Broccoli Tuna Quinoa Cakes Recipe
One afternoon, I decided to tackle our kitchen pantry. I pulled out anything that could be used in meals for the week. As I moved a box of pasta, I discovered six cans of tuna packed in water. Tuna isn’t something we eat regularly. Seeing the cans made me realize it was time to put them to good use. I wanted to use them before they approached their expiration date. It felt satisfying to clean out older food. I also planned meals that would be both practical and delicious. Sometimes, these little pantry discoveries spark unexpected culinary inspiration, turning “use-it-up” tasks into flavorful opportunities in the kitchen.
I was scrolling through Pinterest for dinner inspiration. I came across a recipe for broccoli and tuna cakes made with soft quinoa. It sounded perfect—and fortunately, I already had some frozen broccoli on hand. Within no time, the ingredients were prepped, mixed, and formed into cakes, and just like that, dinner was ready. It was a satisfying kitchen moment. Everything came together effortlessly. A pantry cleanout turned into a delicious, wholesome meal for the family.
The tuna cakes are easy to whip up for either an entrée for dinner or an appetizer for a gathering. They also work great for a delicious snack for parties or small gatherings. These little cakes go great with basic tartar sauce or even a spicier variety of mayo-based sauce.
Because of the success of these, I have made other varieties. Stay tuned for my Mexican Tuna Cake dinner.
My broccoli tuna quinoa cakes are versatile. They are perfect for both side dishes or a main entrée. They go well with many sauces. You can try a basic tartar sauce or my favorite, Dijon Tartar Sauce. In the photo above, I used a bottled tartar sauce and added a Creole seasoning mix for spice.
Cost to make this recipe.
As main entrees go, this one is really inexpensive. Calculating all the ingredients together, I came up with a total cost of about $4.57 or $0.76 per serving size, which is two tuna cakes.
High-priced ingredients are not in this recipe; that makes it so great. The canned tuna is one of the more expensive items in the recipe, and that is saying a lot. Canned tuna is relatively inexpensive. Using only two cans for this recipe doesn’t cost much. It is especially affordable if you can find them on sale.
Similar recipes to try
Recipe adapted
I adapted this recipe from the Allergy Free Alaska food blog. All images and texts are original to Vintage Mountain Homestead blog and website. Please visit our disclaimer page for more information.
Broccoli Tuna Quinoa Cakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa …[$0.68]
- 1 cup broccoli diced…[$0.75]
- ½ cup onion minced…[$0.25]
- 2 cans tuna drained…[$1.98]
- ½ cup breadcrumbs …[$0.15]
- 2 cloves garlic minced…[$0.10]
- ¼ tsp dry dill …[$0.10]
- 2 large eggs …[$0.46]
- ¼ cup oil for frying …[$0.10]
Instructions
- Cook quinoa accordingly. Set up a frying pan with oil and heat on medium to high heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In another skillet, saute broccoli, garlic, and onions in 1 tbsp of oil until food turns soft. Remove skillet from heat and cool.
- In a bowl, combine cooked and cooled quinoa, broccoli mix, tuna, breadcrumbs, eggs, and dill.
- Make 12 tuna patties by hand and pan fry to golden brown on each side. Set on a paper towel and serve warm with tartar sauce.
Broccoli Tuna Quinoa Cakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, …[$0.68]
- 1 cup broccoli, diced…[$0.75]
- ½ cup onion, minced…[$0.25]
- 2 cans tuna, drained…[$1.98]
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, …[$0.15]
- 2 cloves garlic, minced…[$0.10]
- ¼ tsp dry dill, …[$0.10]
- 2 large eggs, …[$0.46]
- ¼ cup oil for frying, …[$0.10]
Instructions
- Cook quinoa accordingly. Set up a frying pan with oil and heat on medium to high heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In another skillet, sauté 1 cup broccoli, 2 cloves garlic, and ½ cup onion in 1 tbsp of oil until food turns soft. Remove skillet from heat and cool.
- In a bowl, combine cooked and cooled quinoa, broccoli mix, 2 cans tuna, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 2 large eggs, and ¼ tsp dry dill.
- Make 12 tuna patties by hand and pan fry to golden brown on each side. Set on a paper towel and serve warm with tartar sauce.