Simple, old school, and every bit as delicious as you remember! Lightly crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside, smothered with cheese, and slathered with the best homemade tartar sauce you’ve ever tasted, these patties are a winner for a quick and easy weeknight supper or busy weekend!
We had one heck of a taste of spring recently! The temperatures soared into the 80’s, and there was the most wonderful, warm breeze gently blowing into the kitchen through the back door.
And while staring at a can of tuna, I suddenly just felt like a kid again! The gentle, warm breeze filled me waves of nostalgia, and gave me the idea to make some old-fashioned tuna patties!
Only, I took it one step further, and turned them into cheese burgers of sorts! And boy did they ever hit the spot!
So here we go! It’s just like you remember watching your mom or grandma do when you were a kid!
Just open the can and immediately, before you forget, add one tablespoon of the tuna water into a medium bowl. Drain the rest from the can, then dump the tuna into the bowl. Only barely break up, so after adding the rest of the ingredients, we don’t over-stir the mixture into a mushy-gross mess.
Then we form them into patties and place them onto a small, waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
Now, I made sliders so I was able to get 6 patties. But you may of course make larger ones, and probably get just 4 to fit nicely onto hamburger buns. But these are the ones that I used:
After chilling, so that they’re easier to turn, melt some butter with some oil, and fry as many as will comfortably fit in your frying pan.
Carefully turn them, and fry each side until they’re gorgeously golden browned on both sides.
I trimmed most of the cheese slices a little so that there wouldn’t be too much cheese, overhang, and burn on the pan.
We like the white American cheese slices even better than the yellow, but use whatever kind of cheese that you’d like! Swiss would be delicious, too!
As you can see, the last two patties each got a whole slice of cheese! (My hubby wasn’t in the kitchen anymore to eat the scraps! Ha!)
I also toasted the buns right in the pan!
And now we’re ready to assemble!!
Top the bottom bun with a little iceberg lettuce to give it a nice crunch, then one to two patties topped with melted cheese….
And slather the lids with my Best Homemade Tartar Sauce!!
Give the bun a little smash down, and take a big ol’ bite!!!
Just like you remember as kid! And such a welcome treat! That very first will take you right back in time. Back when times were simpler and life wasn’t so busy.
I so hope that you enjoy these Cheesy Tuna Patty Burgers with my Creamy Tartar Sauce just as much as we did! I think we all have those days when we just need to feel like a kid again!
*This recipe uses My Best Homemade Tartar Sauce!
Cheesy Tuna Patty Burgers with Creamy Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
For Tuna Burgers:
- 1 (12 oz.) can white albacore tuna in water, *reserve 1 Tbl. water, drain rest
- 2 tsp. lemon juice concentrate
- 1 Tbl. mayo or Miracle Whip
- 2 beaten eggs
- 25 saltine crackers, very finely crushed
- 1 tsp. dried minced onion
- 1/4 tsp. dried dill
- 1/4 tsp. celery salt
- 1/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbl. oil (for frying)
- 2 Tbl. Minerva Dairy Garlic & Herb Amish Butter (for frying)
Rest of Ingredients:
- 6 slices white or yellow American cheese
- 6 slider buns, toasted
- 6 lettuce leaves
- 6 - 12 slices tomato, optional
- thinly sliced red onion, optionalServe with my Best Homemade Tartar Sauce (1/2 of a recipe or less)
Instructions
Add tuna and 1 Tbl. reserved tuna water to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to mix, breaking up with a fork.
In small bowl, beat eggs with mayo, pour over tuna. Pour cracker crumbs over egg mixture; and add dried onion, dill, celery salt, and pepper. Fold and stir until just mixed and still chunky. Don't overstep or you'll break up the tuna too much and the patties will be mushy.
Shape into 6 (1/2-inch thick) patties placing onto a waxed paper-lined, half-sized baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
In large frying pan, add oil and butter, melt over medium heat, stirring to mix. When hot, carefully add patties to pan and fry 3 - 4 minutes per side until browned on both sides. *Turn carefully so that they don't break and fall apart.
Remove to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Immediately top with a little American cheese.
While tuna patties are resting, place cut sides of buns down into pan and toast until golden. Remove.
Place a small lettuce leaf onto bottom buns, top with a cheesy tuna patty. Spread tops buns with tartar sauce and place on lid! Enjoy!
