Lemon Garlic Tuna Cakes Recipe – the best and easy patties made with canned tuna, lemon juice and zest, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, mayo and shredded Parmesan. Quick and delicious tuna cakes for lunch or light dinner!
You can serve these cakes as appetizers or dinner, like my Crispy Parmesan Tilapia of Parmesan Crusted Salmon.
I am all about easy lunches and light dinners but only if they have lots of flavor. The garlic lemon combo is definitely one of my favorites to use. My Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken is so delicious, I wanted to make another dish with this flavor pair. I know it works great with vegetables, like my Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes. This time, I added it to my best easy tuna cakes. They were a huge hit! Best tuna cakes I’ve ever made!
LEMON GARLIC TUNA CAKES
These Lemon Garlic Tuna Cakes can be made ahead of time or even frozen after frying. They are a great option for a delicious lunch or a light dinner. Serve with tartar sauce, simple aioli or in a sandwich. The combination of garlic and lemon gives these tuna cakes plenty of flavor. Coating lightly in breading before frying makes them moist inside and crispy on the outside.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON GARLIC TUNA CAKES?
- Start by draining canned tuna from water. I use a small colander to do that.
- Next, mix it with a large egg, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper and dried parsley.
- Combine remaining breadcrumbs and grated cheese in a shallow dish. Scoop 1/4 cup of tuna mixture, form into a patty and lightly coat with breading mixture.
- Fry cake in pan with oil, until nicely browned on each side. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with spinach or other greens, additional lemon wedge or even simple aioli.
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY TUNA CAKES?
My secret to making these delicious tuna cakes crispy on the outside is to lightly coat them in breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese mixture. It makes the cakes moist inside and perfectly crispy on the outside.
CAN I BAKE THESE TUNA CAKES?
Yes, these tuna cakes can be easily cooked in the oven. Simply arrange prepared tuna cakes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in 375 degrees F oven for about 18 to 20 minutes.
CAN I MAKE THESE TUNA CAKES AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, tuna cakes can be prepared and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. They make for a quick and easy lunch or light dinner on a busy day.
CAN I FREEZE TUNA CAKES?
Yes! It’s great to make a larger batch of tuna cakes, cook (or bake) and cool completely. Then arrange on a large baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Next, remove from the sheet and place in a ziploc bag. Seal well by squeezing out as much air as possible. Label the bags and place in a freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat before serving.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TUNA CAKES?
These Lemon Garlic Tuna Cakes are very flavorful thanks to the citrus and garlic, but if you want to dip them or drizzle with a creamy sauce, you can make aioli by whisking together mayonnaise with lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dash or hot sauce. You can also use homemade Tartar Sauce.
MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES:
Garlic Parmesan Crusted Salmon
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
LEMON GARLIC TUNA CAKES RECIPE:
- 2 5 oz. cans of tuna in water well drained
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Start by draining canned tuna from water. I use a small colander to do that.
- Next, combine it with garlic, onion, salt and pepper, lemon juice and zest, egg, breadcrumbs, mayo, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Mix well.
- Combine remaining breadcrumbs and grated cheese in a shallow dish. Scoop 1/4 cup of tuna mixture, form into a patty and lightly coat with breading mixture.
- Fry cake in pan with oil, until nicely browned on each side. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with spinach or other greens, additional lemon wedge or even simple aioli.
To freeze: cook (or bake) and cool completely. Then arrange on a large baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Next, remove from the sheet and place in a ziploc bag. Seal well by squeezing out as much air as possible. Label the bags and place in a freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Maricel DELA CRUZ -JOHNSON says
Sooooo….delicious!!! Best recipe by far. I followed the directions but added some minced red bell pepper and it was the bomb!!!! I made some aioli sauce as you recommended and my husband and kids loved it!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Anna says
Hi Maricel! That’s wonderful! I am so glad the tuna cakes were a hit! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Chi says
These taste really yummy but I am a beginner cook and I read through the recipe and noticed you mentioned combining everything, you mention breadcrumbs and then say take the remaining breadcrumbs and mix with parmesan cheese. It confused me because how much of the breadcrumbs should be mixed in the batter? So I had to guess. I’m not sure if that contributed to my cakes falling apart, but I just thought I would point that out.
But a very tasty simple dish with stuff that most people have in their house.
Frank says
Reread the recipe. Breadcrumbs are mentioned twice in the ingredients list! 1/4 of a cup breadcrumbs goes into the tuna mixture and then you need 4 additional tablespoons of breadcrumbs for the coating.
Angela says
Oh my goodness what a delight !
I made these today and added some chilli flakes
and extra lemon zest to the recipe …
WOW , thank you so much . A great starter or
light lunch to impress .
Macy says
These tuna patties are great! We had some buns so we turned them into tuna burgers with tomatoes, clover sprouts, and a mayo/lemon juice mixture in them. Soooo good. I was wondering if the recipe would still work if I used canned salmon instead of tuna?
Victoria says
I made some alterations to the recipe just based on what was in the pantry and how I felt.
Instead of onions, I used a bit of onion powder. I was already peckish when I found this great recipe. Because I also did not have much in the breadcrumbs domain, I used the last of the GF Panko breadcrumbs I had, and instead put the cakes in coconut flour and parmesan cheese and cooked it with coconut oil.
Some of the cakes broke up, but it was minimal. I ended up having the cakes atop polenta with some tartar sauce and a couple of capers, and WOW.
You’ve made my day sincerely, and I look forward to seeing some of your other recipes.
Anna says
Hi Victoria! Thank you for trying my recipe! I am glad it was a good base for your adaptations. I hope you enjoy my other recipes as well! Have a beautiful day!
Karen says
Delicious! I made these for dinner tonight and they are a big hit!
I used lime and Italian bread crumbs as that is what we had!
One question, what is a portion for the calorie count, 1 or 2 patties!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Anna says
Hi Karen! That’s fantastic! I am so glad the cakes were a hit. The calorie count is per cake. Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Virginia norris says
I didn’t have any breadcrumbs so I used potato flakes. Don’t do it!
Carol Templeton says
wich one ingredient can replace the Mayo?
Karen says
Crispy, moist, delicious!! Perfect tuna cake! I made mini’s as an appetizer, fantastic!!
bb says
very good and easy to make!
Anna says
Thank you so much!
Donna says
These cakes are fantastic! As I was eating them, I kept saying how extraordinarily good they tasted…. and then a happy comment came out from headquarters, my husband who was absorbed in tv while eating; but finally said, “THE TUNA IS GREAT! IT’S SUPER!” So it’s unanimous in our household! So grateful you shared this recipe! You’re a genius to put all these different flavors together with tuna, that I don’t particularly care for; and the end result taste like you can’t wait to eat the rest for dinner tonight! Girl, these cakes won us over! Thanks so much! 😀
Rayn says
is it 2.5 oz or 25?
A says
It’s 2x 5oz, so 2 cans that are 5oz each
Debbie says
Delicious! They have a nice light flavor with a little kick of garlic, and they fried up nice and crispy. This recipe is a keeper.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Debbie! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Alice says
Really good! My whole family enjoyed them! Prepared earlier in the day and baked right before dinner, salad, and done!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Alice, for trying the recipe! I am so glad it was a hit with the whole family!
Michel Valera says
this recipe is absolutely delicious… thanks for sharing
Anna says
Thank you for trying it, Michel!
robyn hamilton says
love this recipe. No fail and reliable and delicious from Australia
Anna says
Thank you so much, Robyn!
Kirsten says
Made these for dinner tonight- so so good!! I can already tell they’ll be a go-to (I love finding a new go-to). Served as a main with some lemony dill mayo for dipping (threw a little fresh dill in the cakes, too) and some blanched green beans tossed in a nicoise-ish dressing on the side. Thank you for this recipe!
Anna says
Hi Kirsten! Yay! That’s fantastic! I am so glad the tuna cakes were a hit! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for the comment!
Irene says
Making them now for 1st time. For weight watcher t followers I calculated these for 4 points each. I made 12 patties thinking maybe about 1 1/2 patties. What do you think
Taylor says
These look so crispy and delicious! Yum!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Taylor!
Becky Hardin says
Lemon garlic tuna cakes!!!! These sound amazing! So much flavor!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Becky!
Steph says
I made these for my children’s lunches and they loved them! Thanks!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
That’s fantastic! Thank you, Steph!
krissy says
These are so full of flavor and easy to make! Its a go to recipe in my home! My kids dont realize theyre eating fish! so good!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Perfect! Thanks, Krissy!
Tara says
Tuna cakes was one of my go-to recipes when my husband and I were newlyweds. They’re so budget-friendly! Love the lemon and garlic in these.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! Thanks, Tara!