These simple and delicious Air Fryer Tuna Cakes are crisp and golden on the outside and soft and tender in the middle. They're made with canned tuna so they're quick, easy and economical to make and use less oil than pan frying. They also include fresh chopped dill, lemon juice, cheddar cheese and grated carrot for some added veggies. They can be enjoyed as an appetizer with your favorite seafood sauce or as a main meal with a side salad. You can even make larger patties and enjoy them as tuna burgers!
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Table of Contents
Inspiration for this recipe
When I first got married, tuna cakes were a go-to meal for us. It was a shortcut recipe that used a package of stuffing as filler with the addition of some other ingredients including shredded carrot and cheese.
While they were quick and easy to make, the texture needed improvement and they tasted less like tuna and more like stuffing.
So, to improve the flavor and texture and eliminate the packaged stuffing, I took what I learned from perfecting these air fryer crab cakes and applied it to make my own version of tuna cakes.
I promise, you will love these tuna cakes as much as we do! The exterior gets perfectly crispy in the air fryer without drying out in the middle. While it's similar to my crab cakes recipe in texture, the flavor is more like a tuna salad in patty form with the flavors of tuna, lemon, dill, garlic and dijon shining through.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Below are just a few of the key ingredients and notes on substitutions. Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for all of the ingredients and specific quantities used.
- Tuna - You'll need 2 cans of flaked white (albacore) tuna packed in water. You can also use flaked light tuna in water if you prefer, which is often labelled as skipjack. Just note that it has a darker color and often has a stronger flavor.
- Carrot - While not a typical ingredient for tuna cakes, I like to add ½ cup of finely grated carrot for added veggies and moisture.
- Cheese - Cheddar cheese adds flavor and helps bind the cakes together when it melts. Be sure to use full fat cheese instead of light as it melts much better.
- Mayo - Mayo also helps with binding and moisture. You can use full fat or reduced fat mayo. (I used reduced fat as that is what we usually have on hand).
- Panko crumbs - Another binding agent as it absorbs some moisture and helps stick everything together. Panko crumbs have a crispy texture. I haven't tested this recipe with regular breadcrumbs.
- Fresh dill - Dill adds a tangy flavor that pairs well with tuna. If you don't have fresh, you can use dried, but reduce the amount from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon as dried dill is more potent than fresh.
How to make tuna patties in the air fryer (step-by-step with photos)
Just mix, chill, shape and air fry!
Favorite sauces and dips for serving
While these tuna cakes are flavorful enough to enjoy on their own, there are a variety of sauces and dips that go well with them:
- When we enjoy them as larger patties on burger buns, I mix together a simple mayo, dill and lemon juice mixture (measured with my heart!) This cashew mayo is also a delicious option.
- Seafood sauce or tartar sauce are classic options, especially when served as an appetizer.
- For a spicy kick, serve them with this chipotle dip or jalapeno dip. (Serve these dips on the side instead of drizzling over in case your guests aren't fans of spicy food!)
Tips for making the best tuna fish cakes
- Drain tuna. There is enough moisture in these cakes so make sure you drain the cans of tuna well.
- Use flaked tuna. The small flakes are easier to mash together with the other ingredients. Solid or chunk tuna may result in bigger pieces of tuna in the patties, which could prevent the patties from sticking together.
- Finely grated cheese and carrot. This will ensure they mix together more evenly with the other ingredients. Larger shreds of cheese and carrot will make it harder for the patties to stick together.
- Chill before shaping into patties. I recommend chilling the tuna cake mixture for at least 30 minutes. This gives the mixture time to firm up as the panko crumbs absorb moisture and makes it easier to form into patties.
- Spray with oil. In order to get the outside of the cakes golden and crispy, make sure you spray both sides with a little oil. You can also brush some on if you don't have spray oil.
- Even cooking. You don't want to overcrowd the air fryer as the patties won't cook as evenly. If your air fryer is small, you will need to air fry them in 2 batches. (I have a 5.8 quart air fryer, which fit the 8 patties perfectly).
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as you drain it well and you're using flaked tuna.
For the best results, I recommend chilling, but if you don't have 30 minutes to spare, you can skip the chilling step. Just note that the mixture will be a little sticky and messier to handle.
Yes! While the mixture only requires 30-60 minutes to firm up, you can leave it covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
In the air fryer! While you can give them a quick heating in the microwave, to get the outside crispy again, I just pop them in the air fryer at 350F for 3-5 minutes. Just be careful not to reheat for too long as they will dry out.
More air fryer seafood recipes
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Tuna Cakes with Cheddar Cheese and Grated Carrot
Ingredients
- 2 cans (266g total) albacore flaked white tuna, packed in water (drained), *see note #1
- ½ cup (40 g) panko crumbs
- ½ cup (30 g) finely grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) finely grated carrot, about 1 medium carrot
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (65 g) mayo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the tuna, panko crumbs, cheese, carrot, green onion and dill.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg/mayo mixture over the tuna mixture and stir until well combined. (The mixture should stick together).
- Cover and chill for 30-60 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about ¾ inch thick. Each patty is about 3 ½ tablespoons of mixture.
- Spray both sides of each patty with oil and place in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 400F for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. There is no need to flip the patties.
Notes
- The cans of tuna I used had a net weight of 184 grams per can. The drained weight was 133 grams per can, for a total of 266 grams of tuna.
- I recommend using flaked tuna as the small flakes are easier to mash together with the other ingredients. Solid or chunk tuna may result in bigger pieces of tuna in the patties, which could prevent them from sticking together.
- Be sure to finely grate the cheese and carrot so it mixes together more evenly with the other ingredients. Larger shreds of cheese or carrot will make it harder for the patties to stick together.
- I recommend chilling the tuna cake mixture for at least 30 minutes. This gives the mixture time to firm up as the panko crumbs absorb moisture and makes it easier to form into patties.
- In order to get the outside of the cakes golden and crispy, make sure you spray both sides with a little oil. You can also brush some on if you don't have spray oil.
- You don't want to overcrowd the air fryer as the patties won't cook as evenly. If your air fryer is small, you will need to air fry them in 2 batches. (I have a 5.8 quart air fryer, which fit the 8 tuna cakes perfectly).
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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