The High-Protein Dinner I Make on Repeat That Relies on Pantry Staples

If you’ve ever stared at the shelves of your pantry wondering what to eat for dinner, you’re not alone. It’s a situation I’ve found myself in time and time again—and luckily for both of us, I have just the solution: Easy Tuna Cakes with Greens & Lemon Dressing. It’s a quick dinner that can be made in just 15 minutes. Here’s why I love this high-protein recipe. 

The cakes are made from a base of canned tuna and canned white beans, two ingredients I always keep stocked in my pantry. Not only are they versatile ingredients, but they both offer protein, a key nutrient that aids in many bodily processes, including bone health, digestion and muscle growth. I like that the cakes are a combination of animal- and plant-based protein, since I’m trying to eat more plant-based this year.

I love the flexibility of this recipe, as it calls for any canned white beans you may have in your pantry. I typically have cannellini beans on hand, but navy or great northern would work as well. Be sure to rinse your canned beans before using them to remove any excess sodium. And make sure to pat the beans dry so you don’t introduce any excess moisture to the mixture. The recipe doesn’t use the full can of beans, so I’ll either add the remaining beans to the salad or I’ll save them for another use, like this White Bean & Avocado Toast. Occasionally, if I have the time, I like to crisp up the remaining beans in my air fryer, which adds a nice crunch to the greens. 

Aside from the tuna and beans, the cakes come together with dried herbs, an egg, Dijon mustard, lemon and panko. The recipe uses a blend of dried dill, dried mint and dried tarragon, but I’ve found that all fresh dill tastes just as delicious. I typically eyeball the amount of fresh herbs, but a general substitution rule to follow is 1 tablespoon fresh in place of 1 teaspoon dried.

After the tuna mixture is made, all you have to do is shape the cakes and fry them up. If your mixture is looking a little wet, you can add more breadcrumbs. Add a little at a time and mix before adding more or the cakes may become too dry. I love how crispy the cakes get in the pan and how they add a nice texture to the salad. The recipe makes four cakes, so I’ll eat the leftover cakes throughout the week for lunch. They keep well in the fridge and are just as delicious cold as they are hot right out of the pan. 

To accompany the tuna cakes is an easy salad featuring greens and a homemade lemon-Dijon vinaigrette. I love recipes that use ingredients in multiple ways, and here, the lemon zest is used in the cakes while the juice is used in the vinaigrette. While the dressing and salad are easy to toss together, I do occasionally reach for a store-bought salad kit to save even more time. 

The next time you aren’t sure about what to make for dinner (or lunch), try these Easy Tuna Cakes. It’s the perfect way to use up that can of tuna collecting dust in your pantry and will only take 15 minutes of your time—it doesn’t get easier than that.