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Home » Appetizers

Tuna Zucchini Cakes with Garlic Tomato Sauce

Last updated Jun 2, 2025 by Jessica Montanelli

35 shares

These easy fritters or burgers made with just a few ingredients like canned tuna and zucchini are a perfect healthy and light lunch for the whole family. Serve them on their own with a side of salad or with this amazing garlic tomato sauce.

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5 from 1 vote
overhead shot of a plate with tuna zucchini fritters on a fork
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When I don't know what to cook, I often make meatballs or fritters. I can use everything I have available in my fridge: Ricotta, Vegetables, Fish,...

These fritters are born just like that. One of my pantry staples is canned tuna. I use it very often in salads or pasta sauces like this Pasta with Tuna Tomato sauce.

For this kind of recipes where the tuna is cooked and mixed with other ingredients, I always use canned tuna in water. I use tuna in olive oil only if I eat it "raw", in a salad for example. Also, my kitty gets to drink the tuna water and she LOVES it! 😉

Zucchini are also always available in my fridge. In summer I also grow them myself because we eat so many. So I had to find a way to use zucchini and tuna together. So I tried to make meatballs with them.

Although I noticed that they were too soft to keep the meatball shape. So I turned them into fritters or small burgers.

overhead of a plate with Zucchini Tuna Fritters with Tomato sauce

Other Fritters Substitutions

  • Protein: Instead of Tuna, try using canned salmon or even canned crab. Otherwise you can also use fresh or frozen fish.
  • Vegetable: Instead of zucchini you can use broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach or even a mix of these vegetables. Whatever you have available.
Zucchini Tuna patties with Tomato sauce
Zucchini Tuna burgers with Tomato sauce

The Recipe

If you like this recipe, try also these:

  • Easy Spinach Salmon Cakes
  • Tuna stuffed Zucchini boats

📖 RECIPE

Zucchini Tuna Fritters with Tomato sauce
Jessica Montanelli

Tuna and Zucchini Fritters with Tomato Sauce

5 from 1 vote
Easy fritters or burgers with just a few ingredients. A perfect light lunch for the whole family.
Print Email Review
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
ServingsServings: 2 people
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes
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Ingredients
  

For the Fritters
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 1 can Tuna
  • ½ Onion
  • 1 Egg
  • 2-3 Breadcrumbs
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt & Pepper
  • EV Olive oil
For the Tomato Sauce
  • 3 ripe Roma Tomatoes
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Salt & Pepper

Method
 

For the Tomato Sauce
  1. Peel the tomatoes and blend them into a sauce. 
  2. In a small pan, fry in olive oil the minced garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. 
  3. Cook at low heat for 15-20 minutes.
For the Fritters
  1. Grate the zucchini and chop the onion very thinly. Brown both in a pan with olive oil for about 10 minutes, until they become tender. Set aside and let them cool.
  2. Drain the tuna and mix it with the egg, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. (If the mix is too loose, add more breadcrumbs). Drain as much as possible the zucchini and onion, and add them to the mixture.
  3. Add enough olive oil to coat well a large pan and wait until it gets hot (but not smoking).
  4. Shape the mixture with your hands into a burger shape or spoon it directlly in the hot oil.
  5. Turn them to brown both sides. As soon as they are uniformly golden brown, they're ready!
  6. Serve them with freshly made garlic tomato sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 141 kcalCarbohydrates: 8 gProtein: 21 gFat: 3 gSaturated Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 112 mgSodium: 258 mgFiber: 1 g

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

CourseCourse: Main Course
CuisineCuisine: Italian

Notes

You can add a couple of tablespoons of Ricotta if you have it available. It will make the meatballs even more tender.

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Hi, I'm Jess! Born and raised in Siena, Tuscany, I've been immersed in the rich traditions of Italian cuisine my entire life. Through my food blog, I hope to share a slice of Tuscan warmth and the genuine flavors that have been a part of my journey since childhood.

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