This crispy tuna patties recipe is a super quick, easy, and healthy dinner idea! Adding a touch of mayo keeps these tuna cakes tender on the inside, yet crunchy and delicious on the outside... And did I mention they're budget friendly?
This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Blue Harbor Fish Co; all opinions and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this site!
Tuna Patties For The Win!
Much like this beloved Parmesan-crusted chicken recipe, these crispy fried tuna patties were a weeknight regular when my husband and I were newlyweds.
Back then we were living on a first-year apprentice's wages, and budget-friendly proteins (like pouch or canned tuna fish) were a necessity for maintaining our skimpy grocery budget.
While our grocery budget has increased over the years, budget-friendly, quick & easy dinners are still in high demand around here! You know, five kids + sports and all...
Blue Harbor Fish Co Albacore Tuna
It's been ages since I've made them, but tuna patties were the first recipe that I thought of when I received a package of Blue Harbor Albacore Tuna pouches recently.
A quick survey of my pantry showed that I had all the necessary ingredients on hand. That's what's so great about a simple tuna cake recipe like this - you can almost always throw it together at a moment's notice if you keep a well-stocked pantry.
After trying these tuna pouches, Blue Harbor will definitely be on my list to keep stocked. Blue Harbor is Marine Stewardship Council certified, which means it comes from fisheries dedicated to sustainable fishing.
Each pouch is filled with sustainably-caught, wild Albacore tuna that's hand-selected and packed with only water or water and sea salt (no preservatives!), depending on the variety. The flavor is delicious, mild, and very clean!
How To Make Tuna Patties
Overall, this tuna patty recipe is very forgiving. Out of bread crumbs? Use an equal amount of crushed saltine or butter crackers instead.
Not a fan of Sriracha? Go ahead and skip it (although it really doesn't add THAT much heat). Or try swapping the lemon and fresh parsley for lime and cilantro for a tasty change of pace.
The only ingredient I wouldn't change is the mayo... Which is weird because the tuna patties recipe my mom made when I was growing up did not have mayonnaise in it. But after trying it a few years ago, I've never gone back!
Mayo is truly the secret ingredient in my crispy tuna patties recipe. It adds SO much flavor and keeps the inside of the tuna patties tender and juicy.
Crispy Yet Tender Tuna Cakes
I like these tuna patties served over fresh greens drizzled with a simple lemon aioli. But my husband prefers to turn them into tuna burgers on a bun with guacamole - they're super versatile like that.
I love it when one recipe can please everyone... And when it's quick and easy, too, you know you've got a real winner!
Printable Recipe ↓
15-Minute Crispy Fried Tuna Patties
Ingredients
- 3 (5-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water, drained
- 1 large egg
- ½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- ½ small lemon, zested and juiced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup dry bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or your preferred oil
Instructions
- Add the tuna to a large bowl. Stir in the onions and fresh parsley.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, mayo, Sriracha, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Add the liquid mixture to the tuna mixture and stir together. Add the bread crumbs, and use your hands to combine and mix evenly.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, about ½ cup each. Shape into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
- Heat the avocado oil (or your desired cooking oil) over medium heat. Using a fish turner spatula, gently lay the tuna patties in the pan. Cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Easy Side Dish Recipes
Wondering what to serve with tuna patties? With a main dish as easy as this tuna cakes recipe, you're going to want to keep your side dishes quick and easy, as well. Here are a few of our very favorites:
- Italian Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Sauteed Green Beans With Garlic
- Loaded Guacamole Salad
- 3-Ingredient Roasted Sesame Asparagus
By the way, if you like these tuna patties, you might also enjoy these other canned tuna recipes:
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad Without Mayo
- Easy Tuna Casserole With Egg Noodles
BONUS RECIPE: my favorite chicken salad with grapes and pecans that's made with canned chicken breast chunks!
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your fried tuna patties turn out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Nancy says
Delicious !!! A definite keeper . Crispy! I added lemon pepper breadcrumbs because my grandkids love lemony everything!
Amy says
really good, added extra oil into mixture since it seemed a bit dry/hard to form, and it worked out perfectly.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So glad you loved them, Amy! Did you use bread crumbs as your binder? I'm seeing this mentioned more often, so I'm starting to wonder if there are some brands of tuna that work better for these tuna patties than others. I'm going to do a little testing to see if the recipe needs any adjustments or maybe just provide some recommended brands based on my findings.
Melanie Franceschi says
I loved these. Simple and delicious. Great as we ate them on Brioche buns, lettuce tomatoe, side of bakebeans and salad with home made dressing!!!!! I added a little more mayo, and lemon until I could make a ball that held together.!!!! 4 min on each side in olive oil. Fantastic
Mel
Kim says
Only giving 4 stars because flavor was good but they didn’t stick together.
Laverne says
What are the full nutritional values for this tuna patty recipe? Protein? Fats? Etc. Thanks.
Jenna says
Very tasty. I didn’t have mayo so I substituted it for ranch and it still turned out well.
Peggy Hieb says
I made this tonight. it was very good,& moister than the last recipe I tryed. I will definitely make this again.
Christina Kieffer says
Don't you mean a 5 oz can of tuna? I don't ever see 10 oz cans...
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, the 5-oz. cans of tuna!! So sorry about that - I updated this recipe recently and must have mis-keyed this somehow. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
Tonya says
This dish was so simple and yummy! I added a tad extra Mayo and seasoning, new family favorite!