Healthy Baked Tuna Cakes

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Baked tuna cakes are simple to prepare and are baked then broiled for a better-for-you meal. SUPER easy to shape, this healthy tuna cakes recipe can be flavored a variety of ways. A dollop of tartar sauce adds a great touch!

Baked tuna cakes on a plate with a salad.

If you asked me if I'm a fan of tuna, my answer would be a resounding YES. Seared ahi, spicy tuna rolls, tuna pasta salad, grilled tuna steaks, all of it.

Funny enough the only tuna food missing from that list is classic tuna salad. It's just not for me, personally. But with canned tuna being both protein-rich and cost-effective, I've landed on an easy way to work it into my kitchen repertoire: healthy baked tuna cakes.

P.S. For a slightly different rendition, these baked salmon patties are also a household hit!

Reasons to Love This Recipe

Baking tuna cakes is a much healthier and lower-fat preparation method than traditional pan-frying. Plus you won't fill your kitchen with that dreaded fry smell.
These patties hold together so well for breezy prep, and keep their shapes as they're baked and broiled.
As written, this recipe for baked tuna patties is simply seasoned and makes the perfect canvas for your own flavor experimentation.

Recipe Ingredients

An overhead shot of the baked tuna cake ingredients in separate bowls.

Tuna: Canned tuna in water is my choice here. While I do like "in oil" varieties in other recipes, these cakes have plenty of other flavor going on. This also often keeps the sodium levels lower.
Mayonnaise: This provides moisture and helps hold the patties together. You can also use regular mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt.
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for its bold, bright flavor.
Old Bay: This provides so much flavor and all the saltiness you need. Go with two teaspoons if you're not the biggest fan of its zippy flavor (or if you're using oil-packed tuna or seasoned breadcrumbs), increasing up to three teaspoons in total if you know you're an Old Bay fan.
Breadcrumbs: Either regular or panko breadcrumbs work here. Seasoned breadcrumbs have higher sodium content so I like to use plain here.
Egg: This helps bind the mixture and hold the tuna patties together.
Parmesan: I'm always a fan of grating your own from a wedge of Parmesan, but in a dish like this where it's a small, mixed-in component, any pre-grated variety you have on hand will be just fine.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These baked tuna cakes come together with the same method I use for crab cakes (which is another recipe I plan to get on the blog at some point): stirring together, shaping, baking, then quickly broiling.

Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, Old Bay, and garlic.

All ingredients (except the tuna, Parmesan, breadcrumbs) whisked together in a bowl.

Next add the drained tuna, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, and diced onion. Give everything a stir to combine.

Tuna, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs stirred into the mixture.

The baked tuna cake mixture will be cohesive and should hold its shape when you press it. The photo below shows a close-up view of it once everything is mixed in. If for some reason it's looser than that or too liquid-y to hold its shape, add in additional breadcrumbs a small amount at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

The tuna cake mixture folded together in a bowl before being shaped.

Grab a one-quarter cup measuring cup and firmly pack it with the tuna mixture. Invert the cup over a baking sheet and tap on the bottom to release it. You can also shape the mixture into patties (vs. taller cakes), simply reducing the bake time a bit, as needed.

Shaped tuna cakes on a baking sheet before being baked.

Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 10 minutes, then move the sheet closer to the broiler and broil until the cakes or patties are browned to your liking. These cakes will be golden-brown on the outside with tender, softer centers.

A baked and broiled tuna cake on a baking sheet.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

While you can shape these tuna cakes with your hands, using a one-quarter cup measuring cup helps you produce equally-sized baked tuna cakes, no problem. After packing the tuna cake mixture into the measuring cup, invert the cup over the baking sheet and tap on the bottom until it releases. This mixture holds together very well, so this process shouldn't be a headache. If a few bits come apart, just press them back into the tuna cake and they're good.
If you find the tuna mixture to stick inside your measuring cup (I have not had any issues), spray the inside of the cup with a brief shot of cooking spray to help it release.

Healthy baked tuna cakes on a plate with a forkful removed from one of the cakes.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with tuna cakes?

These baked tuna patties are versatile. They're great on their own with a side salad, served over a salad, as a sandwich, or in really any other usage you like. My favorite topping for them is tartar sauce, a condiment I've discovered I'm pretty particular about. The tartar sauce you see over top of these tuna cakes is my homemade light tartar sauce to really drive home the better-for-you aspect of this meal.

Can you freeze baked tuna cakes?

Yes. You can freeze these patties both before or after baking, keeping in mind that tinned tuna is fully cooked before being canned. Form unbaked cakes/patties and freeze them in a single layer before transferring to an air-tight container so they keep their shape. That step isn't necessary if freezing cooked patties. For either method, placing a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers will prevent them from sticking.

What are some flavor variations I can make?

While Old Bay is a classic seafood seasoning, other variations that would work here instead are lemon pepper, mango habanero, Italian seasoning, a few dashes of hot sauce, cajun seasoning...your favorite all-purpose spice blend, really. The other flavors in these cakes aren't very strong or overbearing, so you have artistic license with the spices.

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

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