Healthy Tuna Patties Recipe

February 27, 2015October 22, 2022

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These healthy tuna patties are a delicious switch for dinner tonight and they’re made with a clean eating recipe!

Tuna patties are a remarkably easy and simple dish to throw together. They make a wonderfully light meal on a hot summer evening. The flavors are light and delicious and you can serve them with any sauces you prefer.

A stack of theseClean Eating Tuna Patties sits on a white plate topped with fresh herbs, chopped red onion and some bright yellow lemon wedges.

They make a wonderful high-protein meal or snack the whole family will love! You can even serve them with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or mix in some old bay seasoning. Just make sure to read the ingredients because some brands may have unwanted ingredients.

Tuna Patties Recipe Tips

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the patty into the skillet and then use a fork to gently press it down to a flatter form.
If you prefer to bake these instead of frying them, simply scoop the patties onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 F.

If Your Tuna Patties Fall Apart

If your patties fall apart in the pan, there could be one of a few things that are causing it.

The tuna was not drained well enough. You want to get all of the water removed or it will cause problems.
Temperature and humidity can vary from kitchen to kitchen, for many different reasons. The fix could be as simple as adding one more egg. Three eggs worked fine for me, but it’s possible that some people may need to use four eggs. So if the first patty falls apart, just stir in an extra egg with the remaining tuna and try again.
The size of the tuna chunks – very large chunks will not hold together as well as smaller chunks. If you find the chunks of tuna are on the larger side, simply put the tuna in a small bowl and mash it a bit with a fork until the pieces are much smaller.
The heat of your pan – While you don’t want to cook these on high heat, you do want to put them in a very hot pan so the egg cooks immediately and holds everything together. So get the pan nice and hot, then reduce the heat to medium heat and cook.
You can add a binder if you wish – Good binders can be almond flour, oat flour, or whole grain cracker crumbs (Panko makes a whole wheat version of bread crumbs). Start with 1 tablespoon. You can add more, but don’t go overboard.

Dietary Needs

These are great for a low-carb or keto eating plan. They are also low glycemic, gluten-free, and paleo.

What To Serve With Tuna Patties

Tuna patties are pretty versatile. Anything you would generally serve with fish will work here. I love sweet potatoes or even sweet potato fries (for more of a “fish-n-chips” type of dish). Rice or quinoa and vegetables are always a great option, as is a simple, green salad.

Can You Make Healthy Tuna Patties In An Air Fryer?

You can! Line your air fryer basket or tray with parchment paper and cook these at 360 F. for 10 minutes.

IMPORTANT: If you opt to air fry these, you will want to do 2 important things.

1. Preheat your air fryer, if it has that function.

2. Definitely use one of the binders mentioned above. And for this, I would start at 2 tbsp.

About Tuna Patty Ingredients

Water-packed, canned tuna – Make sure to get the water-packed tuna, not oil-packed. No added salt is best.

Large eggs – These do best if used at room temperature, but it’s not as important as it would be in baking. I’ve made these with cold eggs as well and they do just fine.

Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed or bottled with no sugar added.

Red onion – Chop these really well. If you have a different color onion on hand, feel free to use it. But purple onions have a sweetness that works really well here.

Dried parsley – If you prefer to use fresh parsley, use 1 tbsp. and mince it really fine.

Dried dill – Again, you can use fresh if you prefer. Use 1 full tsp. for that, and mince well.

Garlic powder – If you prefer fresh garlic, I highly recommend mincing it and sautéing it first before adding it to this recipe. If you go that route, use 2 medium garlic cloves and mice well.

Oil – This is as needed for cooking. Use any oil you have on hand. Lightly flavored oils will taste best here.

More Optional Topping Ideas

Green onions
Shallots
Ground black pepper
Fresh herbs
Fresh chives
Fresh cilantro
Fresh basil
Lemon zest
Fresh lime or lemon wedges

How To Make Healthy Tuna Patties

Ingredients for these clean eating tuna patties put together in a mixing bowl, ready to mix for forming the patties.

Stir everything together in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.

Formed raw tuna patties sit on a white plate, ready to be cooked.

Form small patties with the tuna mixture, with your hands (about 1½ inches in diameter).

Two clean eating tuna patties cooking in a skillet as one gets flipped over with a metal spatula.

Cook in a skillet using a heart-healthy oil.

Freshly cooked, clean eating tuna patties sit on a plate with a lemon wedge, ready to eat.

Top your tuna cakes with fresh, chopped onion, fresh parsley, and serve with a lemon wedge. Top these with a little kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt. A little black pepper is good too.

How To Store Tuna Patties

If you have extras or need to make these ahead of time (you can make them up to 2 days in advance), store them in an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge. Make sure they all get eaten by day 3. Fish has a very short shelf life before it can make you sick. 3 days is the max time they should spend in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Tuna Patties?

You can! You’ll need to cook them first, but once cooked, they will freeze for up to 3 months.

To do this, cook the patties according to the recipe. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place them, uncovered, in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to an air-tight container and return them to the freezer.

Thawing And Reheating

To thaw, let them sit in the fridge overnight.

To reheat, simply place them into a warm pan with a light spritz of oil and flip them frequently until warm.

You can also microwave them, 30 seconds at a time until they are just warm. Do not overdo it in the microwave because they will get dry and rubbery fast.

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