Tuna Patties Air Fryer

This is how to make Tuna patties in air fryer or as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe with canned tuna, egg and breadcrumbs. They are homemade and a delicious protein packed fish appetizer, dinner or side dish.

I ate a lot of this growing up. Tuna fish sandwiches that is. When I was in college it was a cheap healthy food I could buy and keep me full for hours. Fast forward to adulthood and I’ll eat it as a snack with crackers, instead of chicken in these killer crack chicken deviled eggs, and now we add tuna cakes to the list of faves!

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Tuna Patties

Everyone has a stovetop and pan so we’ll go over directions for that, but if you have a Ninja Foodi or other brand to air fry I would suggest cooking it that way too. With this machine you would use the lid that is connected and the air crisp button on the front.

Let’s start with the star of the show shall we? Like I said, I ate this a lot as a child. My mom only bought the flake version though because it was the cheapest and most likely to be on sale. Cheap was the name of the game growing up so it wasn’t until I was older that I discovered the BIG difference between the two cans.

Tuna Patties with Canned Tuna

Whether you decide to pan fry or otherwise let me tell you it is SO worth the extra dollar or so a can to buy solid white Albacore vs. the other. It has a lot more meat in the can itself, more flavor, and just doesn’t hold a candle to the pulverized bits you get to save a little bit.

The other choice is oil vs. water. You can find it both ways but I would rather save the calories and just go with the water. I think the other gives it kinda’ a slimy texture anyway so that is an easy decision on my end. Now that we have that covered and you’re going to follow my lead on this one 😉 let’s get to talking about the rest of this baby.

Can You Deep Fry Tuna Patties?

I would recommend that you do not deep fry these, they will likely fall apart. They are delicate in a sense but will stay together, “fried” in a pan with some oil and get just as crispy. Instead use a cast iron skillet with 3/4″ of vegetable oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes flipping halfway thru until browned on each side.

Variations

Yes you can adjust the other ingredients as you like. If you are totally opposed to onions entirely then just leave them out. Would rather have red onions vs. white or yellow, by all means go with that. I’m not a huge lover of bulbs but I will say that it does lend to added texture and doesn’t stay crunchy like you see here.

Fresh cilantro is always better than dried but that is another you can make a decision on. Instead of mayonnaise Greek yogurt is used. Some like the other but you can save a bit on fat and calories going this way and in the end it is mainly part of the binder so you wouldn’t really taste the difference if you ask me.

Is it possible to make tuna cakes like crab cakes?

You could call them cakes instead of patties, potato patato my friends. And yes you could use another type of flaked pre-cooked seafood. To me fish cakes are sliced thin pink pieces of fish found in ramen at my favorite Japanese restaurant. This is not that for sure. Your Grandma maybe used this term so go with it friend if that brings back memories for you with this term. 😉

Now it is literally just mixing all the items together and separating out into 1/3 cup of mixture per piece (about). Heat the oil first before adding to the pan if you’re cooking via. that method. In your Cosori I’d preheat it beforehand for 5 minutes so it cooks evenly and gets nice and golden brown all over.

Tuna Patties with Crackers

If you didn’t want to use breadcrumbs there are other substitutions. The easiest one with the most choices would be crushed crackers! You could use Ritz for the same “plain” outcome or even Cheez-its would add a cheesy taste into your mix! This gives the opportunity for a gluten-free option as well.

Then you can make and serve it with some tartar sauce, homemade fry sauce, or aioli we have directions for below this. Want to make it a heartier meal? Slap one in between two slices of bread with a bit of cheese and you can follow our air fryer tuna melt recipe for that!!

How do you keep tuna patties from falling apart?

The egg and bread crumbs will work as a binder to help prevent this. Another way to keep them a bit firmer is to shape them, place on a piece of parchment paper on a plate or baking sheet and put into the fridge for 20 minutes. If you are deep frying them I would highly suggest this step.

Since ours aren’t moving around too much it isn’t as much of an issue. It won’t hurt anything though if you are nervous this might be the case. Keto tuna patties like these seem to have enough moisture to stick together so long as the binding ingredients are cold.

How Long to Cook Tuna Patties in Air Fryer

It is going to take about 8 minutes total to get the outsides golden brown and crispy. Now this will depend on how large you make them. I would keep them like small hamburger patty sizes, or the size of your palm I guess is the best way to explain the ideal size.

Sriracha Aioli Recipe

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha
• Squeeze half of a fresh lemon into mixture
• Stir together and serve with patties

Super quick and easy right?? Yep this tuna patties recipe is like everything else we make around here. Simple, with ingredients you probably already have at home. Nutritional information and saturated fat content accounting for the exact items listed below are listed too. Love these and want more? Try our air fryer tuna steaks recipe too.