Tuna Pâté

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This quick tuna pâté is so versatile.

Enjoy it as a snack, lunch, Sunday tea, or as an elegant entertaining starter for friends and family.

There are no complicated ingredients, and this recipe uses canned tuna chunks, so it's totally budget friendly.

Delicious on toast, crusty bread or crackers, this is an easy spread that anyone can make.

Easily portable for picnics too.

Enjoy!

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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
🥘 Ingredients
🍽 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
🥗 Serve with
🥙 Substitutions
📖 Variations
🍣 Storage
🍱 Prepare in Advance
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

I've always loved pâté and there's something satisfying about making your own, as opposed to buying a packet from a shop.

Traditionally, many pâtés were meat based and involve mincing various meats, then cooking them slowly in a dish in a bain marie. Completely delicious, but so time consuming.

This tuna pâté has no cooking involved and comes together in minutes from basic ingredients for effortless eating.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

No cooking.
Basic ingredients.
Budget friendly.
Made in minutes.
Perfect for casual dining or an elegant starter.

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🥘 Ingredients

Tuna - canned and flaked tuna in brine or water from two 145 gram tins, (approx. 5 ounces), drained. This is much cheaper than tuna steak or chunks and won't affect the taste.
Lemon - fresh lemon juice or from a bottle.
Capers - these are sold brined in jars in supermarkets. They have a naturally salty flavour and add crunch and piquancy to dishes. They are delicious with smoked salmon or prawns too.
Seasoning - as the tuna and capers are stored in brine, the tuna spread is seasoned enough with salt. Balck pepper adds a good balance to the flavours.
Cream cheese - full fat or reduced fat will work. Avoid the very low fat cream cheease as it tends to be watery rather than creamy.
Spring onions - also known as green onions or scallions for crunch and their mild flavour.

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

🍽 Equipment

4 ramekins or small bowls for serving - optional
mixing bowl
sharp knife
chopping board
kitchen towel

🔪 Instructions

Drain the capers on kitchen paper to reduce excess moisture, then chop finely.

Wash the spring onions, trim the ends, cut into quarters lengthways and finely chop.

Drain the tuna and tip into a mixing bowl.

Use a fork to mash the tuna into small shreds.

💭 Top Tip

Drain the tuna through a sieve or, to save time and washing up, just use the can lid to squeeze out the water.

Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, black pepper and chopped capers and spring onions to the bowl.

Mix well and check the seasoning.

Transfer to individual ramekins or one larger shallow serving dish.

The tuna pâté is ready to eat straightaway, but it's best to allow it to chill for 30 minutes to firm up.

Garnish with some lemon pieces and a few capers to serve if you like.

🥗 Serve with

Serve on bread as a spread or a dip with vegetables.

crusty bread
melba toast
toast
crackers

🥙 Substitutions

Spring onions - use a small shallot or other sweet onion.
Capers - chop a small cornischon or piece of dill pickle.

📖 Variations

Cream cheese - use mascarpone or ricotta for a creamier version
Seafood - use canned salmon, sardines, mackerel, pilchards or crab.

🍣 Storage

Refrigerator - cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Freezor - not suitable for home freezing as the cheese is likely to separate.

🍱 Prepare in Advance

Make in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving.

🤔 FAQs

What is the difference between a pâté, terrine, parfait and rillettes?

A terrine is normally made by lining a raised baking dish with bacon, then layering meats and sometimes vegetables. The dish is then cooked in a water bath in the oven. It is served in slices, normally for a starter.

Try Game Terrine or Duck Terrine with Asparagus. These are normally eaten with a knife and fork and some good Caramelised Onion Chutney.

A pâté is often cooked in the same way but the meats are minced before cooking, so that the pâté can be spread on bread. Pâté can be coarse or smooth and creamy.

Another quick recipe is Smoked Salmon Pâté. This is very economical to make with smoked salmon trimmings.

With a parfait, the meat is cooked first and then passed through a sieve to achieve a smooth mixture. Cream and butter are often added for added richness, along with brandy or other alcohol. I should point out that the term parfait, when discussing a savoury dish, is more used by the British than French. A parfait in French, relates to a smooth dessert.

Chicken Liver Parfait is an absolute classic that is elegant served in individual ramekins or glass jars.

Rillettes are another form of pâté where meat is cooked slowly, shredded and mixed with fat. In France, duck, pork and chicken rillettes are very popular.

Pork Rillettes are an economical dish to make using pork shoulder.

What does pâté mean in French?

Pâté is a general term meaning paste in French. It also refers to pastry, as in pâté feuilleté which is puff pastry.

More fish starters and appetisers to try

📋 Recipe

Tuna Pâté

Amanda

Quick,easy and totally budget friendly, this tuna pâté is ready in minutes and perfect for a casual lunch or elegant starter.

5 from 20 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Brunch, starter

Cuisine British, French

Servings

Calories 139 kcal

Equipment

4 ramekins or small bowls for serving - optional
Mixing bowl
Sharp knife
Chopping board
kitchen towel

Ingredients

290 g canned tuna in brine 2 x 145g (204 g drained weight)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon capers optional extra for garnish
¼ teaspoon black pepper
80 g cream cheese
2 spring onions

Instructions

Drain the capers on kitchen paper to reduce excess moisture, then chop finely.
Wash the spring onions, trim the ends, cut into quarters lengthways and finely chop.
Drain the tuna and tip into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the tuna into small shreds.
Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, black pepper and chopped capers and spring onions to the bowl. Mix well and check the seasoning.
Ideally, chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Garnish with some lemon pieces and a few capers.

Nutrition Facts

Tuna Pâté

Amount Per Serving

Calories 139 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 0.003g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 46mg15%

Sodium 250mg11%

Potassium 176mg5%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 372IU7%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article

Keyword fish pate, tuna pate

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More sauces and spreads to try

Food Safety

Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
Wash hands after touching raw meat.
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
Never leave cooking food unattended.
Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
Always have good ventilation when using gas.

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Tuna Pâté