It’s lunch prep time again and I am bored with my usual go-to salads. I decided to change it up this week and make some baked tuna “crab” cakes. The reason I put “crab” in quotations is because these are 100% tuna cakes that taste just as good as crab cakes and are sooo much cheaper! Plus, with Raincoast Trading canned tuna, you have the option of using different flavours! I would normally make this with their no salt Albacore Tuna (that is right, they have a no salt option for low sodium diets!). But today I tried my recipe using their smoked Albacore Tuna. Best decision ever! The smoked flavour takes these tuna cakes to a whole ‘nother level!!
This post was sponsored by Raincoast Trading. The recipe and opinions are my own.
Baked tuna “crab” cakes are perfect for a quick and easy lunch or appetizer on game day served with a side of sweet chili dipping sauce or garlic aioli. I never feel guilty about eating these because they are healthy especially since they are not fried in an inch of oil. You can also serve these cakes over a mixed greens salad for dinner. The options are endless!
Looks like I prematurely jumped to conclusions because I really thought this would be my lunch prep for the entire week. But my husband and I have already devoured half of them…oops… Well, that means another trip to the grocery store so that I can get my hands on more canned tuna! The best thing about canned tuna is that it is always in season! You can have it any time of the year! I opt for Raincoast Trading canned tuna because they contain no preservatives, contain 8 times as much Omega 3 fatty acids compared to other commercial brands, and they have lower mercury levels than other brands. Plus, they are local to the Pacific Northwest (off the coast of British Columbia).
If you live in Canada like I do, you should have no problem finding Raincoast Trading products at your local grocery store. The cans are hand-packed locally in Nanaimo, British Columbia. For those of you who live elsewhere, do not worry. You can order their products online on Amazon!
Baked Tuna “Crab” Cakes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 cakes
Description
Craving crab cakes? Make baked tuna “crab” cakes instead for a quick, easy, and cheaper meal option that tastes just as good!
Ingredients
- 2 6-oz. cans of tuna, drained
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- vegetable oil
- sweet chilli dipping sauce or garlic aioli for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, add the tuna, egg, green onions, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and ¼ cup of the panko bread crumbs. Stir to combine.
- Divide the mixture into 8 mini patties (about 1 and ½ inches in diameter). Coat the patties in the remaining ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs and and place on a plate. Place the plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the tray and bake for 20 minutes.
- Carefully place the patties on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with a side of sweet chilli dipping sauce or garlic aioli.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer
craig cornish says
This has been my "go-to" recipe when it comes to "seafood cakes" for a couple years now. I've tried it with just tuna, with tuna and lump crab and with tuna/crab/and a small package of pink salmon combined - they're all winners, but my favorite is the tuna/lump crab combo. I do add some diced celery and serve with the sweet chili sauce and aioli on the plate so they can pull what they wish into each bite. I do prefer, however, to quickly brown in a little olive oil to crisp the coating. Thanks for the inspiration!
★★★★★
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much! So happy you like the recipe. I'm glad it works well with different combos.
Lisa says
These sound delightful. Didnt realize it was a thing, I woke up this morning thinking about what to make for dinner (been on the diet train for a few weeks now) the idea of doing a tuna crab cake came to mind as I wanted tuna for lunch. Just to see if there were any recipes for my wild idea I did a google search and come across this one and I really want to give it a go! I was wondering what, if any type of healthy substitute I could use in place of bread crumbs. It had also crossed my mind to add in some imitation crab, perhaps a few capers or celery and onion. Thanks in advance for any helpful input and thanks for posting this recipe!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Hi Lisa, you substitute the breadcrumbs with cooked quinoa. Let me know how it goes!