Tuna fish cakes without breadcrumbs or tuna patties are very easy and a great store cupboard staple. Tinned tuna will last for literally years, (!) and all the other ingredients in this recipe you will probably already have in. Making fish cakes from tinned tuna is a real budget-friendly meal and also a useful way to use up any leftover mashed potato. They freeze well, and this is a great recipe for making up a batch.
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You can make fish cakes with different types of fish. Try my Salmon Fish cakes or Smoked Haddock Fishcakes. My Smoked Mackerel ones are made without egg.
Tuna is probably the least expensive. A fish cake just combines the fish with mashed potato, and in this recipe, it uses egg and flour to bind it together. I then flavour them with fresh parsley and lemon zest. Sometimes, fish cakes are dipped in flour and rolled in breadcrumbs, but I've done these tuna fish cakes without breadcrumbs.
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Recipe Tips and Variations
- Tinned or canned tuna is widely available and can be bought in vegetable oil, brine or spring water. You may find that tuna in oil has a slightly stronger taste than the ones in brine or spring water. This is because none of the oil from the tuna is lost in the vegetable oil. It's important to drain the tuna well. Too much moisture will make the fish cakes or patties mushy.
- The best varieties of potato to use for mash are floury varieties such as Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree or Estima. In the US, the Russet is probably the best.
- Don't overcook the potatoes. Overcooked potato contains more water, which makes the fishcakes difficult to hold together. Once the potatoes are mashed, lay the mash out on a plate to cool and allow some of the moisture to evaporate off.
- Leaving the tuna fish cakes to cool in the fridge for about one hour before cooking helps them firm up. If you don't have time to do this, just handle them with care. Try to avoid turning them over too many times in the pan.
- You can fry tuna fish cakes or cook them under the grill or broiler. I use a vegetable oil to fry them, as it gets hotter than olive oil. Pour a thin layer into a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Use enough oil so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. To cook under the grill or broiler, pop them on a tray and brush with a little oil. Grill for 4 - 5 minutes on each side until golden.
- Fresh herbs really help enhance the flavour of homemade fish cakes. I've used parsley in this recipe, but you could also use dill or chives.
How to make them
- Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks about 2.5 cm² and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash and leave to cool. Spread the mash around a cold plate so it cools more quickly. The mash needs to be cooled so you can shape it into fish cakes.
- Once the potato is cooled, flake in the tinned tuna and add the plain flour, egg, and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the zest of half the lemons.
- Dust the work surface with a little flour and divide the mixture according to the number of people. Carefully shape the mixture into circles about 2 cm thick and dust each one with flour. They can be frozen at this point. Ideally, they should now be placed in the fridge for about 1 hour to cool properly. If you don't have time for this, don't worry; just handle with care so they don't break.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and when the oil is hot, fry the fish cakes for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden. You might need to add a little more oil when you turn them over. Alternatively, place on a tray and cook under the grill or broiler for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden.
- Cut the remaining lemons into wedges and serve with the fishcakes.
How to serve
I like to serve these tinned tuna fishcakes with a green salad, lemon wedges and tartare sauce. You could also serve them with a side of sweetcorn or peas. Alternatively, serve them in a bun with a slice of tomato and some mayonnaise.
Sustainability
Try to buy tuna that has been sustainably sourced. This means making sure it has been fished in a way that is not harmful to other marine life and that protects the fish stocks. The Marine Stewardship Council has a Good Fish Guide which lists all types of fish. You can also look out for their logo on the fish you buy to make sure the fish meets sustainable standards.
Storage
You can make tuna fish cakes up to 24 hours in advance and keep them in the fridge. Once cooked, store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. They also freeze well. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer before popping them in a container. This will stop them sticking together. Like all oily fish, they will freeze well for 3 months. Defrost them overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, brush with a little oil and pop on a tray under the grill or broiler for 12-15 minutes on one side, then turn over and grill for 5 minutes on the other side.
More Fish Recipes
📖 Recipe
Tuna Fish Cakes without Breadcrumbs
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Ingredients
- 450 g potatoes organic, floury such as maris piper
- 370 g tinned tuna drained weight
- 2 tablespoon plain flour organic
- 1 egg organic, beaten
- 20 g fresh parsley organic, leaves only, chopped
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
- 2 lemons organic, fairtrade
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks about 2.5 cm² and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash and leave to cool. Spread the mash around a cold plate so that it cools more quickly. The mash needs to be cooled so you can shape it into fishcakes.450 g potatoes
- Once the potato is cooled, flake in the tinned tuna and add the plain flour, egg, parsley and season with salt and pepper.370 g tinned tuna, 2 tablespoon plain flour, 1 egg, 20 g fresh parsley, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
- Stir in the zest of half the lemons.2 lemons
- Dust the work surface with a little flour and divide the mixture according to the number of people. Carefully shape the mixture into circles about 2 cm thick and dust each one with flour. They can be frozen at this point. Ideally, they should now be placed in the fridge for about 1 hour to cool properly. If you don't have time for this, don't worry; just handle with care, as they will be more likely to break.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, and when the oil is hot, fry the fishcakes for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden. You can add a little more oil when you turn them over. Alternatively, place on a tray and cook under the grill or broiler for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden.3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Cut the remaining lemons into wedges and serve with the fishcakes.
Notes
Tips
- Tinned or canned tuna can be bought in vegetable oil, brine or spring water. Tuna in oil has a slightly stronger taste. Drain the tuna well.
- The best varieties of potato to use for mash are floury varieties such as Maris Piper, Kind Edward, Desiree or Estima. In the US, the Russet is probably the best.
- Don't overcook the potatoes as the excess moisture will make them difficult to hold together.
- Leaving the tuna fish cakes to cool in the fridge for about one hour before cooking helps them firm up. If you don't have time to do this, just handle them with care. Try to avoid turning them over too many times in the pan.
- You can fry tuna fish cakes or cook them under the grill or broiler. I use a vegetable oil to fry them as it gets hotter than olive oil. Pour a thin layer into a frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Use enough oil so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. To cook under the grill or broiler, pop them on a tray and brush with a little oil. Grill for 4 - 5 minutes each side until golden.
- Fresh herbs really help enhance the flavour. I've use parsley in this recipe, but you could also use dill or chives.
Storage
You can make tuna fish cakes up to 24 hours in advance and keep them in the fridge. Once cooked they can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. They also freeze well. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer before popping them in a container. They will freeze well for 3 months. Defrost them overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, to cook from frozen, brush with a little oil and pop on a tray under the grill or broiler for 12 -15 minutes one side then turn over and grill for 5 minutes the other side.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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