Now that school is back in session, our afterschool and dinner family time is at a premium. I’d rather spend as little time in the kitchen as possible in order to spend more time sitting at the dinner table, sharing stories about our day. A go-to weeknight meal that can be made with mostly pantry staples is perfect to add to our dinner repertoire.

These easy gluten-free tuna quinoa patties are easy and quick (with just a bit of prep work). The patties are packed with protein, with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids thanks to the tuna. My slightly picky 8-year-old requested seconds, so they are definitely kid approved! Make a double batch and freeze them for lunch, sandwiches, or another dinner!

I’ve included a recipe for a sun-dried tomato yogurt sauce that compliments these tuna quinoa patties, but you can use a bottled tangy and creamy salad dressing to save time.

One of our pantry staples is Bumble Bee Premium Light Tuna pouches. I grew up eating Bumble Bee Light Tuna from a can, but I love the no-drain, mess-free pouches. The kids can easily open a pouch and make their favorite tuna salad, but tuna can easily be elevated for a satisfying, healthy dinner too.

If you don’t have quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) in your pantry, I highly recommend it. It’s gluten-free and a nutritional powerhouse. My favorite thing about this seed? It cooks in 15 minutes and makes a great base for many different sauces and mix-ins. It’s versatility makes it a great pantry staple.

Because the quinoa cooks so quickly, you can cook it that night while you prep the other ingredients or you can make it ahead. For this recipe, I cooked the quinoa in vegetable stock instead of water to give it more flavor. You can also use chicken stock if that’s what you have in your pantry. The sun-dried tomatoes I prefer are soft and don’t need to be reconstituted. If yours are really dry, cut them into small pieces with kitchen shears and throw them in the pot of quinoa. You might need to add a little more liquid. The quinoa can also be cooked the night before.

Tip: Quinoa can be cooked in a rice cooker. Just set it and forget it!

Once you mix all the ingredients together, it’s as easy as forming the patties. I used a 1/3 cup measuring scoop to create uniform patties. Because the tuna quinoa mixture is slightly loose, don’t press too hard when forming the patties. Once they’re cooked, they’ll firm up.

Fry them until both sides are golden and crispy. Alternately you can also bake them in the oven at 375F until they are golden (about 25-30 minutes). Make sure to spray the pan with non-stick spray first.

For dinner, I served the tuna quinoa cakes with a tangy sun-dried tomato yogurt sauce with sides steamed broccoli and toasted pita bread. It was simple, easy, and healthy. They tasted better than any takeout I would have picked up and the kids ate every crumb of the patties off their plate! We had plenty leftover for lunches the next day too.

If you’re looking for other tuna recipes, check out Bumble Bee’s custom recipe search. How does your family like their tuna? I’d love to hear your recipes!

Easy Easy Gluten-Free Tuna Quinoa Patties Recipe

Gluten-Free Tuna Quinoa Patties

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Makes 10 patties.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 5 oz Bumble Bee Light Tuna (from pouch or can, drained)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
• SUN-DRIED TOMATO YOGURT SAUCE
• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

QUINOA: in saucepan, cook quinoa according to package instructions, substituting water with vegetable stock. Set aside to cool while you prep other ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, tuna, eggs, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt until well incorporated.

Use a 1/3 cup measuring scoop to portion and form patties.

Heat non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Add enough olive oil or vegetable oil to lightly coat the pan. Once oil is hot, add patties to pan. Cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes on each side.

YOGURT SAUCE: In a blender, puree all the sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve with patties.