Lemon Garlic Tuna Cakes are 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!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
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!
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.
Ingredients:
- tuna: from a can, drained from the water;
- bread crumbs: they help ingredients to bind and keep the cakes moist;
- onion and garlic: add flavor;
- lemon zest: the best way to add citrus flavor to a dish;
- egg: necessary for the ingredients to bind and prevent the cakes from falling apart;
- Parmesan cheese: adds cheesy flavor;
- seasoning: salt, pepper.
How to make 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.
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- Combine the remaining breadcrumbs and grated cheese in a shallow dish. Scoop ¼ cup of tuna mixture, form into a patty, and lightly coat with the breading mixture.
- Fry the cakes in a pan with oil, until nicely browned on each side. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with spinach or other greens, an additional lemon wedge, or even simple aioli.
How to make them crispy?
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.
What to serve with tuna cakes?
These tuna cakes are very flavorful thanks to the citrus and garlic, but if you want to dip them or drizzle them with a creamy sauce, you can make aioli by whisking together mayonnaise with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. You can also use my homemade Tartar Sauce.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! It's great to make a larger batch of tuna cakes, cook (or bake), and cool completely. Then arrange them on a large baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Next, remove them from the sheet and place in a ziploc bag. Seal well by squeezing out as much air as possible. Label the bags and place them in a freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat before serving.
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.
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.
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If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Lemon Garlic Tuna Cakes recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz. tuna in water two 5 ounce cans; well drained
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Instructions
- 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, ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Mix well.
- Combine remaining breadcrumbs and grated cheese in a shallow dish. Scoop ¼ 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.
Notes
- 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.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Josie says
I rarely, very rarely comment on recipes, but I had to on this one. I seriously think these are the best tuna patties I have ever made! The only thing I changed was... Costco tuna cans are 7 oz so I just added a bit more of all the ingredients except the egg, and I used all Panko breadcrumbs in the mixture and to coat. Oh, and I added dill. Served them with some spicy remoulade and they were gone in a flash! Highly recommend!
Stacy says
These really are the best best! Simple instructions. They turned out moist with this nice crispy outside. I've been making them for years now, but these are the ones. Honestly, I didn't realize they could be so moist but done at the same time. I've been over cooking them for sure. Thank you for the recipe🙂
Tracy says
Yum these were a nice easy and tasty lunch with a side salad! Would definitely recommend!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Tracy!
Kali Hofmeister says
So yummy!
My son is a very picky eater and he loved it! I told him what I was making for dinner and he immediately said yuck. I went to give him a bite and he refused. I convinced him to try it and as soon as he started chewing he said MMMMM! He pointed at it and said I love it! Lol. YES!
I made it as the recipe said and they turned out amazing. The whole family loved it. They were crispy on the outside which I love. And the flavor is amazing.
So glad I found this recipe!
Anna says
Hi Kali! That's absolutely wonderful! This is exactly why I create and share recipes. I am so glad you and your family loved the tuna cakes! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for the comment!
Kim says
GOOD AND HEALTHY. TUNA.
Elizabeth Ridings says
Made this for my son's family for Sunday night supper. My granddaughters made a face when I told them what I made, because they aren't crazy about tuna. Well, not only did they love these (I served on my homemade sandwich rolls), but they asked for seconds, and told me to add to their "favorites"! The only change I made was to add a tiny amount of dill. They were delicious, and will definitely make them again soon.
Emma says
Can these be oven baked instead of pan fried? Thanks
Charnelle says
Delicious! Loved the lemony flavor. We will definitely be making these again.
Dee says
Delicious, easy, and quick!
Anna says
Thank you, Dee!
Erica Lopez says
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
First time having cooked tuna (I know I know lol). And let me just say WOWWWWWW. FLAVOR PALOOZA. Had it on top of a salad and I’m so happy I made extra, I have some for lunch 😩❤️ I appreciate this, I branched out and I was not disappointed at all. And my house smells amazing 😊
I modified a tiny bit
I put Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Added bell pepper
And as a dressing on top I used chipotle sauce with a tiny squeeze of lemon.
Carol Bowker Lynch says
These are super yummy! The lemon zest takes it to a new dimension. I made the recipe exactly as written and it is awesome.
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!