Easy Tuna Cakes

Name: Easy Tuna Cakes Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 cans of tuna in water; 1 egg; 1/2 lemon (juiced); 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons fresh chives (choppd); 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice; Salt and pepper to taste

This Easy Tuna Cakes recipe is ready from start to finish in 15 minutes! They're hot and crispy on the outside, tender in the middle and served with a dollop of homemade spicy mayonnaise and fresh lemon wedges.

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Close up of a tuna cake on a lettuce topped with aioli.

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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Serving Suggestions
Recipe FAQs
Top Tips
More Easy Appetizers You'll Love
🍳Recipe

Why You'll Love this Recipe

Made with kitchen staples. If you need to grocery shop and your pantry is looking a little bare, chances are you can still whip up these easy tuna cakes. All you need is tuna, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, spices, lemon juice and an egg.
Quick, healthy dinner or appetizer. Tuna cakes are ready in 15 minutes or less. Pair them with a simple salad and side dish to turn them into a complete meal. The best for busy weeknights and last-minute dinners.
No oven required. These tuna patties are made in a skillet on the stovetop, so no need to heat up the oven.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Tuna cake ingredients measured out in bowls and labeled.

tuna - I recommend using tuna packed in water instead of tuna packed in oil. Tuna canned in water is milder in flavor and is more firm in texture. Oil-packed tuna is typically softer and may make your tuna patty mixture too wet and soft.
breadcrumbs - Panko breadcrumbs are my favorite to use when making homemade tuna patties. They are more crispy and make for a nice crust on the cakes. If necessary, you can use regular breadcrumbs or even gluten-free breadcrumbs.
mayonnaise - Mayonnaise will keep the inside of your tuna patties moist and tender and adds great flavor.
egg - These tuna cakes are made with 1 egg to act as the binder. Just as eggs do in baking, an egg helps hold this tuna patty mixture together and gives these tuna cakes structure.
chives - Fresh chives are my secret to making these canned tuna patties taste fresh! I highly recommend including them for a brightness of flavor.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

Overhead shot of four tuna cakes topped with spicy aioli.

Variations

Substitute canned chicken. You can use canned chicken in place of the canned tuna in this recipe. This will of course change the flavor and be less fishy, but the texture is very similar and will work in a pinch.
Change up the spices. I use very simple spices that compliment the tuna, but if you have a premixed seasoning like Old Bay seasoning or want to experiment with your own spices, feel free to.
Use fresh garlic. I used garlic powder to make these tuna cakes as pantry friendly as possible, but if you have fresh garlic cloves you'd like to use, that will work perfectly. I'd recommend substituting 2 cloves of garlic for the garlic powder.
Double or triple the recipe. If you are making a large appetizer to feed a crowd, these tuna cakes are very easy to make in large batches.

Instructions

Prep the tuna. Open the cans of tuna and drain the liquid. Transfer the drained tuna to a large bowl.
Mix together the ingredients. Into the same bowl with the tuna, add the egg, mayonnaise, chives, breadcrumbs, and spices. Mix with your hands or a spoon to combine until ingredients are evenly distributed.
Form the cakes. Using your hands, form the tuna mixture into 4 to 8 tuna patties - 4 patties are great for serving as a main dish. 8 patties are great for smaller servings used as side dishes or appetizers.
Brown in skillet until crispy. In a large skillet over medium heat, coat the skillet with 1 tablespoon oil and heat until hot. Place your tuna cakes in the hot skillet and brown on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy. If you are making 4 larger tuna patties, this can take a bit longer than making smaller patties.

Tuna patties on a white plate before cooking.

Prepare the sauce for tuna patties. Whisk together mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, paprika, lemon juice, and salt and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredient measurements to your liking. Serve sauce on the side or in a dollop on top of your tuna patties.

Spicy aioli ingredients in a bowl before mixing.

Serving Suggestions

If you are serving tuna patties as a meal, pairing them with a couple of side dishes, like a starch and/or vegetable, is a great idea. Below are a few of my favorite ideas to help inspire you.

Easy tuna cakes will also almost always go with any of my favorite Side Dishes to Serve with Burgers or Side dishes to Serve with Fish Tacos.

Recipe FAQs

Can tuna patties be frozen?

Yes, tuna patties can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you are planning to freeze, cook the tuna patties according to instructions. Once golden and crispy, transfer the tuna to a cooling rack to cool. Once room temperature, place the tuna patties on a cookie sheet and freeze in a single layer for 4 hours before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. This will help prevent the tuna patties from sticking together.

Why are my tuna cakes falling apart?

Chances are, you flipped your tuna cakes too early. Wait until the tuna cake has formed a nice golden brown crust on the pan side before flipping. If you flip it too early, the tuna cake will still be soft and prone to falling apart.

Another cause can be too much mayonnaise or other liquids. If your tuna cake mixture is very wet and sticking to your hands, it's too wet and will be difficult to form into patties.

Can you make tuna burgers with canned tuna?

Yes. If you want to eat your tuna cakes as a tasty tuna burger, make larger patties to fit the size of your buns and add your favorite toppings.

Top Tips

Get the skillet nice and hot before laying the tuna cakes in. If the skillet is not hot enough, the tuna cakes are more likely to absorb some of the oil in the pan than get a nice crispy crust on the outside.
Cook in batches, if necessary. Depending on the size of your skillet and the size of your tuna cakes, you may need to pan-fry in a few batches. This will take a bit longer but is better than overcrowding the skillet.