These fresh and healthy tuna and veggie stuffed pita pockets are an easy and quick lunch that can satisfy all the tastes in your family. Ready in just 15 minutes you’ll be making varieties of these regularly.
This stuffed pita pockets idea came from a Polish street food called knysza (kn-y-sha). It’s a delicious stuffed bread full of veggies and mayo or other sauces. You can also add chicken or other meats if desired.
This is a very light but filling lunch as long as you get a good variety of ingredients in there.
The ingredients that I suggested are the ones that I enjoy but feel free to play around with your favourites instead. Make sure you have a good balance of textures – crunchy and soft – and nutrients – fats, fiber, protein and vitamins.
The proportions are also up for debate. If you’re making this for the family let everyone make their own, or at least pick their own ingredients and quantities. This way you’re sure that they will all like it.
Preparing Stuffed Pita Pockets
Ingredients
Pantry
Pita: Pitas are round flatbreads usually made from flour and are most common in the Mediterranean. The varieties with an inner pocket are often from Arabic or Greek cuisines.
Tuna: Tuna is a large fish that lives in saltwater with over 15 species in existence. There are two main kinds of tuna that are most commonly found in grocery stores in North America, white tuna and light tuna. White tuna is albacore tuna. Light tuna is made from smaller tuna fish like skipjack, tongol, and sometimes yellowtail. White tuna has a higher level of Omega-3s than light tuna, and any tuna packed in water will have more than its equivalent packed in oil.
Corn: Corn is a cereal grain that has been domesticated for thousands of years. It is a starchy vegetable that grows on stalks which produce ears covered in light yellow kernels. Canned corn is ideal for this recipe because it is already cooked and ready to go without compromising on flavour.
Mayonnaise: Mayo is made from eggs, oil and usually vinegar or lemon. When mixing these at high speeds you will get a white creamy texture like you find in a jar on the grocery store shelves.
Pickle: I used pickles in brine for this recipe which are also called sour pickles, they are made using saltwater brine to ferment the cucumber. Often made with the addition of garlic, horseradish, dill and other pickling spices these pickles have a very deep sour flavour with a kick of saltiness.
Produce
Iceberg lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is also known as crisphead lettuce. It comes in what is called a head. It is typically a vibrant green colour and although the outer leaves can be quite soft, the inside is much more crisp.
Carrots: This root vegetable is slightly sweet, bright and filled with vitamin A and fibre. Baby-cut carrots are just smaller pieces cut from a larger carrot.
Roma tomatoes: Tomatoes are actually a fruit, despite most people believing them to be vegetables. Roma tomatoes are plum tomatoes and are commonly used for making sauces and for canning because they don’t have many seeds. They have an elongated shape and are a deep red when fully ripe.
Yellow onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
How to Make Tuna and Veggie Stuffed Pita Pockets
These stuffed pita pockets are made with some of my favourite ingredients. With that said I highly encourage you to look at the list of other options we’ve provided below if you want to switch it up.
The hardest part of this process is opening up the pita without tearing it. Ideally, you would want to steam it but in lieu of that, we give you a simpler option. So, let’s get started.
Step 1: Prepare the pita ingredients
First, you need to prep all the veggies and protein that you want to add.
Open the can of tuna and corn and drain them. You will use the whole can of tuna for two pitas but probably only half of the can of corn.
Next, dice the pickles if you’re using whole ones or spears like I did. If you used sliced pickles you probably don’t need to do anything to them to prep. Now wash and chop the tomatoes and dice the onion. And lastly, julienne the carrots.
This is another tricky part. You have to wash and dry a couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce. But you have to try to keep them whole as much as possible. We use them as a lining for our pita to prevent the juices from soaking through the pita. It also makes the pita sturdier. See our lettuce wraps recipe for the best way to core and separate iceberg lettuce.
Step 2: Prepare the pita pockets
Once you have all your ingredients ready, it’s time to get the pita ready. Place the pita on a plate and cover it with another one.
TIP: You can wrap the pita in a damp paper towel before placing it between the plates.
Heat up the pita in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Next, carefully remove the pita from the plate and put it on a cutting board. Cut the pita in half, then gently open up each half for stuffing.
Step 3: Stuff the pita pockets
The last step is to stuff the pita.
TIP: Place the pita halves in a small bowl each and open them up. This will keep the pita from toppling over every time you add ingredients.
Start by lining the bottom of each with a leaf of iceberg lettuce. Then add the mayonnaise. The order of the remaining ingredients is irrelevant. Just aim to spread each one evenly to get each one in every bite.
Substitutions
Mayonnaise: This is my favourite sauce for these stuffed pitas but you can try others like garlic aioli, jalapeno mayo or ranch. You can also add your favourite dressings, alongside a sauce or on its own. Try our maple Dijon dressing or lemon dressing.
Tuna: I love the combination of tuna, mayo and corn so this is my absolute favourite but you can just as easily add rotisserie chicken, a sliced cutlet like our breaded pork chops, or a simple baked chicken breast.
Serving Stuffed Pitas
I only ever serve these stuffed pitas on their own but of course, you can add a side if you please. Try a simple spinach salad or sweet potato fries to make it a larger meal.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Tuna and Veggie Stuffed Pita Pockets Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- small bowl ((optional))
Ingredients
- 1 pita (note 1)
- 1 can flaked white tuna
- ½ can of corn
- 2 leaves of Iceberg lettuce
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 6 baby carrots or half a medium carrot
- 1 pickle (optional)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (optional)
- 1 tbsp yellow onion (optional)
Optional Additions/Alternatives:
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Green onions
- Fresh Parsley
- Hot peppers
- Pickled onions
- Chickpeas
- Chicken
Instructions
- First, prep all the veggies and protein that you want to add. Open the can of tuna and corn and drain. Dice the pickle, tomatoes and onion and julienne the carrot. Wash and dry a couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce. Try to keep them whole as much as possible. See our lettuce wraps recipe for the best way to core and separate iceberg lettuce.½ can of corn, 2 leaves of Iceberg lettuce, 6 baby carrots or half a medium carrot, 1 pickle, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 tbsp yellow onion
- Once you have all your ingredients ready, heat up the pita, covered, in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.1 pita
- Cut the pita in half and gently open up each half for stuffing.
- The last step is to stuff the pita. Start by lining the bottom with a leaf of iceberg lettuce. Then add the mayonnaise and all the remaining ingredients.1 can flaked white tuna, 3 tbsp mayonnaise
