Learn how to make tuna patties! Tips and tricks on how to not have them fall apart. Also, how to make delicious and super healthy tuna patties.
Ever tried making tuna patties and they completely fell apart? Yah, me too. Ever tried following a tuna patty recipe and have them taste totally bland? Yup, been there, done that.
Let me share an amazing recipe with you here now. After attempt number 29834 I was finally able to write down the magic formula. *sweat*
Let’s get right down to it.
How to make tuna patties healthy
So obviously vegetables make everything healthy, right? Here is a list of vegetables that taste best with and don’t screw with the shape of tuna patties:
- bell pepper
- carrot
- baby spinach
- zucchini
- broccoli
- cauliflower
What makes these patties super duper extra healthy though is my secret ingredient: “Amaranth“! It’s been around for centuries and yet not many people know it.
Learn more about the seed and also all nitty gritty tips on how to puff amaranth.
Just like quinoa, it is a ‘super grain‘. Though just as quinoa it’s not a grain but rather a seed. A delicious and extremely nutritious one.
The most amazing about amaranth is that it has a lot of protein. It contains even more than quinoa (only slightly more but still). With 14g protein per 100g raw Amaranth, it has almost double the amount of protein than for example brown rice. Isn’t that crazy?
Now, want to make your tuna patties extra healthy? Add tons of veggies and amaranth!! Done.
How to avoid tuna patties from falling apart
There are several tricks to avoid any kind of patties from falling apart:
Egg is an essential ingredient that serves not only as protein but also as “glue”. Egg alone however usually isn’t enough. If the ingredients are super wet (e.g. tuna/carrot/zucchini) the egg is kind of diluted and not as sticky anymore.
Starch helps “dry” the ingredients and also serves as glue. You can add tapioca starch to make paleo tuna patties or a gluten-free flour mix to make gluten-free tuna patties.
If the patties fall apart despite enough egg and flour, put the mixture in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Cold ingredients stick better together than warm or room temperature ingredients.
Make sure the pan is really really hot but on medium-low. If the pan isn’t hot enough the egg sticks to the pan and pulls on the patty and tears it apart. Wait for the pan to be really hot so the egg contracts and pulls the ingredients together. If the pan is on too high temperature, the patty burns from the outside before managing to cook in the center.
All ingredients have to be chopped or grated fairly small. Big chunks of tuna or big chunks of vegetables increase the risk of patties falling apart. Take the time to chop your ingredients very small.
What goes with tuna patties
Eat your tuna patties with a delicious Simple Kale Salad for example. Creamy Cucumber Salad works amazingly, too.
Another way to enjoy them is by dipping them into this delicious Peruvian Ají Verde Sauce.
Tuna Patties
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach
- 1 can tuna (in water) - 133g drained weight
- 1 cup puffed amaranth
- 2 eggs
- 1-4 Tbsp all-purpose flour - (or gluten-free flour mix)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle chilli powder
Instructions
- Peel and grate carrot. Deseed and finely chop (“finely” important!) bell pepper. Chop baby spinach. Add to a big bowl.
- Drain tuna in a colander, then put in a bowl and flake with a fork so there is no big pieces left. Add to big bowl.
- Add puffed Amaranth and spices, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp flour and mix very well together.
- Preheat a cast iron pan over medium-low heat (NO oil yet).
- Try and form a patty. If it doesn’t form easily, add a little more flour. 1 Tbsp at a time until patties form easily. (Amount of flour will depend on wetness of tuna and carrots).
- Add a good splash of oil to the pan and wait for it to be really really hot. Then carefully add patties.
- Fry patties for about 3-5 minutes on one side, then flip carefully and fry another 3-5 minutes on the other side until golden.
- Enjoy with fresh salad :)
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Jo Flesher says
Can puffed rice be used instead of amaranth?
Lorena Grater says
yes!
Marie Hughes says
I’m definitely going to try these ..
I’ll wait until you put instructions on how to puff Amaranth
Lorena Grater says
Link is in the blog post.
tammy says
i had a small amount of crab salad with veg leftover.i drained then chopped everything small then added tuna with your other ingredients, made sure all was nice and cold, pan nice and hot. patties
did not fall apart and tested great. thank-you for the recipe and tips
Blanca says
I’m excited to try this recipe! Have you ever substituted mayonnaise in place of raw egg? Just wondering if it would work.
Lorena Grater says
I’ve never tried and I’m not sure it would work. Mayonnaise does not work as well as binder as unprocessed egg white which is more like glue.
Lucas says
I have to eat super healthy food because of my condition (ibd), but frying them is not healthy at all. Could I grill it?
Thanks
Lorena Grater says
Then I recommend baking them. Preheat your oven to 400F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Then bake for about 15-20 minutes.
Dr. Roger B. Hughes says
Very nice recipe. Used it many times with all variations of carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers and baby spinach. Each one tastes slightly different and sometimes I kick up the spice a notch with cayenne pepper and/or adding a chopped habenero pepper into the mix. The puffed amaranth really makes the difference. I’ll typically use corn flour to make them gluten free. Amazing how one can of tuna and 2 eggs can really fill four people with this recipe. Excellent!
Sue says
Thanks, that was quick!
Sue
Sue says
Hi Lorena,
I’m so excited to try your “Tuna Patties,” but having trouble reading the recipe due to an error message that covers a section of the screen (and parts of the recipe & photos.
Anyway, can you tell me how to get rid of the message box that is covering part of the screen/recipe?
Thanks,
Sue
Here’s the message: “This video cannot be played because of a technical error.
(Error Code: 102006).”
Thanks,
Sue
Lorena Grater says
I’m glad it resolved itself so quickly Sue. I have no idea what could have caused this problem. I’m glad you got the recipe in the end.
Ruby says
Can u air fry these and what about freezing them?
Lorena Grater says
You can freeze them once cooked but not raw. And I’m sorry not familiar with air-fryer cooking.
MK says
Can quinoa be used in place of the aramanth…and if so, use cooked, ground, or what? And same ratio?
Lorena says
I don’t think cooked quinoa will, only “puffed” quinoa. You can find puffed quinoa in health food stores sometimes.
MPaula says
Help! There is no amaranth in ingredient list!
Lorena says
Ahhhh, sorry Paula!! Just corrected the mistake. You need 1 cup puffed amaranth. That’s about 1/2 cup unpuffed. Working on the blog post on how to puff amaranth, right now. Hopefully finished by tomorrow or Wednesday the latest.