Quick Tuna Burgers

Turn a couple cans of tuna into a zesty tuna burger with this quick recipe. If you can’t find good whole-wheat hamburger buns, whole-wheat English muffins are a great substitute. The burger mixture might seem a little soft going into the pan, but once the first side is cooked, you’ll be able to flip them easily. Serve with steamed broccoli or sweet potato fries.

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cans (5- to 6-oz. each) chunk light tuna (see Note), drained
• 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
• 1/2 cup naturally prepared low-fat mayonnaise, divided
• 1 4-ounce jar chopped pimientos, drained, or 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped organic celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped organic onion
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns or English muffins, toasted
• 4 organic lettuce leaves
• 4 slices organic tomato

Preparation

1. Combine tuna, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, half of the pimientos (or roasted red peppers), celery, onion and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning in a medium bowl, breaking up any larger pieces of tuna until the mixture is uniform and holds together.
2. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, the remaining pimientos (or peppers) and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using a generous 1/3 cup each, form the tuna mixture into four 3-inch burgers. Cook until heated through and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Spread the top half of each bun (or English muffin) with pimiento mayonnaise and place a burger, lettuce and tomato on the bottom half.

Tips & Notes

Note: Chunk light tuna, like all fish and shellfish, contains some mercury. According to the FDA and EPA, women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should limit their consumption to 12 ounces a week of fish with lower mercury, including canned “light” tuna. Consumption of albacore tuna (which is labeled “white”) should be limited to no more than 6 ounces a week. And, if you’re looking for an environmentally sustainable canned tuna option, check the label—tuna that was caught by troll or pole-and-line is considered the best choice, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. Or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Tip: To make your own coarse dry breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs. For store-bought coarse dry breadcrumbs we like Ian’s brand, labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them at well-stocked supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 360 calories; 11 g fat (2.5 g sat, 0 trans, 1.5 g poly, 5 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrates; 10 g sugar; 25 g protein; 5 g fiber; 870 mg sodium; 450 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Vitamin A (29% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat