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Tortitas de atún
5 from 25 votes

Easy Mexican Tuna Patties

Easy, fast, Mexican tuna patties with potatoes are perfect for any time of the year. They are crispy outside, moist and tender inside.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 patties
Calories: 186kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 2 cans of tuna in water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 white onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 3-5 parsley springs finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cups breadcrumbs or Panko divided
  • 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil divided

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes cut them into chunks, and cook them in a pot of water with a sprinkle of salt. When they are cooked, a fork will easily pierce the potatoes, strain them and mash them into a puree.
    It usually takes 5-8 minutes once the water starts boiling.
  • Add drained tuna, eggs, onion, garlic, parsley or basil, salt, pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs.
    Mix well until all the ingredients are combined. The mixture will be a little wet but firm to form the patties. If your mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
  • Place the rest of breadcrumbs on a plate.
  • Form small balls with your hands and then flatten them into circular patties. Cover both sides of each with bread crumbs. (Alternative method: combine the bread crumbs directly into the mixture by adding a little bit at a time until the entire mixture is consistent. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan to fry the patties, but not deep fry.
  • When the oil is at frying temperature, add the patties to the pan. Be careful not to crowd the pan too much, which will cause the cakes to steam rather than fry. Usually, it takes about 3-4 minutes on each side. They will look golden brown when ready. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spatula and place them on a paper towel to drain extra oil. Change oil when needed.
  • If you don’t want to fry them, you can spray a baking sheet with olive oil, place the uncooked patties on top, and place them in a pre-heated oven at 350 F (180 C) for 15-20 minutes, flipping the patties halfway through so they can brown on both sides.
  • Serve on a bed of greens and lemon wedges (or lime wedges) on the side. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Easy Mexican Tuna Patties
Amount per Serving
Calories
186
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
10
g
15
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Cholesterol
 
37
mg
12
%
Sodium
 
250
mg
11
%
Potassium
 
372
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
 
15
g
5
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
78
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
15
mg
18
%
Calcium
 
26
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: how to make tuna patties, Recipes for lent, Recipes with canned tuna, recipes with tuna
Author: Silvia Martinez

Notes

* For gluten-free or keto tuna patties, replace the bread crumbs with 1/2 cup of almond flour.