How to Make Tuna Patties $.50 a Serving
Need a quick and easy stove top dinner? These easy tuna patties are so simple and easy to make but so delicious too. Try them. Here’s how to make tuna patties in minutes from items in your pantry.
How to Make Tuna Patties
Tuna is a great choice for a frugal and easy to make dinner. You can store cans of tuna in the pantry and they are ready to go for a quick and easy dinner.
Tuna cakes are like crab cakes, made with tuna. They are pan cooked so you don’t have to turn on the oven to make dinner. But you can bake them in the oven if you want to.
My mom would make these easy tuna patties at least twice a month when I was young. I can see why.
It’s an inexpensive dinner that’s super quick to make. Perfect for a weeknight dinner when you are short on time.
We love to enjoy ours with a side dish of rice and steamed veggies. I also make homemade tartar sauce to go with them too.
Oh just thinking about the crisp outside and the delicious flavored inside make my mouth water.
Can you believe each patty is less than $.50 a serving?!
Pair it with rice, homemade tartar sauce and steamed broccoli for less than $1 per serving for dinner. Now that’s a frugal meal.
Want to make a batch of these cheap and easy tuna patties with dill? The printable recipe is below and the recipe video too. But first what you need to make them…
Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Tuna Patties
You only need a few ingredients to make these easy tuna patties. This recipe is a pantry recipe because all the ingredients can be stored in the pantry.
I love having a few quick and easy pantry meals for busy days.
You can make tuna patties without bread if you prefer. Instead you can use crushed crackers that’s how my mom always made them.
But I always have bread on hand so that is what I use.
You can also try making them egg free by leaving the egg out. Be sure to use a little of the tuna water from the can to moisten the bread or cracker crumbs.
Press them together well since you won’t have the binding of the egg to help hold them together.
- 2 cans Tuna
- 1 slice of Bread
- 1 Egg
- Garlic, powdered
- Onion, powdered
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Tuna Patties, Recipe Video
Below you’ll find the quick recipe video. Don’t like to watch videos? Scroll on down for the written instructions and the printable recipe too.
Tips for Making Easy Tuna Patties
These easy tuna patties are quick to make. Here’s how to make tuna patties in just a few minutes. You can have dinner done in no time.
Process the Bread and Seasonings, place the bread and seasonings into the food processor and process to make the bread into breadcrumbs. Or to make this step easier start with breadcrumbs instead of bread and add the seasoning.
Mix with Tuna and Egg, Place the seasoned bread crumbs into a bowl. Add two cans of drained tuna and an egg. Stir to blend well.
Make into Patties, Shape the tuna mixture into 4 patties. To keep the tuna patties from falling apart while cooking, be sure to press the edges together tightly. It will help to hold them together without compressing the center too much.
Also when cooking be sure to let them fully brown on one side then flip. The less handling the better the tuna patties will hold together.
Brown them on one side before trying to flip them will help insure the tuna patties won’t fall apart.
Cook in a Hot Skillet, preheat the skillet to medium high and add a little oil. Cook the tuna patties on the first side until golden brown. Flip and brown on the second side.
Serve on lettuce with homemade tartar sauce. Or serve it like a hamburger patty on a bun with a topping of tartar sauce for a homemade tuna burger. Yum!
Print the recipe below…
Easy Tuna Patties
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the bread and seasonings into the food processor and process to make the bread into bread crumbs.
- Place the seasoned bread crumbs into a bowl. Add two cans of drained tuna and an egg. Stir to blend well.
- Shape the tuna mixture into 4 patties.
- Preheat the skillet and add a little oil. Cook the tuna patties on the first side until golden brown. Flip and brown on the second side.
- Serve with tartar sauce. Or serve them on a hamburger bun if desired for a tuna burger.
How to Serve Easy Tuna Patties and the Cost of the Meal
To serve your tuna patties you can place them on a leaf of lettuce and top with a little tartar sauce or your favorite sauce.
Or you can place them on a bun, like a hamburger bun, and serve them like a tuna burger. When serving as a tuna burger I like to add lettuce and a tomato slice.
Place tartar sauce on both the top and bottom bun. No need for pickles since the homemade tartar sauce has pickles in it.
You can make these tuna patties a full dinner by adding two frugal sides. We serve our tuna patties with a side of rice and steamed frozen broccoli. We also like homemade tartar sauce for a topping on the tuna patties.
Cost Breakdown for Easy Tuna Patties Meal
Tuna Patties $1.74
Rice $.30 for 1 cup
Frozen Broccoli $.75 for half bag
Homemade Tartar Sauce $1 for 4 servings
That brings this dinner to $3.79 for 4 servings. Or just $.95 a serving. When we can eat a full dinner for less than a $1, it’s a good deal.
Freezing Tuna Patties
In case you are wondering tuna patties can be frozen. Tuna patties will keep well in the refrigerator for two days wrapped tightly or placed in an airtight container.
To keep them longer, you’ll want to freeze them. I like to wrap each cooked tuna patty in plastic wrap and then place them all in a freezer bag. Be sure to label it so you’ll know what you have.
When ready to eat you can reheat tuna patties in a skillet on medium heat until heated through, just be sure to watch so they don’t get overly browned. If frozen be sure to thaw them first.
Or you can reheat them in the microwave. I heat them at 30 second intervals until heated through.
That’s how to make tuna patties for dinner. It’s quick to make for dinner. And at less than a $1 a serving it’s a cheap and delicious meal.
What’s a favorite frugal dinner your family loves?
Other Quick Skillet Dinner Ideas
Hamburger Skillet Dish
Chicken Couscous and Vegetables Dinner
Salmon Patties, A Quick Skillet Dinner
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