Description
These easy tinned tuna burgers are a delicious and quick meal perfect for lunch or dinner. Combining tinned tuna with parmesan, spring onions, and a blend of herbs, these burgers are pan-fried for a crispy outside and tender inside, then finished in the oven for even cooking. Served with a sweet chili mayo dipping sauce, they make a flavorful and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Burger Mixture
- 1 large Egg (beaten)
- 3 tbsp Parmesan (finely grated)
- 3 spring onions (green onions), chopped small (or ½ brown onion finely diced)
- 30 g (½ cup) Breadcrumbs (panko or natural)
- 1 tsp Mixed Herbs
- ½ lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 tbsp Low Fat Mayo
- 1 tsp Garlic Puree (or 2 cloves crushed garlic)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 290 g (2 tins) Tinned Tuna (in oil, spring water, or brine)
Cooking
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil (for frying)
Dipping Sauce
- 120 g (½ cup) Low fat Mayo
- 60 g (¼ cup) Sweet Chili Sauce
- 2 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Chili Puree (e.g., Gia brand)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather and measure all ingredients as listed. Chop the spring onions finely and zest and juice half a lemon.
- Mix Base Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the beaten egg, parmesan, chopped spring onions, breadcrumbs, mixed herbs, lemon zest and juice, low-fat mayo, garlic puree, salt, and pepper. Mix well until fully integrated.
- Add Tuna: Gently fold in the drained tinned tuna. Be careful not to overmix to avoid turning the tuna into mush; keep some texture intact.
- Shape Burgers: Divide the mixture into four equal portions. Using your hands, form each portion into a palm-sized burger shape, pressing firmly to hold together.
- Preheat Pan: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Cook First Side: Place the burgers carefully into the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes on one side. Maintain medium-low heat to ensure even cooking without burning.
- Flip Burgers: Carefully turn each burger over and cook the other side for another 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Preheat Oven: While the burgers fry, preheat your oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional / 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Bake Burgers: Transfer the fried burgers onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake an additional 10 minutes to finish cooking inside evenly.
- Prepare Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together low-fat mayo, sweet chili sauce, honey, and chili puree until smooth and well combined.
- Serve: Serve the cooked tuna burgers hot, accompanied by the dipping sauce and sides such as rice, noodles, chips, or salad.
Notes
- Do not overmix the tuna to maintain a pleasant texture in the burgers.
- You can use either spring onions or finely diced brown onion depending on availability.
- Panko breadcrumbs give a lighter texture but regular breadcrumbs work well too.
- Adjust chili puree amount in the dipping sauce according to your heat preference.
- Cooking the burgers first in a pan ensures a crispy crust, while finishing in the oven cooks them through evenly without drying.
