Tuna Cakes

Crispy Tuna Cakes

These easy Tuna Cakes are a tasty, low carb, and unique way to use canned tuna, and also a family favorite. If tuna fish is one of the pantry staples you have on hand, you’re in luck! I love the bright, lemony flavor and the crispy coating on the outside of these cakes. Similar to how you’d make crab cakes, these Tuna Cakes are made with breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, and seasonings to enhance the delicious tuna flavor. My favorite way to serve these is straight up on their own with a side of roasted vegetables, but they’re also great on a salad or on a bun. I personally never use a sauce with mine, but feel free to serve them with the remoulade or aioli of your choosing if that’s your preference! Not only are these simple to make and super delicious, each tuna cake is just 123 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, or 3 WW Points. I can’t believe how decadent these crispy Tuna Cakes taste for such little calories or WW points, and I bet you’ll be surprised as well! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

Tuna Cakes on a plate

Looking for more tasty, lightened up comfort food recipes? Check out my Blackened Chicken Bites, One-Pot Cheesy Chili Mac, One-Pot Turkey and Veggie Spaghetti, Sheet Pan Meatloaves with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans, One-Pot Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta, Swedish Turkey Meatballs, Chicken and Dumplings Casserole, Cream Cheese and Herb Stuffed Chicken, Baked Hot Barbecue Chicken Tenders, Bubble Up Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake, Stuffed Turkey Bundles with Gravy, One-Pot Spicy Dirty Rice with Chicken and Sausage, Crispy Cheddar Chicken with Cream Sauce, Barbecue Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders, Meat and Potatoes Bake, Chicken Pot Pasta, Lemon Chicken Orzo with Tomatoes and Asparagus, Baked Chicken Tenders, and many more in the Comfort Food category of my recipe index!

Crispy Tuna Cakes
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4.75 from 12 votes
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Tuna Cakes

These easy Tuna Cakes are a tasty, low carb, and unique way to use canned tuna!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • 2 tablespoons diced celery
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 (5 oz each) cans of tuna, drained
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

  • Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil into a large saute pan and bring over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and stir to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs (beaten), the vegetable mix from step one, the drained tuna, ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, and dill. Stir together until well combined.
  • On a clean surface (I used a cutting mat), scoop out 9 (1/4 cup each) portions of the tuna mixture and flatten/shape them into patties. Combine the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in a dish and stir together. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the patties on both sides and press it in to coat.
  • Wipe out the saute pan from step one to use again. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan and bring over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place half the patties (you’ll have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan, I did 5 the first batch and 4 the second) in the oil and cook for about 3 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the patties and cook for another 3 minutes or until golden. Transfer the cooked tuna cakes to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and the remaining patties until all are cooked.

Notes

To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
WW Points per tuna cake: 3 (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per tuna cake:
123 calories, 4 g carbs, 0 g sugars, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 13 g protein, 0 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)
MYWW SMARTPOINTS PER tuna cake: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Green: 3 SmartPoints/ Blue: 2 SmartPoints/ Purple: 2 SmartPoints
Weight Watchers Points Plus:
3 per tuna cake (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition info below)
Adapted from Crunchy Creamy Sweet