Breaded Tuna Patties. I thought it was a great time for a recipe for tuna patties! These particular tuna patties are similar to the ones that my grandmother used to make. They are breaded – and the addition of cracker crumbs enhances them with a wonderful, rich flavor! I put a lot of lettuce on my sandwich to make up for the frying and the breading… That works out, right? Also, when purchasing tuna, I always go for the one that’s packed in water – it has just as much protein as the tuna in oil but way less fat!
Tuna FYI: Tuna labeled as “chunk light” is usually skipjack tuna – it has a softer texture and has a stronger “fish taste” than Albacore tuna. Albacore is labeled as “white meat”, has a more mild taste, and has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (those are good for you!). Now let’s start making this new seafood recipe!
Healthy Breaded Tuna Patties
Ingredients
Ingredients For Patties:
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons celery - finely chopped, (don’t be afraid to use the leaves!)
2 tablespoons white onion - finely chopped- 5 ounces can tuna - , (drained, and minced)
1 medium egg - (lightly beaten)
2 slices bread
¼ cup milk- ¼ cup cracker crumbs - (I use soda crackers with salted tops – if using unsalted tops, be sure to sprinkle with salt before breading)
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredients For Breading:
- 1 medium egg - (2 if they are small)
- ½ cup cracker crumbs - (I use soda crackers with salted tops – if using unsalted tops, be sure to sprinkle with salt before breading)
¼ cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)- 1 pinch salt
3 cups vegetable oil - (about 1/2″ deep in frying pan)
Instructions
- Start off by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan. Add onion and celery and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until they are soft and beginning to brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.
- Put tuna in a medium bowl. Add ⅛ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, put ¼ cup milk. Dip each slice of bread into milk, give them a quick squeeze, and crumble them into the tuna. Gently mix them together to break up the bread even more and combine. Add cracker crumbs. Scrape the onion, celery, and any remaining butter into the tuna mixture. Mix until combined but don’t over-mix (I recommend using your hands for this.)
- You will need 3 shallow bowls for the breading. In the first one, put the flour and season with a pinch of salt. Give it a stir. In the second bowl, crack the egg(s). Add a pinch of salt to this as well and whisk it. In the third bowl, put ½ cup of cracker crumbs.
- Put ½-inch oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Divide tuna mixture into 4 equal parts. Shape into patties. Dip each patty first into the flour, then the egg, and finally, the cracker crumbs. Once the oil is heated (drop a tiny piece of tuna into the oil, if it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is ready), place patties in the pan and fry until the bottom is browned. Flip and cook a few more minutes until both sides are brown.
- Sometimes I just eat these tuna patties right out of a dish – no bun – with ketchup! But they make a fabulous sandwich! Add lettuce and some dilly mayo (4 tablespoons mayo combined with 2 teaspoons fresh dill for 4 sandwiches).
Notes
I usually have a container of cracker crumbs ready to go at all times. They get used a lot in my house! So you can always get those ready the day before or even a week before. It’s just one less thing to do! The dilly mayo can also be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
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