Crispy, crunchy tuna cakes made with albacore tuna are perfectly easy and made with just four ingredients! This recipe is great for appetizers or dinner.
Tuna Cakes Italian Style with Just Four Ingredients
Crispy snacks for dinner parties are always a hit, and these delightful tuna cakes will be no exception. I’m using solid white albacore tuna in today’s recipe because the firm texture, light color, and fresh taste is perfect for tuna cakes.
This tuna cake recipe was inspired by my mother-in-law, whose family recipe for tuna cakes (using saltine crackers) has been famous around here for many years.
I’ve updated this version to use breadcrumbs for extra flavor and an extra egg for firmness. If you like this, you will also like these salmon cakes.
And of course, since I’m always trying to keep my recipes as short and simple as possible, this tuna cake recipe has only four ingredients. You can knock these out in just minutes!
It helps to have a good nonstick pan when you make these. I always buy a nonstick pan that’s dishwasher safe, affordable, PFOA free, and has a handle that stays cool.
I have this Ecolution Artistry Non-Stick Pan, so I can vouch for it being an excellent choice that won’t break the bank.
There are several ways to serve these tasty tuna cakes. For the grown-ups, I recommend a little alfredo or Mornay sauce for luxurious dipping. For the younger crowd, you can have a bottle of ketchup handy.
They make an excellent first course or bar snack while dinner’s cooking, or if you make enough of them, you can serve them as a main course.
It’s a great way to get in some lean protein, healthy fat, plus vitamins and minerals.
See that firm and flaky tuna texture? That’s why solid white albacore works so well in tuna cakes.
Tips for Making the Best Tuna Cakes
- If you preheat the oil in the pan, you can cook at a lower temperature and get more even browning.
- Because of the seasoned breadcrumbs in this recipe, you don’t need to add salt. If you’re a pepper lover, feel free to add a few grinds of pepper if desired.
- Have your plate lined with paper towels ready before you start cooking. You don’t want to have to scramble for it while the tuna cakes are in the pan.
- If you have chunk light tuna instead of solid white albacore, it will work—just drain it very thoroughly.
- Try remoulade sauce as a dip!
If you like tuna, try this no mayonnaise tuna salad recipe, too.
Tuna Cakes with Just Four Ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs divided
- canola oil
- 10 ounces solid white albacore tuna drained
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Place 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and set aside. Line a large platter with some paper towels and set aside.
- In a large skillet, pour in enough canola oil to cover the bottom to a depth of 1/4 inch. Preheat the skillet on medium heat while you get the tuna cakes ready to cook.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna and the eggs. Stir vigorously until tuna is well coated with eggs and evenly sized. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and stir vigorously again until the mixture is well combined and moist.
- Scoop a small amount into your hand and gently shape into a patty. Place the patty in the bowl of breadcrumbs, then flip to coat the other side. Slip the patty into the oil. Continue to make patties and place them in the skillet until you run out of space.
- Check the first patties you put in the skillet. When they are nicely golden brown, flip them and continue cooking for another minute or two until both sides are evenly colored. Remove from skillet and place on the paper towel-covered platter.
- Continue to make tuna cake patties from the mixture until you've used it up. Serve tuna cakes immediately.
Get the salmon version of this recipe!
Tori Gabriel
February 25, 2016 at 3:43 pmThese look good and they sound so simple to make. I really need to introduce my kids to tuna (they are aged 2 and 1). I hope they like it.
Katie
February 27, 2016 at 9:21 amThese usually work well for kids. Mine eat them right up!
felicita moncada
February 25, 2016 at 9:14 pmI’ve never had Tuna Cakes! Crazy, right! These look like they are so easy to make with simple ingredients. I bet that delicious crunchy crust taste great. I think my kids would really enjoy this recipe.
Katie
February 27, 2016 at 9:19 amGreat for kids. The crunchy texture plus some ketchup for dipping makes them very appealing!
Sage
February 26, 2016 at 8:47 amI’m a vegetarian, so this isn’t a recipe for me, but I’ll try it out on my guys! My stepson is always looking for high protein meals after he trains with his football team, so this could be perfect for him. So quick, so easy, I’ll give it a try next time he’s with us 🙂
Katie
February 27, 2016 at 9:18 amI hope he likes them!
Tami
February 26, 2016 at 12:19 pmWe eat tuna as a tuna salad on bread. This would be a great change up for our regular boring meals. Hubby loves tuna so having the opportunity to eat it more often will make him smile.
Katie
February 27, 2016 at 9:18 amI’m glad I could give you a new idea! Thanks for stopping by.
Sharon in Texas
December 11, 2016 at 7:14 pmI have always made my Tuna cakes this way salmon as well. I use Progresso Italian Bread crumbs. I made a creamy dill dip.
Katie Moseman
December 12, 2016 at 6:36 amOooh, a creamy dill dip sounds good!
Cara (@StylishGeek)
February 26, 2016 at 2:36 pmWow! This recipe is fantastic! I never thought of making tuna cakes before. I always thought of using crab or shrimp, but definitely tuna makes it easy! Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Katie
February 27, 2016 at 9:17 amThey’re really nice and crunchy. Everyone who tries them likes them! 🙂
Tiffany
February 27, 2016 at 10:45 pmThese sound absolutely delicious!! I’ve always heard of crab cakes but since I don’t eat crab I’ve never tried them but I love tuna so I can’t wait to try these!! Thanks so much for sharing…
Katie
February 28, 2016 at 12:43 pmThanks for stopping by! Let me know if you do try them. 🙂
Elayne
February 29, 2016 at 3:33 pmI make mackeral patties all of the time but have never tried Tuna Cakes. These are just the right size to pass at our next get together since they are so easy to make.
Katie
March 1, 2016 at 8:59 pmSuper simple. One of my followers on Twitter made them and sent me a picture!
Sarah
May 15, 2016 at 7:40 pmAbsolutely delicious! Dipped mine in sriracha mixed with mayonnaise and it was great.
Katie
May 15, 2016 at 9:28 pmThat sounds delicious! I will have to try that dip sometime.
KRothove
July 15, 2016 at 6:06 pmGetting ready to make them again…have made them before for a picky-eater husband and he likes them! This recipe is the easiest and so tasty! We mix some pickle relish in mayonnaise for a tartar sauce, it goes really well. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Katie
July 15, 2016 at 6:08 pmYay! I’m so glad you like them! I was just sitting here at my laptop, slogging through work, when your comment popped up. Thanks for bringing some cheer to my day! 🙂
Emanuel Addison
June 18, 2017 at 7:09 pmsimple and delicious i always make crabcakes but had some albacore in the house and decided to make and very glad i did. tuna cakes more often
Katie Moseman
June 19, 2017 at 9:19 amHooray! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Best,
Katie
Mia
January 15, 2019 at 9:03 amDo you think these could be baked? I’m not into pan frying much but thinking baked could be good?
Katie Moseman
January 15, 2019 at 9:08 amThey could be baked. They wouldn’t be as crispy as pan-fried though. Maybe brush the outside of the tuna cakes with a little oil before baking to help them crisp up a bit? I would probably try 375 or 400 F for the oven, and bake them on parchment paper to prevent sticking.