Hot-n-Spicy Tuna Cakes for an easy, healthy and protein-packed dinner full of fresh herbs, tangy lemon and mustard, and a kick of spice! Paleo and Keto-friendly too!
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I’m sure we’ve all stocked up on a bunch of canned foods for this #quarantine life. So here’s something you can do with that canned tuna that’s a little different – but a lot more flavorful – than just a plain old sandwich or salad.
Spicy Tuna Patties
These little tuna cakes aka patties have the perfect combination of tangy and spicy that give it not only a rich flavor, but a nice kick too. I used a little extra cayenne pepper for the spiciness, but you can totally reduce the amount if that isn’t your thing.
Paleo, Low Carb and Keto Friendly Tuna Patties!
These spicy tuna fishcakes are bound together with an egg and almond flour instead of breadcrumbs so there’s the cakes are not only gluten-free, but paleo-friendly, whole30 approved, keto and low carb too.
If you don’t have restrictions, feel free to sub in regular breadcrumbs or even about 1½ tablespoon of coconut flour.
To keep them Paleo, make sure to use almond or coconut-based yogurt.
These crispy tuna cakes are also made with no potato and no bread/breadcrumbs (no carb essentially) to make them keto and low carb.
The cakes also have no cheese in there or mayo, so dairy free too (using the compliant yogurt option).
How to make hot and spicy tuna cakes?
Drain the canned tuna of all the liquid and then flake it. Make sure to get all the liquid out or the mix will be too soggy.
Mix together the tuna and remaining ingredients – almond flour, egg, red onion, chopped cilantro and parsley, yogurt, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and black pepper – in a large bowl.
I’d recommend using a fork and mixing it well until it’s uniform.
P.S. This recipe doesn’t ask for salt because most canned tuna is salted enough. If yours is a “no salt added” can, be sure to add some salt to taste.
Shape the mix with a cup measure!
- Line a one-cup measure with plastic wrap and add a portion of the mix in, flatten it completely with the back of a spoon.
- Then lift the lining with the patty out of the measure and flip it onto your cooking surface.
This give you perfect, round and even patties every time.
You can of course, use your hands.
How to cook the perfect crispy tuna fish cakes?
To cook these crispy tuna cakes, pan fry the patties on a greased non-stick skillet over medium-low for about 4-5 minutes on each side until the patties are golden brown and crisp.
If your pan is nonstick, you only need a tiny bit of oil
You can also turn these into baked tuna cakes by baking them at 350°F for 15 minutes or cook them in an air fryer also at 350°F for about 12 minutes.
Can you store tuna patties?
Yes! Keep these in the fridge for about 3 days and these spicy tuna cakes will be just as good!
For longer-term storage you can freeze these patties – cooked or raw. Make sure they’re cooled to room-temperature if you decide to cook them first.
First place them on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer so they freeze a bit individually. Then stack them with parchment paper pieces in between and then place them in freezer-safe zipper bags and freeze!
Thaw them first and then cook, or just increase the cooking time a bit.
How to have tuna cakes?
Wondering what to serve with tuna patties? A side salad or some steamed veggies go well! I had mine with broccoli.
Another tip? Whip up a quick sauce with yogurt, cilantro and lemon juice.
More Canned Tuna/Fish recipes?
- Refreshing Summer Tuna Pasta Salad
- Easy No-Mayo Mexican Tuna Salad
- No-Sauce Simple Tuna-Spinach Pasta
- Quick and Easy Salmon Salad Avocado Boats
Hot-n-Spicy Tuna Cakes (Keto & Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 5 oz cans Tuna, 284g
- ¼ cup Almond Flour, see notes for sub
- 1 Egg
- 3 Tbsp Red Onion, Chopped, 30g
- 2 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped, or more Parsley
- 2 Tbsp Parsley, Chopped, or more Cilantro
- 2 Tbsp Yogurt
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Olive Oil or Cooking Spray, for greasing
Instructions
- Drain and flake the tuna.
- Transfer to a large bowl, add in rest of the ingredients and mix with a fork to combine.
- Divide the mixture into 6-8 parts, and use a 1-cup measuring cup or hands to shape into patties.
- To use measuring cup: Line a 1-cup measuring cup with plastic wrap, add a portion of the burger mix and press down to pack. Lift out of cup with lining edge, and transfer to cooking surface.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle on medium, and lightly grease with a few drops of olive oil or cooking spray.
- Place patties on skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes each side (8-10 minutes total) until a golden-brown crust forms. Be gentle when flipping so the cakes don’t break.
- Work in batches if needed.
- Transfer to a serving dish and pair with your choice of sides.
- A cilantro yogurt sauce and steamed broccoli, or a salad go really well.
Notes
- Make sure you oil the pan to prevent the patties from sticking to the surface.
When cooking patties, don’t let the skillet get too hot, or the outside will cook and burn. - You will need more oil for greasing if your pan is not non-stick.
- These can also be made in air fryer or baked:
- Air-fryer: Lightly coat basket with cooking spray, place patties on and cook at
350°F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. - Oven: Grease baking pan with cooking spray and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, filling halfway.
- Air-fryer: Lightly coat basket with cooking spray, place patties on and cook at
- In the fridge for about 3 days in a sealed airtight container.
- Freeze raw: Stack patties with pieces of parchment paper in between, place in freezer bag and freeze. Thaw before cooking, and increase cook time by 2-3 minutes.
- Freeze cooked: Cook patties and cool. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze. When frozen, stack with pieces of parchment paper in between, place in freezer bag and freeze. Reheat in microwave to serve.
- Nature’s Eats Superfine Almond Flour
- Servings: 8 3” wide patties | Serving size: 1
- Calories: 73kcal
- Fat: 2.7g | Saturated fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 1.6g | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.5g
- Protein: 10.1g
These look so tasty and I can not wait to try them for dinner tonight. I love all the recipes that you have been posting lately.
Thanks so much Shanna, I’d love to know how it goes!