These tuna patties are quick, simple, and super flavorful! They pair perfectly with a variety of side dishes, or you can use them to make delicious sandwiches for lunch or dinner.
If you’re looking for a quick and healthy meal idea, be sure to give these tuna patties a try! Made with canned tuna, almond flour, and flavorful aromatics and herbs, they're perfect for a delicious meal that is packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Serve them alongside your favorite side dishes (like this herbed mustard potato salad!) or use them to create satisfying sandwiches filled with fresh veggies for a nourishing and filling meal.
Ingredients
To make tuna patties, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Canned tuna: To make these tuna patties, you'll need canned tuna packed in water. While tuna packed in oil can also be used, it contains more calories and fat than tuna packed in water.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and garlic are a must to make tuna patties that are incredibly flavorful and delicious! So be sure to use them.
- Parsley: Parsley is another important ingredient to make this dish more flavorful. Other herbs such as dill are a great addition or can be used instead of parsley, though I’d highly recommend using parsley if you can!
- Almond flour: Almond flour is great for making the patties softer and less dense. You can look for almond flour or ground blanched almonds when you go grocery shopping to make these tuna patties.
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is perfect for making the patties juicy and delicious. Mayo is a commonly used alternative, so feel free to use it instead!
- Eggs: Eggs are great for binding the tuna mixture, so make sure you have some on hand.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard is really great for adding additional flavor to these tuna patties. Even if you aren’t a huge mustard fan, I’d recommend using it!
How to make tuna patties
Flake the canned tuna. First, thoroughly drain the canned tuna. Place it in a bowl and flake it with your hands until there are mostly small pieces.
Sauté the aromatics. Next, preheat some vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion and minced garlic until fragrant. Then remove them from the pan and let everything cool.
Combine all ingredients. Now add all ingredients for the patties to the same bowl as the tuna. Mix until everything is combined.
Shape and cook the patties. Shape the tuna mixture into similarly sized patties. Place them in a preheated pan with vegetable oil and cook them from both sides until browned. Repeat until all patties are cooked.
Serve with your favorite sides. Serve the tuna patties with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
Here are a few quick notes that I recommend reading through before trying this tuna patty recipe for the first time.
- Be sure to drain the canned tuna. It’s totally fine if there is some moisture left, but you want the tuna mostly dry so you can work with it easily.
- Sauté the aromatics before using them for the tuna cakes. If you don't sauté the onion before using it, it won't become as soft. Instead, it will be crispier and have a more pungent flavor. Additionally, the flavors of the onion and garlic develop much better when they're sautéed beforehand. And since you'll already be using a pan to cook the tuna patties, sautéing the onion won't create any extra dishes to wash. So be sure to sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes before using them for the best results.
- Use medium to medium-high heat to cook the patties. Make sure to not change the heat too much so the patties can brown evenly.
How to serve tuna patties
- Use the patties to make delicious sandwiches or burgers. Since the patties are super flavorful and juicy, they are perfect for making delicious sandwiches or burgers! You can use your favorite bun or bread, vegetables, and sauces.
- Create filling and light wraps. Just cut the tuna patties into smaller pieces and use them to make delicious wraps with fresh vegetables and tasty sauces.
- Serve them alongside your favorite salads for a quick and healthy meal. Salads such as my favorite green potato salad or Italian pasta salad go really well with these tuna cakes and are very easy to prepare! It’s a classic meal for lunch or dinner on hot summer days.
- Add carbs to make your meal more filling. I highly recommend adding some carbs to your meal to make it tastier and more satiating. Cooked rice, crispy smashed potatoes, herbed mustard potato salad or a refreshing dill potato salad are great options!
Frequently Asked Questions
These tuna patties taste anything but bland! They beautifully combine the delicious taste of tuna with aromatic garlic and onion, and fresh parsley for a burst of flavor. Everyone who has tried them so far has loved them, and I'm sure that you will too!
Sure! I just don’t really like mayo so I rarely have it on hand, that’s why I prefer to use greek yogurt. But if you want to use mayo, feel free to go for it!
I’d definitely recommend using parsley if you like it and have access to it! If you don’t like parsley, I recommend using fresh dill. You could also use a combination of both.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat them using a microwave, air fryer, or stove.
More simple and delicious lunch and dinner ideas
If you love quick and delicious meals, I recommend trying one of the following recipes. They may be simple, but they definitely don’t lack flavor!
Tuna Patties
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 3 cans tuna in water drained and flaked
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil for pan-frying
Instructions
- Thoroughly drain the canned tuna and place it in a bowl. Then flake the tuna until you have mostly small pieces.3 cans tuna in water
- Next, preheat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant. Then remove everything and let them cool.1 small onion, 1 garlic clove
- Now add the ingredients for the tuna cake mixture, including the sautéed onion and garlic, to the flaked tuna. Mix until everything is combined. Then shape 8 similarly sized patties.⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, ¼ cup almond flour, 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- If you're using the same pan as before, clean it with a paper towel. Then preheat some vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat. Pan-fry the patties from both sides until they are browned. Then remove them from the pan and repeat until all patties are cooked.¼ cup vegetable oil
- Serve with your favorite side dishes or make delicious sandwiches. Enjoy!
Monika
How many grams are in each can?
Monika
*How many grams are the cans of tuna?
And, can the almond meal/flour be replaced by breadcrumbs? If so, is it a 1:1 swap? Thank you.
Beri
Hi Monika, the cans are 150 grams or 5 ounces drained. I haven't tried them with breadcrumbs, but using them should work just fine. I'd go for a 1:1 swap. Hope you'll love the tuna cakes! 😊
Cindy
How about air frying spraying the cakes with oil?
Beri
Hi Cindy, I think that it should work well! Will try it myself the next time I make the tuna patties. 😊
Christine
Hi there 🌻I really want to try these patties, could you please tell me the size of canned tuna?
Beri
Hi Christine, the cans are 5 ounces or 150g drained. Hope you'll enjoy the tuna patties! 😊
John
Hi, I followed the recipe and made the patties. I'll fry them up when I get home later, but the patties look really soft, like they'll fall apart. Does the heat of the frying pan cause then to stick together?
Beri
Hi John, the tuna patties are softer than beef patties. But they shouldn't fall apart and once they are pan-fried they should stick together. I hope that this helps and that you'll enjoy them! 😊