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Tuna melt patties give you 43 g of protein per serving and take 51 minutes from fridge to table. The protein comes from canned tuna, eggs, cheddar and English muffins, not powder, so it tastes like the real thing: a diner tuna melt, just shaped into a patty.
One serving is two patties on two toasted muffin halves with tomato. That’s about 320 g of food and roughly 630 calories. Cheddar does a lot of work here, so I won’t call it light.
Drain the tuna hard. If the mix is wet enough that you can squeeze liquid out of a handful, the patties slump and break apart in the pan. Press the tuna in a sieve until it stops dripping.
The shaped patties chill for 15 minutes, then fry in two batches of four. The cheese melts on top in the last minute, which is the melt part.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 43 g protein per serving from real food, no powder
- Built from pantry staples: canned tuna, eggs, panko, cheddar
- Chill, then fry in two batches, done in 51 minutes
- Cooked patties freeze well for later weeknight dinners
Ingredient Notes
- canned tuna: Chunk light in water drains to about 100 g per 5 oz can. Albacore works too. Skip tuna packed in oil, because the mix turns greasy.
- sharp cheddar: Shred it from a block, since it melts smoother than bagged shreds. Pepper jack or Swiss swap in 1 to 1.
- panko: Panko keeps the inside light. Plain dry breadcrumbs work, but use 30 g instead of 40 g because they absorb more.
- English muffins: A standard 57 g muffin has about 5 g protein. High-protein muffins push the serving higher, but check the label.
- mayonnaise: Plain full-fat Greek yogurt replaces it 1 to 1. The patties get tangier and you save about 55 calories per serving.
Pan-Fried Tuna Melt Patties with Cheddar and Muffins
Ingredients
Method
- Tip the tuna into a fine-mesh sieve and press with the back of a spoon for about 1 minute, until it stops dripping. Flake it into a large bowl and add the eggs, 80 g shredded cheddar, panko, mayonnaise, celery, onion, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Mix with a fork until a handful holds together when squeezed.
- Divide the mix into 8 portions of about 95 g (1/3 cup) each. Shape each into a patty about 9 cm / 3.5 inches wide and 2 cm / 3/4 inch thick and set them on a parchment-lined sheet pan 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch. Chill for 15 minutes and heat the oven to 95 C / 200 F while you wait.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it shimmers. Add 4 patties and cook for 3 minutes, until the underside is deep golden. Flip once with a wide spatula and cook 3 minutes more.
- Top each patty with a heaping tablespoon (10 g) of the remaining cheddar. Cover the skillet for 1 minute, until the cheese melts. Check one patty with a thermometer for 165 F / 74 C in the center, then move the batch to a second sheet pan in the warm oven.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook the other 4 patties the same way. While this batch cooks, toast the muffin halves for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden, and slice the tomatoes.
- Assemble each serving open-faced: a toasted muffin half, a tomato slice, then a patty. Serve 2 per person right away while the cheese is soft.
Notes
- Press the tuna dry in a sieve before mixing, or the patties will not hold.
- No added salt. Canned tuna and cheddar already bring about 1,050 mg sodium per serving.
- The 43 g protein figure assumes each 5 oz can drains to about 100 g.
- Chill the shaped patties 15 minutes before frying so they keep their shape.
- Keep the first batch warm on a sheet pan in a 95 C / 200 F oven.
Tips for Success
- Press the drained tuna in a sieve until nothing drips, then chill the shaped patties 15 minutes so the egg and panko set.
- Cook in two batches of four so each patty has room to brown instead of steaming against its neighbor.
- Flip only once, after 3 minutes, and slide a wide metal spatula fully under the patty before lifting.
- Check one patty with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 165 F / 74 C in the center before you pull the batch.
- Use a heavy skillet. Mine is a garage-sale cast iron pan, and it holds a steady medium heat so the crust browns evenly.
Variations
- Swap the cheddar for pepper jack and stir in 2 tbsp diced pickled jalapeños for a Tex-Mex version.
- Stir 2 tbsp chopped dill pickle into the mix and use Swiss cheese for a deli-style melt.
- Skip the muffins and serve the patties over arugula. You lose about 5 g protein and 130 calories per serving.
Storage and Reheating
Tuna melt patties keep 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the muffins, tomato slices and any extra cheddar separately so the muffins stay dry.
Reheat the patties on a sheet pan in a 175 C / 350 F oven for 10 minutes, until the center reaches 165 F / 74 C and the crust crisps again. A microwave works in a pinch at 70% power for 90 seconds, but the crust turns soft.
Cooked patties also freeze for up to 2 months. Cool them completely, wrap each in parchment, bag them, and reheat from frozen at 175 C / 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve tuna melt patties open-faced: toasted muffin half, tomato slice, patty. Two per person is the serving the 43 g protein figure is based on.
A vinegar coleslaw and dill pickles cut through the cheese. A cup of tomato soup turns it into a diner plate, though it adds calories and sodium on top of the numbers here.
For a plate without bread, set the patties on arugula with lemon wedges.
FAQ
Why are my tuna melt patties falling apart in the pan?
The mix is almost always too wet. Press the drained tuna in a sieve until it stops dripping, chill the shaped patties for 15 minutes, and leave them alone for a full 3 minutes before flipping. A wide metal spatula slid fully under the patty helps too.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo in tuna melt patties?
Yes, swap the 3 tbsp mayonnaise for 3 tbsp plain full-fat Greek yogurt. The patties taste a little tangier and brown slightly less, and you save about 55 calories per serving while adding roughly 1 g of protein. Nonfat yogurt makes the mix looser, so add 1 tbsp more panko.
Can you freeze tuna melt patties, and how do you reheat them?
Yes, freeze the cooked patties for up to 2 months. Cool them completely, wrap each in parchment, and bag them. Reheat from frozen on a sheet pan at 175 C / 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes, until the center reads 165 F / 74 C. Toast fresh muffins instead of freezing them.
What goes well with tuna melt patties besides English muffins?
A vinegar coleslaw and dill pickles are the easiest sides, since the sharp dressing cuts through the cheddar. Kettle chips or a cup of tomato soup also work. The 43 g protein figure covers only the patties, muffins and tomato, so any sides add their own calories.
Are tuna melt patties gluten free?
Not as written, because the panko and English muffins both contain wheat. Use gluten-free panko and gluten-free muffins, and check the mustard and mayo labels. If you serve the patties on lettuce instead of muffins, you lose about 5 g of protein per serving.
What is the difference between tuna melt patties and tuna cakes?
Tuna melt patties borrow the diner sandwich: cheddar goes in the mix and on top, and they sit on a toasted English muffin with tomato. Classic tuna cakes lean on more breadcrumbs, lemon and herbs, skip the cheese, and usually come with aioli. Both are pan-fried.
