Fish is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, providing protein and essential nutrients. These Easy Fish Patties are a simple, budget-friendly way to include more fish in your meals while adding plenty of vegetables too.
Made with tinned fish, potatoes and colourful vegetables, these patties are easy to prepare, freezer-friendly and a great option for a quick weekday meal. They can be served with a fresh salad, steamed vegetables or your favourite side dishes for a balanced and satisfying meal.
This recipe comes from Cooking Good, a charity that helps people build confidence in preparing healthy, affordable meals. You can find the original recipe here: Easy Fish Patties
Easy Fish Patties
Makes: Approximately 4 servings (6–8 patties)
Preparation time: Approximately 30 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 10–15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g tins of fish (tuna or salmon), drained
- 1 onion, chopped
- 100ml semi-skimmed milk
- 450g white potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 75g frozen peas, beans or sweetcorn
- Handful of fresh chives, chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Handful of plain flour (or gluten-free flour) for dusting
- 20ml olive oil
- Small knob of butter
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Peel and cook the potatoes in boiling water until just soft. Drain well, transfer to a bowl and mash with the milk and butter. Allow the mashed potato to cool.
- Add the tinned fish, vegetables and chopped chives to the mashed potato. Season generously with black pepper and gently mix together using a spoon or clean hands.
- Shape the mixture into 6–8 patties.
- Place the beaten egg onto one plate and the flour onto another. Dip each patty into the egg, then coat lightly in flour.
- Place the patties onto a tray lined with baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help them firm up.
- If you would like to freeze them, wrap the patties individually at this stage and defrost thoroughly before cooking.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Carefully add the patties and cook for 5–7 minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through.
Serve with salad, steamed carrots, broccoli or your favourite vegetables.
Good Food Northants Top Tips
- Tinned fish is a convenient and affordable way to add more fish to your diet. Choose tuna or salmon depending on your preference.
- Leaving the skin on potatoes can increase their fibre content, just give them a good scrub before cooking.
- These patties are ideal for batch cooking. Make extra and freeze them for a quick meal another day.
- Get children involved by encouraging them to help mash the potatoes, mix in the vegetables or shape the patties.
- For a crispier finish, coat the patties in breadcrumbs before frying to turn them into homemade fishcakes.
Good Food Northants Healthy Eating Tip
Fish is a great source of protein and provides important nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, which support a healthy diet. The Eatwell Guide recommends including fish as part of a varied diet, with a focus on choosing oily fish regularly where possible.
Serve these patties with plenty of vegetables or a colourful salad to help make vegetables a bigger part of your plate. Adding a variety of different-coloured vegetables helps provide a range of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Looking for more healthy, affordable recipe ideas?
Explore the Good Food Northants recipe collection for more simple meals, budget-friendly cooking inspiration and practical tips to help you eat well every day.
We’re passionate about sharing recipes that are nutritious, affordable and achievable for everyone. We’d like to thank Cooking Good for creating this recipe and allowing us to share it with our community.
Happy cooking!
