Tuna Patties are one of my family’s favorite dinners. Crispy on the outside and tender the inside, it’s a healthy meal in less than 30 minutes!
When you’ve had a busy day and don’t know what to make for dinner, I highly recommend these Lemon Dill Tuna Patties. They’ve become a staple in our house, and with good reason. It’s a healthy dinner on auto-pilot.
And it’s my way of getting some healthy fish into my kids without complaint. They love tuna salad and we make it often. But let’s face it, it’s not the most exciting meal in the world.
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 flaky fish, just to shake things up a bit.
Enter these delicious tuna cakes. Or tuna burgers. Or tuna patties. Whatever you want to call them, they made our dinner more interesting and enjoyable.
Be sure to check out my recipe for Keto Crab Cakes too!
You will love this healthy recipe
We all need a few easy recipes in our repertoire that please the whole family. That’s no easy task for any of us with multiple children.
This tuna patties recipe checks all the boxes for my people. It’s ready in less than half an hour, it has wonderful flavor, and it’s incredibly healthy. With 23g of protein and only 2g of carbs per serving, I know I am getting good nutrition into all of us.
And it’s an incredibly versatile recipe too. Want to change up the flavors? Try adding some Tex Mex spices and cheddar cheese. You can cook them in a pan or in the air fryer. And you can make them a day or two in advance.
Ingredients you need
- Canned tuna: We get big packs of Wild Planet sustainable tuna at Costco, which we keep on hand at all times for easy meals.
- Almond flour: This acts gives the tuna patties some structure.
- Green onion: Fresh green onion adds flavor and color.
- Dill: I recommend fresh dill but if you only have dried, try 1 teaspoon.
- Lemon: This recipe uses both the zest of the lemon as well as some juice.
- Mayonnaise: Mayo adds moisture and a bit of tanginess.
- Eggs: Egg helps bind the tuna patties together.
- Pantry staples: Salt, pepper, cooking oil.
Step by Step Directions
1. Combine the ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the avocado oil until well combined.
2. Form patties: Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Form each into patties about 3/4 inch thick.
3. Cook one side: 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.
4. Flip the patties: 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.
5. Add toppings: Top with mayo, lemon, and capers, if desired.
Expert Tips
Make sure to drain the tuna very well. If the tuna patties have too much liquid, they will be more prone to falling apart.
A little almond flour helps give them more structure. If you need to be nut-free, try using some sunflower seed flour.
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. They are easier to flip when they aren’t too big.
I recommend a good non-stick skillet for this recipe. Flip the tuna patties carefully by wiggling your spatula underneath. Once they are cooked well on one side, they hold together nicely.
Don’t need 8 tuna cakes? You can easily make a half batch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Use both a little filler such as almond flour, as well as eggs, to bind the tuna patties together. Also be sure to keep them on the small side for easier flipping. You can wiggle a spatula underneath each patty and then carefully flip over.
These low carb Tuna Patties use almond flour and have only 2g carbs per serving.
Store the patties in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for several months.
More healthy low carb fish recipes
Tuna Patties Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 5-ounce cans tuna, drained
- 1/2 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
- 2 large eggs
- 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.
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Form each into patties about 3/4 inch thick and place on a waxed paper lined tray.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I made these today. They are pretty darn good. I added some things as I like lost of flavor. Darn! I forgot the eggs!!!!!
Anyway, I added a bit more of the spices, and added garlic, ginger, cilantro, lime juice powder, old Bay seasoning, about 1/3 of a chopped onion as I didn’t have green onion, about 2 T of sundried tomatoes that weren’t packed in oil, a bit more of the mayo (homemade), and oddly, a tiny bit of keto friendly chopped dill pickles. It made 17 patties using about 1/3cup for each patty. I cook in the oven at 350* for about 30 minutes. I also blend in the tuna juices as my preferred brand “SafeCatch”, which has tested for, and is the lowest mercury tuna available, does not pack in water or oil. The juices are actual juices from canning the tuna. It almost soaks in completely.
I love chicken, tuna, salmon and crab patties!!!!!
Also, the sheet pans you recommend, the USA quarter sheet pans, fit perfectly into my countertop oven so I bought 2 so I have 3 pans to use and I line them with parchment to help with cleanup.
GREAT recipe!
Since I really goofed and forgot the eggs, they held together but were really soft. So I toasted some bread and smushed the patty onto the toast, added a tiny bit of keto tartar sauce and ate them that way. VERY tasty!
Next time I’ll be SURE to add the eggs!
I have made these and also using salmon (canned, but cooked fresh would also work). They are awesome. I found that, for me, baking them worked better than trying to flip, which I did with my first batch (small countertop oven) then baked the remaining batches. 350* for about 30 minutes. I kept watch making sure they browned up a bit, but not too much. So it will work for tuna, salmon, I’m going to try fresh or canned crab (when I can find some!) soon. I see you also have a chicken fritters ( pretty much the same thing using chicken), which I will adapt for using ground chicken and turkey. GREAT recipes!!! Thank you.
This may seem like an obvious answer, but I wanted to make sure: I like to make salmon, tuna, crab and chicken patties. Would this recipe work for the others; salmon, crab and chicken? Or would there be separate recipes for those?
(I have been trying to find crab locally, but can’t find anything, fresh or canned. I may try driving to the coast, only an hour away, and see if I can find some that way)
Thank you for the great recipes!
It should!
These turned out amazing! I made these fried in oil and in the air fryer – the air fryer was so much easier and tasted better. I made them with salmon and added chopped jalapeños, cajun seasoning, and Old Bay. I cooked them for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees – delicious!!
these are delicious and quick. thanks, Carolyn
These had great flavor- but fell apart to easy! But will definitely make them again
Frying tuna cakes is messy and time-consuming and involves dirtying more utensils. I would prefer a baked recipe.
Sounds like you need a different recipe! 🙂
This is one of my go-to recipes! Thanks!
You nailed it AGAIN, Carolyn! Crispy crust and tender in the middle. Full of fresh herb flavor. Mixed up a smidgen of mayo, sour cream and shallot pepper for a little topping and sprinkled with green onion, dill from my garden and capers. Thanks for all you do with your creativity!
So glad you liked them!
Second time around, I made these in an air fryer and they became even easier. I put them on parchment paper, sprayed with oil, and sprayed the tops lightly with olive oil (I didn’t have avocado oil). Air fried at 400 degrees for roughly 11 minutes–turned them over after 6 minutes. They came out browned and golden and beautiful. And then, I served them as part of a nicoise salad, with green beans, tomatoes, hard boiled egg and roasted radishes. Really hit the spot!
Great idea!
Wowwww!
So delicious, even without the lemon zest. Best tuna patties I’ve ever made! Thank you!!
can these be frozen?
I can’t see why not.
Made these last night. I think I need a bit more almond flour next time as about half decided they were not going to stay together no matter how much I asked them to or how carefully I tried to flip them. BUT they are so tasty even when eaten in child sized bites. I think I will try this with the many cans of salmon I have in the cupboard. I think they should be just as good.
Could be your brand of tuna or almond flour but glad you enjoyed them!
Where is the recipe for the Garlic Aioli Mayo… should have been included.
I followed the recipe exactly. I used a nonstick frying pan. They stuck to the bottom and fell apart easily. They did, however, look cute and arranged nicely on a plate. But then when I ate them…no thanks.
Followed the recipe exactly Great taste but they fell apart when frying. Should I use another egg or more almond flour?