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Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa is a delicious way to branch out when yuou’re looking for a new way to eat tuna. The light and fresh tomato salsa pairs wonderfully with the savory tuna cakes.
I’m trying to do a better job of eating tuna. It is light, delicious, healthy, and pairs well with a wide variety of foods. I don’t really care for seared tuna steaks, but I’ll eat it almost any other way. At home, I eat canned tuna and my favorite type is White Albacore. Yes, I do know that white Albacore has higher amounts of mercury than chunk white tuna, but I prefer the texture and taste of Albacore. Besides, Albacore is a better source of omega-3 fatty acids.
As much as I like tuna, for a long time I only had two recipes in my collection. One was my Tuna Pasta Salad, and I was eating it almost weekly. So when I found a recipe for Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa, I knew I had to try it.
Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa is so delicious. The cakes have a very nice dense bite, and the tomato salsa is so light and refreshing.
GETTING THE PERFECT TUNA CAKES
The tuna cakes come together quickly, with just a few simple ingredients
- Canned tuna: I use White Albacore
- Bread Crumbs: the original recipe I found called for Rye Crackers, but I’ve never bought those. I use Panko Bread Crumbs, as I always have those on hand
- Mustard: I use whatever I have on hand, including Yellow Mustard, Spicy Brown Mustard, or Jalapeno Mustard for an extra kick
- Egg, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt & pepper
To get the beautiful color and crisp exterior, you have to pan fry the cakes in oil. I’ve tried baking them, and even using cooking spray, but the result just isn’t the same. I use a small amount of oil, pan fry them over high heat, and let them drain well. My favorite oils for frying are Canola Oil or Avocado Oil. Both are light, and have high smoke points.
The fresh tomato salsa is fantastic. The salsa adds a gorgeous pop of color, and the mixture adds so much flavor to the savory cakes. I always make the salsa first, so the flavors have time to develop. The longer the salsa sits, the better. In a pinch, I’ve also let the salsa sit for as little as 10 minutes while I make the cakes, and it still has a wonderful flavor.
These Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa are a very good addition to my tuna recipes, so they often make an appearance on my lunch rotation.
Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa
Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa is a delicious way to branch out when you’re looking for a new way to eat tuna. The light and fresh tomato salsa pairs wonderfully with the savory tuna cakes.
Ingredients
TUNA CAKES
- 2 4-oz cans of white Albacore tuna packed in water, drained well
- 1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 green onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce (more or less, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- canola or vegetable oil, for frying
TOMATO SALSA
- 1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 green onion, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
- Combine tomatoes, onion, parsley, green onion, lime juice, garlic salt, and pepper in a bowl
- Set the bowl in the fridge for the flavors to develop.
- Add tuna to a large bowl and flake well with a fork. The tuna should look shredded when done.
- Add onion, spring onion, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, lime juice, mustard, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Stir lightly to combine, and taste to ensure seasoning.
- Add egg and combine thoroughly.
- Form mixture into patties (I use 1/4 cup measuring cup to ensure uniform size)
- Heat oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add patties to skillet. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Patties are ready to turn when they pull away from skillet easily
- Transfer patties to paper towels to drain
- Top patties with tomato salsa, and serve immediately
Notes
If you use tuna packed in oil, drain it very well and you may even want to pat it dry to remove the excess oil.
You can use your favorite type of mustard, but I don't recommend whole grain mustard because of the grainy texture.
The longer the salsa sits, the better, so you could even make it an hour ahead and just rest it in the fridge.
Tuna Cakes are best served within about 15 minutes of making them.
I’m not a fan of reheated seafood, so I don’t recommend eating these as leftovers. Instead, prep extra patties ahead, and cook as needed.
Make-ahead option (one day ahead): do everything up to forming the patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with Wax Paper, cover with more wax paper, and store in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 617Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 254mgSodium: 1940mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 5gSugar: 32gProtein: 52g
Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc
Adapted from The Novice Chef
Jessica Pinney
Sunday 19th of November 2017
My grandmother used to make tuna and salmon cakes all the time. Your recipe really brought back some memories! The condiments you added look great. I will definitely try that next time I make them.
Monica Le
Tuesday 14th of November 2017
Love the idea of a fresh salsa on top of tuna cakes. Delicious!
Amanda
Tuesday 14th of November 2017
What a great way to cook with tuna! That salsa looks so bright and fresh. This would be so great for lunch!
prasanna hede
Monday 13th of November 2017
Basically I love all kind of fish cakes! Crab is another favorite seafood to make cakes,Tuna is wonderful too.Lovely recipe.
Karyl
Monday 13th of November 2017
Thanks Prasanna! Oh I absolutely love crabcakes! But I don't get fresh crabmeat where I live, so I stick to tuna cakes most of the time
Carol Borchardt
Sunday 12th of November 2017
I love this idea especially paired with the fresh tomato salsa! Canned tuna is such a great inexpensive protein and you took it to the next level!
Karyl
Monday 13th of November 2017
Thanks Carol! Yes, I love using canned tuna to add some protein punch