I officially declare these the best tuna patties ever! These healthy keto tuna burgers are easy to make, delicious, and a very family friendly recipe. A great way to get a little more fish in your low carb diet. Less than 2g carbs per serving. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
Tuna salad is a staple in our house and I probably make it at least once every 2 weeks. It’s keto, it’s easy, my kids like it, and…it’s incredibly boring. I am so very much a tuna salad fan but it’s not the most exciting meal and I make it mostly because it’s a good way to get some fatty fish into my kids. So it’s what I make on the fly when I can’t think of much else and I need to get some healthy protein into them without too much struggle. I can easily serve it with lettuce wraps, keto crackers, or some instant keto english muffins and they will be happy.
But a few weeks ago, as I pulled out a few cans of tuna from the cupboard, I nearly put myself to sleep. The thought of just mashing up some tuna with some mayo and a sprinkle of salt and pepper bored me to tears. I needed to do something different with that fish, just to shake things up a bit.
Enter these delicious keto tuna cakes. Or tuna burgers. Or tuna patties. Whatever you want to call them.
I rummaged through my fridge and my cupboards, pulling out lemon, fresh dill, and some Bob’s Red Mill almond flour as a binder. More often than not, I am grabbing that almond flour to make something sweet, but it’s amazing in savory recipes too. I forget about that sometimes – it’s wonderful when you need to add a little bulk to meatballs and meatloaf and it worked perfectly in these tuna patties. You could probably sub in Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour too but you’d only want about 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Not a fan of tuna? Try these Chicken Cakes and sub the bread crumbs for almond flour!
How to Make Low Carb Tuna Patties
- Be sure to use sustainable tuna such as Wild Planet, which is pole and line caught and lower in mercury.
- Drain the tuna very well. Wild Planet says you don’t need to drain it and that’s true for tuna salad but it’s best to drain it for these tuna burgers.
- Use a low carb binder such as almond flour or coconut flour, to help the patties hold their shape.
- Good health mayonnaise, such as Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil mayo, helps make the tuna burgers moist and delicious.
- Form them firmly by hand into nice even patties about 3/4 inch thick. They shouldn’t be more than 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
- A non-stick skillet works best for easy flipping. Flip them carefully. Once they are cooked well on one side, they hold together nicely.
- Serve with tasty toppings like Garlic Aioli Mayo and capers.
I will be honest, I served these to my kids with trepidation. They are at that funny stage of not liking anything unfamiliar or different, and this was a very different way for me to serve tuna. But to my surprise and delight, they loved them and they all asked for a second helping. Now mind you, I left off the garlic aioli mayo and the capers on theirs, but still…this was rather adventurous for them. Just goes to show you that I don’t know anything when it comes to parenting.
I’ve made these several times since then and they come out so well. And I am so happy to have a tasty and not-so-boring alternative to tuna salad.
Many thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for partnering with me to bring you this recipe.
Lemon Dill Tuna Patties
Ingredients
- 4 5-ounce cans tuna drained
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 medium green onions, chopped white and light green parts only
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the avocado oil until well combined. Form into 8 patties about 3/4 inch thick.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the avocado oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of tuna patties and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip over and cook the other side another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining oil and patties.
- Top with mayo, lemon, and capers, if desired.
