Tuna Spread (Pate) Recipe (2024)

September 15, 2021 By Monika Last Updated May 12, 2022 2 Comments

This tuna spread is rich, creamy and made without mayonnaise. It’s delicious in sandwiches, on toast, as a snack or appetizer. It’s simple and easy to make and ready in minutes!

This 6-ingredient tuna spread is a delicious lunchbox idea, a great alternative to tuna salad. It’s creamy, nutritious and packed with flavour.

Is tuna pate healthy

Yes, it is! This tuna pate is low in fat as it is made using tuna in brine (rather than oil), a small amount of butter and some cream cheese (you can use a reduced fat variety if you prefer).

Canned tuna is low in calories, high in protein and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D and selenium.

However, because tuna can contain varying degrees of mercury it is recommended to eat it in moderation. Look for either light or skipjack tuna as these tend to contain lower levels of mercury.

Tuna spread ingredients and substitutions

• Tuna: drain it thoroughly (more details below).
• Cream cheese: use either a full fat or reduced fat variety.
• Capers: enhance the flavour of the tuna.
• Mustard: can be replaced with creamed horseradish sauce if desired.
• Butter: helps thicken the pate, adds creaminess and improves the flavour.
• Black pepper: you can use cayenne pepper instead for extra heat.

Top tip

I do not recommend substituting the cream cheese with either yogurt or mayonnaise as this will affect the consistency of your tuna paste (it won’t hold its shape as well). Also mayonnaise contains a lot of salt so your tuna spread might end up being too salty.

What tuna to use

I recommend using good quality canned tuna, either tuna chunks or tuna steaks (these tend to be more expensive than flaked tuna). I also recommend using tuna in brine (or spring water), as it’s lower in fat than tuna packed in oil. You don’t want your tuna spread to be oily, especially as it also contains rich ingredients including cream cheese and butter.

How to prepare the tuna

For best results it is important to drain the tuna thoroughly so getting rid of the brine by holding the can over the sink is not the best method to use in this recipe. This works better:

1. place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, then
2. pour the entire contents of the can into the sieve and press the tuna with the back of a large spoon to remove excess moisture (as much as possible).

Recipe instructions

Once you’ve removed excess water from the tuna you are ready to make the pate.

1.Place all the ingredients in a food processor.

2. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Transfer the tuna spread into a bowl and add more pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or until the mixture is firm) before serving.

How much spread will I get

The proportions in this recipe should yield 180 grams (6.4 ounces) of spread, which is a little more than a cup. This is enough to make 2-3 sandwiches.

How to use tuna pate

This tuna spread recipe is extremely versatile and works equally well on toast, in sandwiches, as a snack or appetizer with crackers. You can serve it with:

• dill pickles
• cucumber
• pickled beets
• radish
• sweet red peppers
• pickled jalapenos
• avocado
• olives
• sun dried tomato pesto
• green onion or chives

Do I have to use a food processor

Yes, you do if you want your tuna spread to be smooth and creamy. You can use a hand blender instead of the food processor, but I do not recommend combining the ingredients with a fork or spoon.

Top tip

Mixing the ingredients by hand works well when making a tuna salad sandwich (which often contains other ingredients, such as onion or corn and usually isn’t perfectly smooth).

Top tips

• Use a food processor/hand blender to ensure the pate is super smooth.
• Do NOT add any salt into this tuna spread. Canned tuna usually contains salt (as does cream cheese) so you probably won’t need to add any. But you can be generous with the pepper.
• Refrigerate the pate for 1 hour (or until firm) before serving.
• Keep your tuna spread covered, refrigerated for up to 4 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

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Check out also these other fish recipe ideas!

Keep in touch!

If you make this creamy tuna spread recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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