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Easy Tuna Burgers (Patties)

Delicious Best Ever Tuna Burgers. A fast and easy canned tuna recipe, nobody will even miss the meat. These Tuna Patties are a new Dinner Recipe your whole family will love.

4 stacked tuna burgers

I started making these Tuna Patties when the kids were little and I still make them. They are quick and easy to put together, perfect for Lunch or Dinner. They are great when you are looking for something meatless to eat.

There are only 5 ingredients in these Tuna Patties –

  1. Tuna – I like to use Tuna Canned in water, although oil is fine too.
  2. Cracker Crumbs rather than bread crumbs, it’s something my Mom used quite often especially in her Delicious Meatloaf. 
  3. 1 egg – to help bind everything together.
  4. 1-2 stalks of celery – I love the taste and crunchiness of celery but you can always substitute with green peppers, onions, carrots or even chives.
  5. Mayonnaise – also used to bind all the ingredients, I chose light mayo but regular is fine also.

How to make Tuna Burgers:

In a medium bowl add the tuna and flake it with a fork, then add the cracker crumbs, egg, chopped celery and mayo, mix together then form into 4-5 patties. Drizzle a little olive oil in frying pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the patties have browned. Serve with an easy Dill Mayonnaise Sauce.

how to make tuna patties the ingredients in a bowl, mixed together and in the frying pan to be cooked


 

 Can Tuna Patties be Baked instead of Fried?

Yes they can be baked, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place the patties on the  prepared baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 375F / 190 C oven and bake until the burgers are golden brown about 10 minutes on each side.

How to make Dill Mayonaisse Sauce:

In a small bowl combine mayo, lemon juice and dill. Whisk the ingredients together. Perfect with fish burgers. Refrigerate an leftover sauce.

stacked tuna burgers with dill sauce dripping down

Can you freeze them?

You can freeze the Tuna Patties uncooked or cooked. To freeze uncooked be sure to freeze them in an airtight freezer safe container on layers of parchment paper. No need to thaw, just cook them frozen. Although they may need some extra cooking time.

If you decide to freeze them cooked, then make sure to cool completely before storing in an airtight container again on layers of parchment paper. Let thaw over night in the fridge and warm in the oven.

What to serve with Tuna Burgers:

They are absolutely delicious between two slices of pumpernickel bread or any of your favourite bread. Or if you decide to go really light, a tossed salad on the side would be the perfect combination.

Or sometimes I will add some Sauteed Greens or some baked Italian Rosemary Potatoes would be a good choice.

tuna burger with dill sauce on top

More Delicious Tuna Recipes:

Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Mozzarella Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Grilled Zucchini Double Cheese Tuna Bake

So if you are looking for something on the lighter side I hope you give these Tuna Patties a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!

up close tuna burger with dill mayonnaise sauce
up close tuna burger with dill mayonnaise sauce

Easy Tuna Burgers (Patties)

Rosemary Molloy
Tuna Burgers, who needs meat when these Tuna Burgers become the best burger ever. Perfect for lunch or dinner, everyone will love them.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 burgers
Calories 268 kcal

Ingredients
  

TUNA BURGERS

  • 2 cans tuna (in water)drain well (2 x 6 ounce cans) (250 grams after draining)
  • 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs (I use saltine crackers using a blender to mash them) (105 grams)
  • 1 egg slightly beaten
  • 1-2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup light or regular mayonnaise (more if needed) (125 grams)

DILL MAYO SAUCE

  • 1/2 cup light or regular mayo (125 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1-2tablespoons fresh chopped)

Instructions
 

TUNA BURGERS

  • In a medium bowl add tuna and flake well with a fork, add cracker crumbs, egg, celery and mayonnaise. Mix until combined.
  • Form into patties (I made 5 patties), place in a lightly greased frying pan and cook on low-medium heat, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown or desired doneness. Serve immediately. Top each with Dill Mayo Sauce if desired. Enjoy!

DILL MAYO SAUCE

  • In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2.3mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from March 24, 2015.

109 Comments

  1. I have an allergy to gluten. What would you suggest in place of the crackers. Not crazy about GF crackers.

    1. I’m trying it with Chex cereal. That’s what I have on hand. I believe I have rice and cornixed together.

  2. Awesome recipe Rosemary. I normally make tuna “muffins” in the oven but will definitely try these out!

  3. 4 stars
    This was so good!!! Def will be making it again. Typically with my tuna I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo jus to make it that much lighter. I wonder if this will work with Greek yogurt too?

  4. 5 stars
    I didn’t have celery so I used chopped bell pepper and onion. I added a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and the rind of a lemon, some black pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Also as I am gluten free, I used gluten-free Panko style crumbs. So delicious!!!!!!! These are my new favorite recipe! and so easy and fast to make! Thanks so much.

  5. 5 stars
    No Italians in our kitchens. Irish and Polish. This should tell you how old I am.Since we are Catholic I remember eating these patties on many a meatless occasions. Which was all Fridays, Holy days, and of course Lent.We made them with canned salmon also.I never grew tired of them and am always amazed at the reaction to them.Glad you are passing on (and updating) the recipe. There were other fish when available, but these remained my favorites.Even though meatless days are no longer mandated they hold fond memories of family and tradition.If ever you. want I will make room for you in my kitchen.Italians always welcome! Barb. (Best wishes)

    1. Hi Barbara, so glad you enjoyed them, and yes I remember no meat on Fridays too. Have a wonderful week.

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