Simple Tuna Fishcakes Using Pantry Staples
These easy tuna fishcakes are made with mashed potatoes and egg for a simple, reliable binder—no fancy ingredients needed. Just pantry staples, a mixing bowl, and a hot pan. We love them best for a quick lunch, served with lemon wedges and slices of buttered sourdough bread. They also make a frugal, nourishing dinner alongside roasted vegetables, crispy homemade French fries, or a big garden salad straight from the backyard.
Why I love this recipe
- These tuna fishcakes are great for those days when it’s almost dinnertime, everyone is hungry, and I realise I have nothing prepped!
- These fishcakes are a frugal alternative to a meat dinner.
- Tuna is a nutritious protein source, especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.
- They are a great way to get your kids to eat fish. The inside of the fishcake is soft and the outside deliciously crunchy – my kids love eating them with a squeeze of lemon juice on top.
- I love fish but it is hard to get fresh fish where I live. Canned tuna and sardines however are easily available so I am always on the lookout for more ideas for incorporating them into meals. Of course fresh is always best, but canned fish is still an excellent source of nutrients.
- This recipe uses pantry staples and is easy to pull together at a moment’s notice.
- Leftovers are easy to reheat on the pan or in the oven.
- These tuna fishcakes can be made with any leftover roast fish – flake the fish well before adding to the ingredients or pulse it in the food processor.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups canned tuna in water (about 3 small cans of tuna), drained really well and finely shredded
- 1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes, mashed well
- 1-2 eggs (you may only need one egg)
- 1/2 cup canned corn (optional)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon unrefined salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 cup breadcrumbs, to coat the fishcakes
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, for frying
- lemon wedges, to serve
This recipe will make 16-18 fishcakes. Allow 3 or 4 fishcakes per person, served with some French fries or buttered bread and a side salad.
FAQ
How do you keep tuna cakes from falling apart?
Firstly, make sure the canned tuna is well drained and as dry as possible. Squeeze it in your hands to get all the moisture out. Also, make sure that all the ingredients are finely shredded, diced, or mashed. Any larger pieces left will make your fishcakes prone to falling apart. If you have a food processor, pulse all the ingredients until well combined, if not, mix them well with your hands. I usually find that one egg is enough to bind the mixture, but if yours isn’t forming well into patties, mix in another egg.
It is also helpful to chill the fishcakes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 10 minutes before cooking. You could also mix and shape these fishcakes the day before and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
What is the binder for fish cakes?
Egg is the main binder but the mashed potatoes helps too.
Why won’t my tuna patties stick together?
Usually it is because the mixture is either too wet or too dry. To prevent it being too wet, squeeze the tuna really well before mixing it with other ingredients (if you are using leftover roasted fish, this is not an issue of course). If the mixture is too dry, add an extra egg.
Tips for Success
- Feel free to use any leftover cooked fish instead of tuna, such as cod, haddock, or salmon.
- If using canned tuna, drain it well. I usually squeeze the tuna a bit at a time in my hands (over a colander). Or you could place the tuna in a cheesecloth, tie it into a ball and squeeze hard to expel all the moisture. This is an important step – if your tuna is too wet, two things will happen: 1. Your fishcakes may not form properly. 2. The oil will sizzle and spit a lot when you cook the fishcakes, which is not pleasant for you as a cook!
- Make sure to finely flake the tuna and mash the potatoes really well – any large pieces of any of the ingredients will prevent the fishcakes from sticking together well. If you own a food processor, pulse the mixture until well combined.
- Feel free to use leftover mashed potatoes in this recipe as long as they are just potatoes and salt. If you have used cream or milk to make your mashed potatoes, the mixture will probably be too wet to use in fishcakes.
- You can use your homemade sourdough breadcrumbs in this recipe.
- You can substitute finelly diced onions or red peppers for the corn – or skip the veggies altogether.
- Let the fishcakes cook well on one side before gently flipping them to the other side. If you try to flip them too soon, they may break into pieces.
- Feel free to swap out paprika and onion powder for other herbs of your choice. You could also add finely grated garlic to the mix.
How to Make Tuna Fishcakes (Step-by-Step)
Step 1
Place the well drained tuna (see the tips above), mashed potatoes, corn and egg in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper on top.
Step 2
Mix everything really well. If you have a food processor, use it to pulse the mixture until well combined.
Step 3
Scoop some of the mixture out with your hands and shape into cakes. They should be the size of small cookies, 2.5 to 3 inches (6–7.5 cm) across. You could use an ice cream scoop or ⅓ cup measure to portion the mixture before shaping into patties if you really want them to be all the same size. Coat both sides of each fishcake in breadcrumbs.
I recommend that you chill the fishcakes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking them (this helps to firm them up).
Step 4
Melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the frying pan on medium heat until nice and hot. Then place a few fishcakes in the pan and let them cook on the first side until golden brown. Don’t crowd the pan – the fishcakes are easier to flip and manouver on the pan if they are not crowded together.
Once they get golden and crispy on the first side, flip them gently onto the other side (it takes about 3-4 minutes to cook each side).
Step 5
Add more coconut oil between batches as necessary. The fishcakes should cook in about 1/4 inch oil so they don’t stick to the pan.
Step 6
To keep the first batch warm while the next batch cooks, you can keep it in a preheated oven. I don’t like to cover the cooked fishcakes with foil because the steam they will generate when covered will make them soft and wet instead of crispy.
The easiest solution is really to serve them as they cook – by the time your kids will devour the first batch, the second batch will be ready.
How to Serve Your Tuna Fishcakes
- My favorite way to serve these fishcakes is with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and a slice of crusty sourdough bread on the side.
- They are also great served with homemade garlic sauce. To make it, finely grate 1 large clove of garlic and mix with 1 cup Greek yogurt.
- You could also serve these fishcakes with some sauerkraut or pickles, a fresh green salad, or even some roasted veggies or homemade French fries.
Storage & Freezing
- Store any leftover fishcakes in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- These fishcakes are easy to reheat on a pan or in the oven.
- You can also freeze the cooked fishcakes in a ziplock bag.
Final Thoughts
These tuna fishcakes are one of my go-to quick lunch recipes, but they work just as beautifully for a simple dinner. There are plenty of ways to make them your own—try chopped red pepper instead of corn, swap in canned salmon, or use mashed sweet potato for a different twist. I hope you give this frugal, flexible recipe a try! If you have any questions or want to share how yours turned out, feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email—I’d love to hear from you.
Also, if you love tuna, be sure to try my tuna chowder recipe for another easy and frugal tuna meal made with pantry staples.
Tuna Fishcakes
Equipment
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups canned tuna (about 3 small cans), drained really well and finely shredded
- 1½ cups cooked, mashed potatoes
- 1 or 2 eggs
- ½ cup canned corn
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp unrefined salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½-1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup coconut oil, for frying
- lemon wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Place the tuna, mashed potatoes, corn and egg in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper on top.
- Mix everything really well with your hands. Alternatively, if you have a food processor, use it to pulse the mixture until well combined.
- Scoop some of the mixture out with your hands and shape into cakes. They should be the size of small cookies, 2.5 to 3 inches (6–7.5 cm) across. You could use an ice cream scoop or ⅓ cup measure to portion the mixture before shaping into patties if you want them to be of uniform size.
- Coat both sides of each fishcake in breadcrumbs.
- Chill the fishcakes in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking (this helps to firm them up). Or pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the frying pan on medium heat until nice and hot. Then place a few fishcakes in the pan and let them cook on one side until golden brown. Don't crowd the pan – the fishcakes are easier to flip and manouver on the pan if they are not crowded together.
- Once they get golden and crispy on the first side, flip them gently onto the other side (it takes about 3-4 minutes to cook each side). Add more coconut oil between batches as necessary. The fishcakes should cook in about 1/4 inch oil so they don't stick to the pan.
- Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and some buttered sourdough bread.
Notes
- with homemade garlic dip (1 finely grated clove of garlic mixed with 1 cup Greek yogurt)
- with sauerkraut or pickles
- with a large garden salad with homemade dressing
- with roasted veggies or homemade French fries
