on the digestive system.

Large casserole dish full of tuna casserole fresh out of the oven with a small ramekin to the side full of a portion of casserole.

The tuna obsession has been real this summer.

For me, the convenience of whipping up a tuna sandwich is unparalleled and oh so satisfying for lunch or even dinner.

Donโ€™t even get me started on tuna meltsโ€ฆthey are one of the most addicting substances for me.

I recently took my love for the tuna melt and turned it into a casserole. When I was a teenager, Tuna Noodle Casserole was my JAM!

I donโ€™t eat noodles regularly (even gluten-free noodles), but I knew rice would make a great casserole that is comforting yet light and filling. 

While some recipes for easy tuna casserole involve canned cream of mushroom soup, I don’t typically use canned soups in my homemade recipes, so we’re skipping it here and going with our own flow.

And so here it is! My most cherished casserole recipe to date. 

Casserole dish and a bowl full of cheesy tuna casserole, ready to eat.

This delicious casserole is simple, itโ€™s creamy without being heavy, itโ€™s easy to adapt in so many different ways to please your palate, and itโ€™s pretty awesome from a macro standpoint if you ask me! 

Recipe Features:

  • Quick and easy to prepare
  • Gluten-free
  • Can easily be made dairy-free
  • Awesome make-ahead meal prep meal
  • Saves very well!

The end result of this tuna rice recipe is a satisfying meal the whole family will love.

All we need is a handful of basic ingredients, a casserole dish and a little cooking time an we end up with the most satiating complete meal. 

My favorite part about casserole recipes is they make amazing comfort food, require little effort, minimal cleanup, and they save so well for weeknight meals or lunches.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy tuna rice casserole recipe.

Ingredients for Tuna Rice Casserole:

Canned Tuna: The main ingredient here! We use three cans of tuna, which brings the classic tuna casserole flavor and adds lean protein to the meal.

I like using canned tuna in water, but canned tuna in olive oil works too. You can also use canned salmon if you prefer.

When all is said and done, this high-protein meal is macro-friendly for those who keep track of their daily values of protein, carbs, and fat.

White Rice: Adding carbohydrates, texture, and volume to this easy casserole recipe, we need plain uncooked white rice. I enjoy using sushi rice for my casseroles.

It becomes so nice and puffy and starchy, which is perfect for a good creamy texture in a casserole.

You can also use any type of rice you like.  Basmati rice, or any kind of long-grain white rice work but they both have a grainier, less mushy texture.

Unsweetened Almond Milk (or milk of choice): Pick your favorite kind of milk, whether it’s cow’s milk, coconut milk, almond milk, goat milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or soy milk. Canned coconut milk works too and will produce a rich flavor, although you may be able to taste a slight hint of coconut.

Eggs: A couple of eggs helps bind the casserole ingredients together so that it scoops easily when it’s out of the oven.

Avocado Oil Mayonnaise: A few tablespoons of mayonnaise goes a long way in adding some richness and creamy texture to the meal. I like using avocado oil mayo, but you can use your favorite kind of mayonnaise.

Stone Ground Mustard: I like adding mustard in Low-FODMAP recipes like this one, because it adds an earthy tang, similar to onion and garlic. Obviously, it isn’t the same, but it gives your palate something to get excited about.

If you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet and tolerate onion and garlic well, feel free to skip the mustard and go with onion and garlic.

Mozzarella Cheese: Grated mozzarella cheese brings everything that’s good in this world to the recipe. I use raw goat milk mozzarella, as my body seems to process it very well.

Add parmesan cheese as well, and/or swap it out for your favorite type of melting cheese. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free cheese.

Large casserole dish with tuna rice casserole and a wooden spoon scooping some out.

Looking to make some changes to the recipe? Here are some ideas.

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Use sour cream, avocado oil, or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise if you are fine with the extra dairy.
  • For some crunchy topping, sprinkle 1/3 cup of bread crumbs on top of the casserole.
  • If you don’t need the recipe to be low-FODMAP, add 1 teaspoon of onion powder and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, or 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic and 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion.
  • Add fresh vegetables such as chopped broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, baby spinach, carrots, green beans, or celery.
  • If you’re a fan of black pepper, feel free to add some in. Some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper is lovely for a little spice too. 
  • Mix in one 4-oz can of green chilies if you like a little Mexican flair. 
  • Use colby jack, cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, or gouda cheese in place of mozzarella. Just note if you use an aged cheese (like parmesan or asiago), it wonโ€™t melt quite like mozzarella.
  • Just add bacon. You know the drill.
  • Add fresh herbs if you have them.
  • Make it dairy-free by using vegan cheese. I would recommend using cashew-based ricotta!

Now that we’re familiar with the main ingredients and some potential customizations, letโ€™s casserole!

How to Make Tuna Rice Casserole:

Cook the rice in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, following the instructions on the package. Set rice aside to cool while youโ€™re prepping the rest of the recipe.

Saucepan full of cooked sushi rice to make tuna and rice casserole.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking oil. I use an 9โ€ x 9โ€ square baking dish, but a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish works too.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, mayonnaise, butter, sea salt, eggs, stone ground mustard, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese to a mixing bowl (youโ€™ll use the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the topping). Whisk this mixture together until it is well-combined.

Milk, eggs, oil, and cheese in a large mixing bowl, ready to be mixed together.

Add the drained tuna and rice and mix well to combine. 

Mixing bowl full of tuna, milk, cheese, and eggs.
Glass bowl full of tuna and rice mixture to make tuna casserole.

Transfer the tuna rice mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

Casserole dish with tuna and rice mixture inside, ready to go into the oven to make casserole.

Top the casserole with the remaining cheese (add more if desired!) and place on the center rack of the preheated oven.

Casserole dish with tuna, rice and cheese inside to make tuna casserole

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins turning golden brown.

Allow casserole to cool 10 minutes before serving.

To store leftovers, cover the baking dish in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also transfer leftovers to an airtight container or meal prep containers for storage. 

Small ramekin full of tuna rice casserole with the casserole dish in the background.

And that’s it! The best comfort food for any busy weeknight.

Clean and healthy recipes like this are a family favorite in my household, and are kept on constant rotation.

More Healthy Casserole Recipes:

Get your super cozy carb fest here!

Large casserole dish full of tuna casserole fresh out of the oven with a small ramekin to the side full of a portion of casserole.

Tuna Rice Casserole

4.64 from 72 votes
Easy cheesy tuna rice casserole perfect for any night of the week.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 2/3 cups unsweetened almond milk *
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise **
  • 2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
  • 3 (6-oz) cans tuna drained
  • 3 cups mozzarella cheese divided***

Instructions

  • Cook rice according to package instructions. Set rice aside to cool while youโ€™re prepping the rest of the recipe.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, eggs, mayonnaise (or butter), sea salt, stone ground mustard, and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese to a mixing bowl (youโ€™ll use the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the topping). Whisk this mixture together until it is well-combined. Add the drained tuna and rice and mix well to combine.ย 
  • Transfer to a mixing bowl to a casserole dish (I use an 9โ€ x 9โ€ square casserole dish).ย 
  • Top the casserole with the remaining cheese (add more if desired!) and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins turning golden-brown and the center of the casserole reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To check the internal temperature of the casserole, insert a meat thermometer into the center and wait until the numbers stop moving. Allow casserole to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

*or cow’s milk, oat milk, full-fat canned coconut milk, rice milk, or cashew milk
**You can also use melted butter, ghee, or avocado oil in place of the avocado oil mayo.
***Use jack cheese, Gruyere, Gouda or melting cheese of choice. You can keep the recipe entirely dairy-free by using a vegan “cheese”
ย 
If you use leftover cooked rice that is cold, the casserole may require closer to 30-35 minutes to bake in the oven due to its lower temperature going into the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 ยท Calories: 412kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 32g ยท Protein: 33g ยท Fat: 17g ยท Fiber: 1g
Author: Julia
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: casserole, low-fodmap, rice, tuna
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!

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Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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4.64 from 72 votes (57 ratings without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

  1. A casserole with two eggs in the ingredients cannot possibly be done in 20 minutes. I tried this with some skepticism and it was barely luke warm in the middle.

    1. Hi Terry! Did you use cold cooked rice? If so, I can see why it would take longer. I made this note in the recipe for others who might be using rice that’s leftover from previous meals and has been sitting in the refrigerator or those who made rice well in advance and let it cool completely. Thank you for sharing your experience.

  2. So thankful I came across this recipe!
    I used leftover coconut rice, peas, carrots, asparagus and added a bit of yellow curry. Used very little cheese only because my toddler dislikes. My 2.5 year old loved this!

  3. How much sea salt? I am not very good in the kitchen, and I didn’t see the sea salt in the ingredients but I saw it in the instructions. Thank you!

    1. Hi Claudia! I add about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. If this is too little, you can always add more salt when you are eating the casserole. Hope you enjoy! xox

    1. Hi Desiree! I personally would add broccoli, cauliflower, or bell pepper. These hearty vegetables won’t produce a lot of excess moisture so the texture should stay as intended, and the flavor should be great! Enjoy!

  4. Thanks for the great recipe! I added a little pesto to the mustard and threw in some chopped celery and mushrooms, ham and minced garlic. Tastes awesome and my husband loves it!

  5. People with heart conditions, like me, also need to know sodium content. Keto diets help a lot, but with nutritional info can you please include sodium content?

    1. Hi K! This is great feedback and a fabulous suggestion! I’m sure many readers are in the same boat and would appreciate the sodium content too so I’ll add it to my recipes moving forward ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Is this an “eggy” dish, in terms of both taste and texture? Similar to quiche? I can’t stand eggs, so can you tell that there’s an egg in it?

    1. Hi Carolyn,

      The dish doesn’t taste like eggs so you should be good to go. The eggs are there to help keep the casserole held together nicely, but if you aren’t concerned about that, you can definitely omit one or both of them and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of additional almond milk. Hope that helps!

  7. This recipe is a keeper. Delicious and easy, especially if you have leftover rice. I made half the recipe with leftover short-grain brown rice, sautรฉed some sliced mushrooms with the chopped onion and garlic and stirred in a couple handfuls of roughly chopped, fresh spinach before baking. Rice was pre-seasoned so I cut the mustard a bit. Mmm, mmm good!

  8. Wow! We were impressed! This was really good, used jack cheese, it’s what I had on hand, sautรฉed a little zucchini and celery in some garlic infused oil, combo of avocado and olive, and cut it in half, just my husband and I, but used the full amount of cheese, yeah!! Also added half a can of peas, thanks for a great low fodmap meal!!

  9. Made this for dinner tonight with a few additional ingredients. Added, cilantro, lime zest and juice, dill, dash of cayenne, Crumbled bacon and coconut ๐Ÿฅฅ milk instead of almond. Delicious

    1. Hi Leslie,

      I simply store it in the same casserole dish I use to bake it with plastic wrap over the top ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope you enjoy!

  10. Love your recipes! Do you think this would work with Farro instead of rice? My boys LOVE farro, so we have a bunch at home. Just trying to use what we have.

    1. Hi Elizabeth!

      I’m so happy to hear it! Yes, you can absolutely replace the rice with farro! I hope you and your family loves it!