These healthy freezer tuna cakes can be made up to 3 months ahead and are the perfect back up protein option to have in your freezer for any meal.
These healthy tuna cakes are one of the 25 recipes I froze before my self-proclaimed maternity leave, and they were perfect for getting in a quick bite of healthy protein and carbs. The original recipe is called spicy tuna hummus cakes, but they don’t have to be spicy!
These tuna cakes are simple to make and very customizable. If these become a regular part of your freezer meal rotation, you can change out the type of hummus for different flavor profiles. I LOVE spicy food, so I tend to keep the jalapeno in and use a spicy hummus. However, you could use milder hummus-like roasted garlic and omit the jalapeno for a more neutral flavor!
But, Wait, Can You Freeze Tuna?
Technically you can freeze anything except for raw meat or seafood that has been frozen and then defrosted. You can’t freeze that again unless you cook it. So the real question is, what will it taste like after you freeze it?
Cooked tuna holds up surprisingly well in the freezer. I think with just plain cooked tuna, you would risk drying it out, but these healthy tuna cakes you won’t have that problem!
How to Freeze Tuna Cakes
These healthy tuna cakes, as well as my tuna quinoa cakes, can be made up to three months in advance. The biggest thing is you want to avoid freezing them in a way that a bunch of moisture will get frozen with them, and then you’ll have excess ice. The ice formed from the extra moisture will cause them to stick together. To avoid that issue, follow one of these two methods below.
Option 1: Let them cool completely in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. In the morning, pop them into a freezer bag and stick them in the freezer, easy peasy.
Option 2: If you can’t wait for them to cool, you can place them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and place the whole thing in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can remove them from the cookie sheet and pop them into a freezer bag and put the bag back in the freezer.
More Freezer Meal Ideas:- 12 Healthy Freezer Meals for New Moms
- 55+ Healthy Freezer Meals
- 12 Summer Freezer Meals
- Freezer Kielbasa Soup
- Freezer Healthy Chili
- Freezer Carnitas
- Freezer Pizza Stuffed Peppers
- DIY Starbucks Freezer Spinach Feta Wraps
- DIY Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
- Homemade Frozen Chicken Fingers
Healthy Freezer Tuna Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 5 - ounce cans tuna in water
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper hummus or original
- 2/3 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 green onion sliced
- 1/2 jalapeno (OPTIONAL) deveined, deseeded, finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with silicone muffin liners, paper liners, or grease with cooking spray.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Split evenly among 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, let the tuna cakes completely cool in the fridge (at least a few hours.)
- Freeze in a freezer bag or container.
To Eat After Freezing
- Either defrost them in the fridge overnight, then reheat to 165F in the microwave. Or reheat directly from frozen in the microwave wrapped in a paper towel for 2-4 minutes until tuna cakes reach 165F.
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Nutrition
I made tuna for sandwich and I have leftovers and they have hard boiled eggs in the tuna mix. Can I make patties and freeze them?
Unfortunately, hard boiled eggs don’t freeze very well!