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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
These were perfect! Unfortunately because of… the global pandemic… I wasn’t able to get to the store for lemon and dill. I substituted some parsley and a few drops of lemon oil. Also added a little red onion because I had it.
They were GREAT! I’m sure they would be even better as-written (dill seems like a better flavor for this than parsley), but an easy way to make a super affordable and delicious lunch.
I cooked them in a cast-iron, and then put them in the oven at 275 for a few minutes just to dry them out slightly, because they looked a tad soggy. The texture was awesome. Thanks again for the recipe!
I think you did great with what you have. We are all making adjustments when we need to!
Made these with salmon tonight. Very good! Thanks!!
My husband was more than a little disappointed when he found out that the patties on his plate were not salmon. And then he tasted them. Before dinner was over he requested that they be put in the regular rotation of meals, and he doesn’t generally eat keto meals. These tuna patties were absolutely deliciou, and so easy to make! Thank you for the recipe. It’s pinned!
Outstanding! Excellent with homemade Remoulade sauce.
Thank you so much or sharing your recipe- we loooove tuna. One helpful hint for other cooks out there is that there didn’t seem to be enough filler in there to really bind the patties together. We followed the recipe faithfully and were dismayed when upon flipping them, our patties had no structural integrity! The taste was not impacted but beware, the 3-4 minutes per side might be more like 5-6 minutes per side- especially important if cooking for a hungry audience. Enjoy!
I’ve made these multiple times and had no issues cooking or flipping. They do indeed have structural integrity so I think it’s likely the almond flour you are using. Or you may need to flip more carefully and gently.
We loved these patties. So many great flavors and such a great meal.
This quickly became a favorite at my house! It was so good!
Mind fell apart so I may have used too much coconut flour.
This recipe doesn’t use coconut flour, it uses almond flour. These two things do not work in the same way at all. So yes… that is the problem.
These are great! Had to sub dried dill because that’s what I had. I think I went a bit heavy with the salt- but it could’ve been a difference in mayo brands. The size was perfect. They were perfectly moist and I will definitely be putting this recipe in our weekly rotation! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you liked them!
I made these patties tonight. I made a couple of changes. I used flaxseed meal instead of almond flour and added about 3/4 cup of chopped organic spinach. I also added a tbs of chopped capers. Since I grilled them on my Geo Foreman grill, I didn’t use the avocado oil – very low fat. Thanks – my husband and I both love them!
I used to make Paula Dean’s Faux Crab Cakes but now these will do nicely.
Thanks for another delicious recipe. I fried mine in bacon grease because I had some to use up. I served them on a bed of coleslaw. So good! I’m making them again for company this weekend!
Bacon grease is always a good thing!
Could this be made with Garbanzo bean flour instead?
I have no idea, I’ve never used it.
This recipe is amazing!! I used 2 cans of salmon instead of tuna…I squeezed it out by hand to get as much liquid out as possible. I did add 1/4 tsp of cayenne because we like a little kick. The 1/3 cup measuring cup makes a perfect scoop for the mixture and makes the perfect size patty. This one is a keeper!!
Sounds wonderful!
Do you think this would work with canned salmon? I miss salmon patties.
sure it would!
YIPPEE!!!
These were excellent. I added a little butter to the pan when frying to help them brown and i’m so happy I did. Delish! I’ll definitely make them again. Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear it!