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Home » Main Dish

Healthy Tuna Patties

Published: May 29, 2019 · Modified: Feb 14, 2022 by Jennifer Brown · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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This healthy tuna patties recipe is a simple and easy dish that makes for a quick dinner, lunch, or even appetizer! It's a delicious and affordable recipe using canned tuna! The recipe is SCD, Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and soy free.

Three paleo tuna cakes stacked on top of each other on a white plate.

Regular tuna salad is not something I typically look forward to eating but these canned tuna cakes topped with a remoulade sauce are a different story!

The healthy tuna cakes are thick, flavorful, and SO EASY to make! We like to have them as a quick lunch or dinner but they would make a perfect little appetizer as well.

A baking sheet filled with the healthy tuna patties recipe. A few are topped with the easy remoulade sauce.

A Life of Happenstance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

What kind of tuna should I use?

Affordable canned tuna is what this recipe calls for!

As with all boxed and canned foods, just make sure to look at the ingredients on the back. The only ingredients should be tuna and salt.

You can also purchase a no salt added product but I haven’t been able to find it in my local grocery stores. I favor the Wild Planet brand of Albacore Wild Tuna.

A side view of a tuna cake topped with remoulade on a baking sheet.

Directions

Begin by steaming two cups of butternut squash until fork tender. Mash the squash with the back of a fork and set aside.

Top picture is of cubed butternut squash on a wood cutting board. Bottom picture is of mashing the butternut squash with the back of a fork.

Mix together eggs, fresh dill, almond flour, minced garlic, and diced onion in a large bowl while the squash steams.

Add 10 ounces of canned tuna fish, making sure to drain the liquid. Use a fork to gently break up the chunks.

Mix until well combined with the egg mixture, then add in the mashed butternut squash.

A four photo collage. Top left photo, a white bowl with eggs and a cutting board with diced onions and chopped dill. Top right photo, using a fork to break up large pieces of tuna. Bottom left photo, mixing the tuna into the eggs. Bottom right photo, the tuna mixed with the butternut squash.

Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to help form the tuna into patties, then place them on a greased griddle or skillet and cook over medium heat for three to five minutes per side before transferring to an aluminum foil covered baking pan.  

Left photo, a hand holding a raw tuna cake. Top right photo, flipping tuna cakes on a black griddle. Bottom right photo, paleo tuna cakes on an aluminum lined baking sheet.

Bake the healthy tuna patties in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes, just until heated through.

Enjoy these canned tuna cakes warm!

Recipe Tips

  • Butternut squash is used to add some bulk to the tuna cakes but pumpkin or acorn squash can also be used.
  • Although the flavor will be a little different, you can swap canned salmon for the tuna if mercury levels are a concern.
  • 1 Tablespoon of dried dill can be used in place of the fresh dill.
  • Finely ground blanched almond flour OR almond meal can be used in this recipe.
A tuna cake on a baking sheet topped with remoulade sauce and a small sprig of dill.

Easy remoulade sauce

This version of remoulade consists of seven ingredients.

  • Mayonnaise
  • Fresh dill
  • Dijon mustard
  • Ketchup (Wellbee's Honey Ketchup)
  • Diced white onion
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Cayenne pepper
A bowl filled with the ingredients needed to make remoulade.

When it comes to the mayo, I like the Primal Kitchen brand but you can also make your own.

If dairy doesn’t bother you, plain yogurt is also a delicious and healthy option for this sauce!

A spoonful of the mixed remoulade sauce.

Mix the remoulade sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined and serve alongside the gluten free tuna cakes.

This sauce is SO GOOD and any leftovers can be used to fancy up chicken or steak!

A side angle of the tuna cakes on a baking sheet with a forkful of the cake.

Here are a couple more seafood dishes for you to enjoy!

  • Seared Scallops with Parmesan Cauliflower Risotto
  • Mahi Mahi with Strawberry Mint Salsa

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Healthy Tuna Patties

by: Jennifer Brown
This healthy tuna patties recipe is a simple and easy dish that makes for a quick dinner, lunch, or even appetizer! It's a delicious and affordable recipe using canned tuna! The recipe is SCD, Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and soy free.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10 tuna cakes
Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients
  

Tuna Cakes

  • 10 ounces canned tuna, drained
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • ½ small white onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)
  • ½ cup blanched finely ground almond flour
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, for greasing griddle or skillet

Remoulade Sauce

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1Tbsp dried dill)
  • 1 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon white onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

Tuna Cakes

  • Steam the cubed butternut squash until fork tender. Mash squash with a fork and allow to cool for a few minutes..
  • Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
  • In a large bowl combine the beaten eggs, onion, garlic, dill, and almond flour. Add the drained tuna and use a fork to break it into small pieces. Add the butternut squash and mix until well combined.
  • Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to form the tuna mixture into cakes. There should be enough mixture for 10 cakes. Heat the griddle to medium and grease with olive oil. Add the cakes in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place the tuna cakes on the foil lined baking sheet.
  • Place baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through. Serve warm with the remoulade sauce.

Remoulade Sauce

  • In a bowl combine all ingredients and stir well.

Notes

  • The remoulade sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. 
  • Store leftover tuna cakes in the refrigerator covered for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for best results. 
  • More tips for the tuna cakes can be found in the post. 
The nutritional information calculated in this recipe are an estimate and DO NOT include the calories for the remoulade sauce. The photos and content above are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos. Please do not copy this recipe and share it on your own website or social media channels. If you wish to tell people about this recipe, you can provide a link back to my blog rather than copying the recipe. Thank you! XO, Jen

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 8gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 186mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3079IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Keyword canned tuna patties recipe, Gluten free tuna cakes, healthy tuna cakes recipe, Paleo tuna patties
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was by leaving a comment and star rating below!

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This healthy tuna patties recipe is a simple and easy dish that makes for a quick dinner, lunch, or even appetizer! It's a delicious and affordable recipe using canned tuna! The recipe is SCD, Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and soy free.

Share this recipe with others!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynda

    July 17, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?

    Reply
    • Jennifer Brown

      July 22, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      So typically coconut flour cannot be substituted 1:1 for any other nut flour because it needs so much more moisture. I have not tried this recipe with coconut flour but if you want to give it a go, I'd recommend starting off with just 1 tablespoon of coconut flour. Give it a few minutes to soak up the moisture and decide from there if you think the batter could use a tiny bit more coconut flour.

      Reply
  2. Barbara Van Wagner

    March 24, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful Tuna cakes recipe. My family loved it and we're gonna make it a regular in our SCD life style.
    We thought it was even better than pre-SCD tuna croquettes!
    The sauce was easy and super tasty too!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Brown

      March 27, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Thanks so much for the review, I'm so glad you like them! I loved croquettes growing up and now I feel like I should try and come up with a chicken croquette recipe!

      Reply
  3. Jen

    December 16, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    Hi, any thoughts on how well these tuna cakes would freeze? I made a whole batch, but I'll be the only person to eat them - so I'd like to make them last! Wondering if next time I should freeze the patties prior to cooking?

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      December 20, 2020 at 7:08 am

      I haven't tried it but I would think they can be frozen. The biggest issue might be excess moisture so I'd suggest cooking them and allowing to cool completely in the fridge before wrapping each individual tuna cake in freezer paper. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer.

      Reply
  4. Nitasha

    September 18, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    Firstly love your recipes. First time making tuna cakes with pumpkin. Mine are very wet. When I flip they loose their shape. Should I add more almond flour.

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      September 19, 2020 at 6:06 am

      Thanks Nitasha! Did you use fresh or canned pumpkin? Fresh tends to be more watery then canned. Overall the mixture is fairly wet and you need to wait to flip until the bottom has set. When flipping it's important to do so gently and if it breaks apart you can use the spatula to push the cake back together. However, if the mixture is too lose and doesn't hold together like the photos then yes, I would suggest adding some more almond flour.

      Reply

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Welcome! Years ago I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and found symptom relief by following the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). Here you'll find deliciously healthy, whole food recipes that can be enjoyed by all!

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