Tuna Cakes Recipe
Tuna Cakes are a quick and delicious way to transform canned pantry tuna into something special. Pan-fried in olive oil and butter, they’re flavored with green onion, red bell pepper, and a hint of white pepper — perfect for an easy dinner, appetizer, or brunch bite. Makes about 14 - 16 little tuna cakes.
Ingredients
- 12 oz Can solid white albacore tuna in water drained
- 5 oz Can solid white albacore tuna in water If the can sizes have changed, try to get as close to 17 oz total of drained tuna as possible.
- 3 green onions finely minced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper finely minced
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley optional
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg beaten
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon kosher salt depending on your taste remember, the tuna is salty
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- olive oil and butter for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the mixture:Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the drained tuna, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro or parsley (if using), mayonnaise, egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Mix well, breaking up the tuna with a spoon until evenly blended.
- Form the patties:Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture (or use a 1-ounce scoop) and form it into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten into a patty about ½ inch thick.If it crumbles, reform gently.If too dry, add a spoonful of mayonnaise to moisten.Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Fry the tuna cakes:In a large (12-inch) sauté pan, heat 2–3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat.Add the tuna cakes in a single layer (don’t overcrowd the pan). Cook for 3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown.
- Between batches:Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and add fresh oil and butter before continuing. This prevents any burned flavor from transferring to the next batch.
- Serve:Arrange the tuna cakes on a platter, garnish with parsley or cilantro, and serve immediately with Wasabi Rémoulade or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- OK to use mild flavored light tuna in water instead of albacore.
- OK to use fresh parsley instead of cilantro.
- For gluten free breadcrumbs, toast 4 slices of Udi's gluten free white bread and whirl in a food processor until crumbs are fine.
- Nutrition information is for one tuna cake.
- Make-ahead: Make up the tuna cakes to the point of cooking, cover tightly with cling film, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Fry the tuna cakes when you're ready to serve.