Tuna burgers are a simple and delicious alternative to regular hamburgers. This recipe calls for baking the burgers in the oven, making them a healthier option as well.
**This post was originally published on January 31, 2012. It was refreshed and republished on February 22, 2022.**
I love burgers. They are a fun and delicious meal that the whole family loves. But eating the same meals gets old after a time. For a fun spin on the traditional hamburger, try these simple, but flavorful tuna burgers!
My husband and I ate tuna burgers pretty frequently in the early years of our relationship. We were newlyweds, fresh out of college with bills and a mound of student loan debt. Our grocery budget for that first year of marriage was $45 a week! With a budget that small, you learn to get creative with your meals. Now, we still enjoy tuna burgers on occasion as part of our weeknight dinners.
Tuna is an excellent source of protein, even in its canned form. Plus, it is full of iron, Vitamin D and B12. That makes tuna burgers an excellent alternative to typical red meat hamburgers.
One can of tuna yields two burgers. I use three cans of tuna to make six burgers for our family of four. Three cans of quality tuna are less expensive than the ground beef we typically buy. That makes these tuna burgers healthier and more affordable than regular hamburgers. They are also easy to make and don’t take long to cook. All of those qualities combined make these tuna burgers an excellent weeknight meal.
Tuna Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
- Safe Catch Tuna
- Eggs
- Panko bread crumbs
- Garlic
- Dill
- Parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Tuna Burgers
Empty 12 ounces of tuna into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to buy tuna packaged in water and not in oil. The oil will affect cook time and burger patty consistency. Personally, I prefer the Safe Catch Elite tuna brand. It doesn’t have a lot of additives. Plus, each tuna pack is mercury tested.
Drain the tuna well before using it for this recipe. Add 1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs, along with two eggs to the bowl. The egg helps the tuna stick together when formed into patties. If the tuna patties don’t stick, then you need to add more eggs.
Season the tuna mixture with fresh garlic, lemon juice, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Combine the mixture together. Using your hands is the most effective way to mix the ingredients together. The egg needs to be well combined into the tuna to ensure that the burger patties stay together.
Once the tuna mixture is well combined, scoop out a portion and form it into patties. This recipe should yield six tuna burger patties. Place the tuna patties on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
The result is a delicious, flavorful tuna burger with a slight crunch. Serve them on hamburger buns with all of your favorite burger toppings! I love mine with lettuce, onion, pickles, mayo, and a little bit of mustard. My husband prefers lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a little bit of sriracha for a spicy kick.
However you choose to dress them, tuna burgers are an excellent option for an easy weeknight dinner. They are quick and delicious, without a lot of clean-up.
For more easy dinner ideas, check out my recipe for Lemon Dill Salmon!
Tuna Burgers
Ingredients
- 12 oz tuna
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Empty 12 ounces of *drained* tuna into a large mixing bowl
- Add 1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs, along with two eggs to the bowl
- Season with fresh garlic, lemon juice, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper
- Combine the mixture together using your hands
- Form six equal portions of tuna mixture into patties
- Place the patties on a non-stick baking sheet
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes
- Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite burger toppings
I’m passing this on to my boyfriend, so he can make these this week. 🙂
They look so good and remind me of salmon patties, which I love. 🙂
I’m totally trying this! I’ve got two cans of tuna in the pantry right now 🙂 thanks for the recipe
Let me know how you like them!
Looks SO good!! Homemade anything is always better in my opinion
This looks to healthy for me. 😛
I never thought of making tuna burgers! Great idea
Hey! Thanks for stopping by our site today! Hmmm, my favorite somewhat healthy dish? I’ll have to say… Yogurt with granola and craisins. Isn’t that horrible? I should be able to come up with something better, but I eat this for breakfast, most days!
I have granola with raisins most days too!
Ohh! This looks great, and so easy to make! My favorite kind of recipe. Ben will love this, I’ll have to give it a try. I don’t know how ‘healthy’ it is, but my favorite healthy dish is parmesean crusted tilapia.
That sounds delicious!
These look amazing! Will definitely have to try this as we love making burgers at home but they’re so expensive… Thanks!
Those look delicious, Ashley! I can’t wait to try this out! Kevin and I make a point to have fish at least once a week, even if it’s canned tuna!
Wow! I don’t like tuna, but you sure make tuna look good! 🙂
~Lisha
My husband is a HUGE fan of tuna and while it’s not typically my first choice, these burgers sound absolutely fantastic. Since we’ve been doing keto, I’d probably switch the panko for pork rinds, and do it lettuce-wrapped. Sounds like a great springtime meal!
Totally something my husband would love! I will for sure share this with him!
I didn’t even know you could do this with tuna! I have a fish allergy so I won’t be trying this one but that Chicken Tortilla Soup sure is calling my name!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com