Make this easy tuna cakes recipe for a light, healthy, and flavorful addition to any low-carb menu.
Canned tuna is blended with mayo, red onions, lemon juice, and seasonings and formed into patties then pan-fried for an elegant lunch or appetizer.
Tasty Tuna Cake Highlights
- Flavor: With a mix of canned tuna, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dill, and mayonnaise these tuna cakes have a light, tangy flavor.
- Difficulty: This tuna cakes recipe is so easy. Just combine ingredients, form patties, and chill before cooking.
- Swaps: Adjust the amount of onion, dill, and lemon pepper to your taste.
- Serving suggestions: Delish topped with dill pickle tartar sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
What’s in the Mix
Tuna: Oil or water-packed tuna works in this recipe since you’ll be squeezing the liquid out. Make sure to buy boneless and skinless canned tuna.
Flour: Almond flour is the perfect gluten-free binder for tuna cakes, but you can also use keto breadcrumbs or crushed pork rinds. You may need to add extra to keep the cakes intact.
Savory Swaps: Adjust the savory seasonings to suit your tastes or go spicy and make a Tex-Mex tuna cake using a Southwest blend. Blend in some shredded zucchini, chia, or hemp seeds for an extra boost of nutrition.
How To Make Tuna Cakes
- Combine all the ingredients except the oil (full recipe below).
- Press the mixture into patties and chill.
- Pan fry patties in oil until crispy and golden brown.
Tuna Tips & Tasty Tricks
- Be sure to squeeze the tuna dry so it’s easier to form patties once they’re mixed with the other ingredients.
- Avoid overpacking the patties. You want them to be delicate with airy pockets and crispy edges.
- Use just enough almond flour to hold the patties together, dice the onion very fine, and avoid adding too many extras or the patties won’t keep their form.
- Remember to chill the patties before frying to help them stay together.
Creative Tuna Cake Comebacks
Keep leftover tuna cakes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them between layers of parchment paper in a zippered bag for up to one month.
Use leftovers on a salad, in a low-carb wrap, or reheat them in the air fryer and serve with ranch dressing as an appetizer or first course.
More Flavorful Fish Recipes
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Tuna Cakes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces canned tuna well drained
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon red onion chopped fine, more to taste if desired
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed or 2 teaspoons fresh dill
- ¾ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons almond flour or as needed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- fresh lemon for serving optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl and mix well. Add enough almond flour so that the cakes hold together.
- Divide the tuna mixture in half. Gently pat to form 4 patties, about 3-inches across. Press together well so they do not fall apart.
- Refrigerate patties for 15 minutes before cooking.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown on both sides.
Notes
- Be careful with the patties as they are delicate.
- Gently squeeze the tuna dry.
- Start with 3 tablespoons almond flour and add a little bit more if needed.
- Oil packed tuna might be a bit softer.
- Crushed pork rinds can be used in place of almond flour if desired.
- Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Can I use regular flour in place of almond flour?
Hi Linda, if you are not looking for a low-carb tuna cake you can use regular flour! I would add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Enjoy!