FRIDAY FISH: Tuna Patty Breakfast Stack

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I think most folks keep a few cans of tuna in the pantry for quick lunches or emergency dinners. It’s lovely food, inexpensive as protein goes, shelf stable, and versatile. I buy a stack of tuna cans at Costco, alternating every few months with canned salmon just so we have a change. We’re tuna salad for lunch people, maybe once or twice a month but during FRIDAY FISH weeks, looking for new uses for canned fish is something that keeps me hopping. Two weeks ago, including fish in a brunch dish in the spring lineup began to flit through my brain. Eggy meals complete with red meats line the menus of breakfast shops with only a veggie omelet, a smoked salmon benedict, or the occasional bowl of tan, sticky oatmeal to tempt someone looking for a healthier alternative. Why couldn’t there be a benny-ish sandwich utilizing a filling tuna patty topped with a gorgeous fried egg? The easy answer was that there could. I took the fish burger or salmon patty approach, but opened cans of tuna instead of salmon or chopping up raw cod. I added a few typical ingredients (panko, onion, garlic, egg) and then threw in dill, Old Bay, and a bit of ground cayenne for fun. What was so amazing was how fast these little tuna patties, as they came to be called, came together. And when I toasted and buttered an English muffin, topped one with that hot egg and a few garnishes, I was happy as a clam with my breakfast. (Why are clams happy?)

Et voila! A healthier, less expensive open-faced breakfast sandwich was born in my kitchen.

The basics –more or less — of the process:

Mixing the patty ingredients moves quickly as there’s so little chopping to be done.
To insure evenly sized patties, I patted the mixture down in the bowl and scored it into 8 segments like a pie.
I patted them into balls, gently tossing them back and forth between my hands.
…and then patted them into patties, evening the edges with the insides of my hands.
Fried 4 up a few minutes on each side and repeated with the other 4.

Cooked the eggs in the same pan. If you have a large griddle, you can do more at once.
Before I knew it, I was putting the sandwiches together and adding toppings.

I had green onion and red pepper along with some extra-sharp Cheddar that I used; you might choose other things. (See below: CHANGE IT UP.) You could also leave your eggs naked when you try this:

Print Recipe

Tuna Patty Breakfast Stack

A benny-ish dish that slides right by all the ham, bacon, and sausage in favor of a lovely tuna patty for a different twist on the open-faced breakfast sandwich. Canned tuna, a great bargain, is quickly stirred together with panko + perky seasonings before being patted into patties and fried for just a few minutes. If your group is hungry, serve each guest two sandwiches but if you have lots of other sides or folks aren’t too famished, one may be enough. Cook the tuna patties first and stow them in a warm oven while you fry the eggs and toast the English muffins. A helper to do the toasting (and maybe stick those in the oven, too, as they’re done) would let you place all of your attention on cooking the eggs. These patties are also tasty for appetizers –slice into fingers and dip in a mustard sauce– or even as an inexpensive burger.
4 or 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 (5 oz) cans tuna in oil, drained and flaked with a fork
  • 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion (you'll use more for garnish)
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dry dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
  • 2 large eggs (These are for the tuna mixture. You’ll fry another 8 eggs for the sandwiches.)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise or a little more as needed to make the patty mixture moist
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 tablespoon EACH: salted butter and olive oil
  • 4 split English muffins–8 halves, toasted and buttered
  • 8 fried eggs
  • 3 tablespoons EACH: minced red onion and red bell pepper, for garnish
  • ¾ cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, for garnish
  • Crushed red pepper, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • MAKE THE PATTY MIXTURE: In a large bowl, stir together the tuna, panko, onion, garlic, dill, Old Bay, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon zest (if using) until well incorporated. In a measuring cup, whisk together the two eggs, mayonnaise, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl with the tuna mixture and mix well. Take a quarter cup or so of the patty mixture and pat it into a ball in your hands. If it seems dry and crumbly, return it to the bowl, and stir in another tablespoon of mayonnaise. If the ball holds together easily, proceed.
  • SHAPE THE PATTIES: Divide the patty mixture evenly into eight balls. Gently toss each ball back and forth between your hands a few times and then flatten each ball into a patty on the cutting board. Using the side of your hand, tap around the outside to even up the edges.
  • FRY THE PATTIES: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and fry the patties 4 at a time for 3-4 minutes or until golden. I like a really thin fish spatula for moving the patties to the pan and for flipping them. Turn patties over carefully and fry another 3 minutes until the second side is golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined platter and cover to keep warm. Repeat with other 4 patties.
  • BUILD THE SANDWICHES: Top one-half buttered, toasted English muffin with a tuna patty and carefully add a fried egg on top of the patty. Sprinkle with a little red onion, red bell pepper, cheese, and crushed red pepper, if using. Repeat for the rest of the sandwiches. Serve hot.
    Store leftover patties tightly wrapped for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Notes

COOK’S NOTE: Should you have a large griddle, you can cook all the patties at once, stow them in a warm oven, and then cook the eggs in the same place.
Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2024. All rights reserved.
An easy way to drain and then flake your tuna. Set a bowl in sink, top with fine mesh strainer, and add tuna. Press excess oil out with a fork and use the fork to rake through the tuna to break up chunks into smaller flakes.

CHANGE IT UP:

  • Use canned salmon instead of tuna. Where did salmon patties come from, other than your grandma’s kitchen? “Salmon Patties, Alaska Saves the South,” THE ALASKA LIFE.COM. (A good foodie and American history read!)
  • Sub regular or flavored dry breadcrumbs or crushed saltines or Ritz crackers for the panko.
  • Spice up or change the flavor profile of the patty mixture. Increase the ground cayenne to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon. Swap in thyme/basil/oregano for the dill. Skip the Old Bay if it’s not your style. Stir in chopped capers or minced peperoncini.
  • Add a slice of cheese. After flipping the patties, cook a minute, add cheese, and cook another two minutes or so until cheese is melted. Covering the skillet will help.
  • Layer in some sautéed onions or sliced fresh tomatoes or roasted peppers or…_______.
  • Sprinkle on or add the toppings you like best. Pickled jalapeños really kick it up. (They aren’t as hot as the fresh ones.) Chives or other fresh herbs are another thought. Add chopped, sautéed mushrooms–with or without garlic.
  • I splurged with sourdough English muffins. Choose light (lots of fiber) or whole wheat to increase nutrition.
  • Dress the sandwiches up with a drizzle of hollandaise or cheese sauce.

Watch a short video about making fish patties. Here, Chef Billy Parisi makes old school salmon patties–this time with fresh fish. According to chef, you can use canned salmon, too, just like back in the day. These are kind of like my salmon burgers.

The Best Canned Tuna: A Blind Test Taste/BON APPÉTIT

Tuna contains mercury…. How Much Canned Tuna Can I Eat Every Week?/LIVESTRONG

Caprese Salmon Burgers

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Tuna-Egg Muffin Marinara
You might try Colcannon Soup.

LIFE GOES ON:

Though I naturally made a pot of potato soup and two loaves of soda bread, I caved and cooked a corned beef with veggies in the slow cooker. Leftovers were shape-shifted into brunch as well as into Reuben sandwiches, naturally!

We had friends to dinner last night. Here’s my springy table:

About to leave on a nearly month-long journey, husband Dave and I are starting with ten days in Florida with our family for Easter and later hopping on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam for a transatlantic cruise to Europe, ending in Rotterdam. I’m hoping next week in Florida will provide time for a Good Friday post with one last fishy recipe but if it doesn’t and you need something else, please use the word cloud or search box to find something delicious for dinner. You can click on FRIDAY FISH or FISH AND SEAFOOD or specific fish like SALMON, etc.

Here’s the map of our trip:

Thanks for spending time with me in my kitchen. You are appreciated! Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Stay springy and cook fish for breakfast or brunch, why don’t you?

Alyce

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