A delectable tuna fish patty made from a can, believe it or not. I like to call them tuna burgers because I usually eat them in between two buns. You could make them ahead of time and eat them on top of salads, or have them without the bun if you’re trying the whole low-carb thing (I could never ditch the bead life). I'll include my recipe for the lemon-garlic aioli and a few tips on making the tuna patties into burgers, but it’s really your prerogative how you choose to indulge.
There are a lot of fresh elements in the patty that elevate the taste of the canned tuna, such as lemon zest, onion, and parsley. On top of that, I usually add some fresh arugula. The peppery leaves are an excellent complement to the citrus, fish, and a nice ciabatta bun (my favorite). Another reason I really love this recipe is because I normally have all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge at any given time, making this meal a great go-to while being budget friendly. Additionally, this all comes together in 20 minutes so you can have dinner on the table in no time; a win-win-win if you ask me!
When I first suggested doing this recipe for my blog, my parents weren’t sure why I wanted to make these burgers so badly. They had a hard time seeing how a tuna patty was a blog-worthy meal, but after a few bites, they understood. Plus, Chloe (unsurprisingly) goes bananas for tuna; all-in-all it was a tunanimous score of 10/10!
Notes
Substitutions:
You should be able to make a substitute for almost all of the ingredients if you needed to. You could use canned salmon instead of tuna, spring onions or shallots for the onion, oats instead of breadcrumbs. Just let your imagination take you where it wants to go. But the one thing I wouldn’t sub or leave out is the fresh lemon zest and juice. It really makes a world of difference in how they bring the flavors of the patty together.
Picking a Bread:
If you’re going to make these burger-style, I strongly suggest using ciabatta bread; it's delicious and crusy. But I’ve had these with sourdough bread too, and it’s just as tasty. I also really recommend using arugula, but if you don’t have that on hand, any lettuce will do the trick.
Tuna Burgers
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time : 8 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients for Tuna Patties:
2 cans of tuna in water
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water from the tuna can
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp finely chopped onions
2-3 squirts of hot sauce
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon and Garlic Aioli Ingredients:
2 Tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp garlic powder
Pepper to taste
Other Ingredients for Assembling the Burgers:
4-pack of ciabatta rolls
Arugula
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Drain and reserve some of the liquid from the cans of tuna. Empty the drained tuna into a medium-sized bowl.
Add breadcrumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, water from the tuna can, Dijon mustard, parsley, onions, hot sauce, egg, salt, and pepper to the bowl and stir until well combined.
Next, divide the tuna mixture into 4 evenly sized portions and form into patties. Optionally, chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Once up to temperature, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the patties from the pan and start assembling your burgers.
Cut and toast your ciabatta buns to your preferred doneness and set them aside.
Then, whisk all of the aioli ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Optionally, dress your arugula with a small spoonful of aioli.
Spread the aioli onto both sides of the bun, add your tuna patty, and top with arugula.
Enjoy!
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