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These tuna croquettes are the perfect dish to make when you have a can of tuna and no idea about what to make for dinner. Crispy, fluffy, and ready in just 10 minutes.
Did you know you can elevate mashed potatoes and canned tuna just by mixing them together, breading them, and frying them? Just like in salmon croquettes, they result in appetizing golden patties that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Budget-friendly. The two main ingredients of this recipe are canned tuna and potatoes. This makes these croquettes very budget-friendly and perfect for feeding a large number of guests.
- Quick to make. Like ahi tuna and fried octopus, tuna croquettes take less than 10 minutes to make (if you have leftover mashed potatoes!).
- Freezable. You can make a big batch of these easy tuna croquettes and freeze some for later. Frozen croquettes come in handy when you need to make a quick lunch or dinner.
If you’ve tried our tuna patties before, you’ll no doubt love this thicker and fluffier version of them.
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients that you’ll likely already have on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- Tuna. Canned. If you have options, choose albacore (white) tuna as it is healthier than other tuna varieties and tastes better too.
- Potatoes. Use starchy potatoes for this recipe as they are better for mashing.
- Cream. To mix in the mashed potatoes and make them creamier.
- Garlic. Minced. Feel free to customize the amount of garlic based on your preferences.
- Parsley. Finely chopped.
- Smoked paprika. To season the tuna mixture.
- Breadcrumbs. Regular and Panko breadcrumbs for the crispy coating of the croquettes.
- Eggs. Dredging tuna patties in beaten eggs helps the breadcrumbs stick to the patties.
- Oil. To fry the croquettes. Any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work.
How to make tuna croquettes
Making tuna croquettes is a matter of a few simple steps. Here’s how you do it.
Step 1 – Prepare the tuna mixture
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them with cream. Add in the drained tuna, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and smoked paprika. Mix until fully combined.
Step 2 – Form the croquettes
Take two shallow bowls and crack an egg into one of them. In the second bowl, mix regular breadcrumbs with Panko breadcrumbs. Shape tuna patties. Dredge them in a beaten egg mixture first and then coat them in breadcrumbs.
Step 3 – Fry and serve
Heat around an inch of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the croquettes in batches, flipping them over as soon as they get golden and crispy.
Repeat until all croquettes are fried. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Tips to make the best recipe
- If your tuna patties are falling apart when you are trying to dredge them in eggs and breadcrumbs, try refrigerating them for 20 minutes. Doing this helps firm up the patties.
- Use an ice cream scoop to make equal-size patties.
- If you want to leave out the potatoes to make this recipe low-carb, use an egg as a binder for the tuna mixture.
- While you don’t have to use two different kinds of breadcrumbs, we highly recommend you do to achieve extra crispiness.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying the patties. Doing this will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and the patties will soak up too much oil until they get golden crispy.
Storage instructions
To store. Place leftover croquettes in an airtight container in the fridge. Properly refrigerated croquettes last 3 to 5 days.
To freeze. It is recommended to freeze tuna croquettes uncooked. Uncooked tuna croquettes can be frozen for up to three months.
To reheat. Reheat tuna croquettes in a skillet over medium heat. You can also reheat them in the air fryer to bring back their crispiness. Don’t reheat the croquettes in the microwave to avoid making them soggy.
More tuna recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Calories in tuna croquette contain largely depend on the size of the patties as well as on the ingredients you use. In general, a single tuna croquette contains around 100 calories.
Beaten eggs help the breadcrumb coating stick to the patties. If you don’t have eggs at home or want to avoid using them, mix equal parts of flour and water. Dredge the patties in this flour slurry before coating them in breadcrumbs.
Tuna Croquettes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 15 ounces canned tuna drained
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup oil to fry
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.
- Drain the potatoes, mash until smooth, then mix through the cream cheese.
- Fold through the garlic, smoked paprika, tuna, and parsley until combined.
- In one bowl, add eggs, and in a separate bowl, add the two kinds of bread crumbs.
- Shape the tuna mixture into thick patties. Dip them in the egg mix, followed by the breadcrumb mix.
- Add an inch of oil into a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, cook the tuna croquettes in batches, turning regularly until golden brown.
- Repeat the process until all the croquettes are cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
