Enjoy these quick and easy Stove-Top Tuna Cakes, made with simple, hearty ingredients like canned tuna, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Ready in just 20 minutes, this budget-friendly recipe delivers crispy, flavorful patties perfect for a satisfying meal.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 min
Pro tips
Enhance Flavor with Seasonings: Add a pinch of smoked paprika, garlic powder, or Old Bay seasoning to the tuna mixture for a deeper, more complex flavor profile that complements the fish.
Boost Texture: For extra crunch, mix in finely chopped celery, bell peppers, or even a handful of crushed crackers or cornmeal into the patties before forming them.
Prevent Sticking: Lightly coat the skillet with a thin layer of oil or use a non-stick pan, and let it heat fully before adding the patties to ensure a crisp exterior without sticking.
Perfect Binding: If the mixture feels too wet to form patties, add an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs or let it chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
Serving Suggestion: Pair the tuna cakes with a quick dipping sauce—mix mayo with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of hot sauce for a tangy kick that elevates the dish.
Ingredients
Directions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up the mixture.
- Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Working in batches, scoop ⅓-cup portions of the tuna mixture into the skillet.
- Using the back of a spatula, gently flatten each portion into a patty shape.
- Cook the patties for 6 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping them after 3 minutes.
Repeat the process with the remaining tuna mixture.
Variation
For a different flavor profile, substitute mozzarella cheese, chopped green onions, and a splash of lemon juice for the cheddar cheese, shredded carrots, and relish.
For Easier Handling in the Skillet
Shape the tuna mixture into patties as directed, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set the shape, and proceed with cooking as outlined above. This will help prevent the cakes from falling apart as much when dry frying.
Crispier cakes
Add oil to the pan, from 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon per batch according to the size of your pan.
Comments
Going to try them sounds good
Let us know how it comes out. Happy Cooking :)
Modified the recipe left out the carrots,relish, lemon juice and shallots and chopped up half a vidalia onion and half a bell pepper and mixed it in. Also it was sticking to my hands so I put about 8 saltine crackers in the food processor and pulse until powder then added them to the mix to form it up a bit. After I browned the cakes I then put them on a baking sheet and placed in the oven @375 for 12 minutes and they were wonderful!
should i not cook the stuffing first?
No need to cook the stuffing. Think of it as fancy bread crumbs.
Don't you need oil in the skillet
These turned out really good. I only used 2/3 of the stuffing because I wanted to taste the tuna more. Guess I could have added an extra can of tuna instead.
It’s hard to wrong with tuna cakes, so easy & so good and light & healthy.
Only added diced butter pickles & mayo though, the stuffing took care of the rest of the spices.
The instructions didn’t say if you put oil in the frying pan, or just cook them in a dry pan? If oil, how much?
They fell apart in the pan and I didn’t use any oil per the instructions. Next time I think I’ll bake them instead because they didn’t really get too crunchy, just kinda mushy.
Without a binder mine fell apart and I did spray the pan with oil as they were burning without it. I would add at least 2-3 eggs to this mix. I’d probably add some sort of flour or cornstarch and then shallow fry the next time.