Tuna and sweetcorn fritters are a super easy healthy lunch recipe. You'll just need a can of tuna, a can of sweetcorn and a couple of pantry ingredients.
Tuna and eggs make these healthy fritters rich in protein so they are filling. Sweetcorn adds valuable fibre and nutrients. And you can easily make gluten free tuna patties.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- A quick and easy to make fish recipe with store cupboard ingredients
- Sweetcorn and tuna fritters are portable making them ideal for picnics and healthy packed lunches
- Healthy. Tinned tuna is a good source of omega 3 oils, selenium, iron, vitamin D and a number of B vitamins. Sweetcorn is also a great source of fibre, plus B vitamins and beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A.
- These healthy fritters are an easy way to eat an extra portion of fish. The NHS recommends that we should all be eating 2 portions of fish a week. (See here for NHS recommendations on eating fish).
For a vegetarian fritter, you might also like to try these healthy courgette pancakes.
Ingredients
Tuna. f you can, try to buy tuna packed in water or brine. It'll be lower in fat and retain more of the beneficial omega 3 oils. Cans of tuna seem to vary slightly in size, so don't worry if your measurement is not exact for this recipe. Drain the tuna well so that you don't end up with extra liquid in the recipe. You could also use other canned fish such as salmon or mackerel.
Sweetcorn. Sweetcorn adds a delicious crunch to these tuna and sweetcorn fritters. You can use either canned or frozen sweetcorn. If you've got leftover canned sweetcorn, you can use it in either this tuna quiche recipe or frozen fish chowder. It will store in the fridge for up to 3 days (transfer it out of the can into an airtight container). You can also freeze leftover canned sweetcorn.
Egg. A whole egg adds extra nutrients to these tuna and sweetcorn fritters and helps them hold together.
Flour. Flour also acts as a binding agent. There's not a huge amount of flour in healthy tuna patties so you can use either plain or self raising, white or wholemeal. For gluten free tuna fritters, either use gluten free flour or substitute cornflour (cornstarch) instead.
Chopped parsley. Some fresh herbs help to make the flavour come alive. You can also use basil, chives or coriander if you prefer. Or add some chopped spinach or salad onions. You can also use frozen herbs in the recipe, but dried herbs won't be quite as nice.
Seasoning. I just used salt and pepper, but you could also add some spices such as ground cumin and coriander.
Optional ingredients
You can also add 50 g grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan) for a rich cheesy tuna fritter.
How to make tuna and sweetcorn fritters
These healthy tuna and sweetcorn fritters are incredibly easy to make. You just stir the ingredients together, and cook them in a pan.
Add the tuna, sweetcorn, egg, flour, parsley and seasoning to a large bowl and stir to combine. Don't worry if the mixture looks a little lumpy and unappealing, it will transform once it is cooked golden brown.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Spoon half of the mixture into the pan and flatten into a fritter. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Fry for about 3 minutes until set and golden. Turn the fritter with a spatula and fry on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
The recipe makes 2 large tuna fritters, which could either serve 1 or 2, depending on how hungry you are and what else you are having with them. If you're serving the fritters to toddlers you might prefer to make 4 smaller portions.
Serving
Tuna and sweetcorn fritters are delicious served warm or cold with a salad for a quick, healthy lunch. Try them with healthy coleslaw, or waldorf salad.
Or for dinner, you might like to accompany them with this quick parsley sauce and sautéed leeks and peas.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Canned tuna is a great source of lean protein and contains some key vitamins and minerals. Sweetcorn is a very good source of fibre which is good for gut health. The combination of protein and fibre is great for keeping you feeling full.
Yes. I prefer to reheat the fritters in a lightly oiled frying pan. They may go slightly soggy if you reheat them in a microwave.
You can store leftover fritters in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. This tuna and sweetcorn fritter recipe is great for meal prep. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat as above.
Yes, these fritters freezer really well. Freeze individually on a baking sheet, then transfer into a freezer bag. That way you will be able to remove them individually as needed.
Other tinned fish recipes
Fish is a key component of the Mediterranean diet which has been shown to benefit heart health, and canned fish is a really easy way to add the benefits of fish to your diet. Canned fish is reasonably priced, and retains most of its nutrients.
Tinned fish is such a versatile ingredient. You might like this easy tuna and sweetcorn pasta bake. You can also use tuna to make a healthy tuna bolognese sauce. Or why not try this sardine pate recipe, or browse one of the recipes below?
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Recipe
Tuna and Sweetcorn Fritters
Ingredients
- 75 g canned sweetcorn drained
- 160 g canned tuna in brine or oil drained
- 1 egg
- 2 rounded tbsp flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- handful chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the tuna, sweetcorn, egg, flour, parsley and seasoning in a large bowl and stir to combine. Don't worry if it looks a little lumpy.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Spoon half the mixture into the pan and flatten into a fritter shape, repeat with the remaining half of the mixture. Fry for around 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Notes
- You can use other canned fish such as salmon or mackerel for the recipe.
- If you don't have parsley, use chives, basil or coriander. Or add a handful of chopped spinach leaves or a couple of spring onions.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only
Sam says
Made these for my 9 m/o (without the salt). He absolutely loved them.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. I first started making tuna fritters for my daughter when she was a toddler and she's 19 now!!
afra says
Super simple for a quick lunch salad. Always happy to have another healthy quick recipe
Wendy says
Glad you enjoyed them, thank you for your comment.
Dawn Lee says
Just made these and they are seriously delicious!! 😋
Wendy says
Thank you so much, that's really great to have your feedback:)
Tanya says
Hello!
Love tuna, love sweet corn. Great idea for healthy light dinner or lunch, especially if you are in a hurry. It took me less than 10 minutes to make these delicious fritters. Thank you!
Wendy says
Thank you for your feedback, I'm so glad you enjoyed the fritters.