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Side on View of Stack of 5 Tuna Fish Cakes Topped with Yogurt Dip
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5 from 21 votes

Tuna Fish Cakes

Mashed potato and tuna are mixed together with spring onion, lime juice and coriander (cilantro) to make these delicious tuna fish cakes. They are then coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried or baked.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Lunch / Main meal
Cuisine: Western
Servings: 17 Small Cakes
Calories: 72kcal
Author: Amy

Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb) Starchy Potatoes (Peeled and cut into rough chunks of approx.3-5 cm cubed.)
  • 2 x 185g (6.5oz) Cans of Tuna in Spring Water (Drained well)
  • 2 Spring/Green Onion (Finely diced)
  • 1 Lime (Juice of)
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) (Finely chopped)
  • Salt and Pepper (To taste, do not add if making for a baby)
  • 30g (½ Cup) Bread Crumbs (See notes)
  • 1 tbsp (or as needed) Oil (for frying)

Instructions

  • Add the potatoes to a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until tender (approx. 10-15 mins)
  • Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, shake briefly and allow them to steam dry for around 30 seconds. Mash until smooth and allow to cool.
  • Add the tuna, spring onion, lime juice, coriander (cilantro) and stir until combined, breaking up any larger pieces of tuna. Taste the mixture and season accordingly (do not salt if making for baby)
  • Mould into equal rounds. I used an ice-cream scoop and made 17. You can make them bigger if preferred.
  • Press/ roll in the breadcrumbs until coated. (See notes if you wish to achieve a thicker, crispier coating)
  • COOKING OPTION 1: Add the oil to frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place patties in the pan (do not overcrowd you will need to cook in batches). Fry for 3-4mins (or until golden) then flip and fry until golden on the other side.
  • COOKING OPTION 2: Place on a lined baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake at 200C/400F for 20-25mins or until golden and crispy. Turn halfway through the cooking time and spray the other side of the fish cakes before returning to the oven. (Timings may vary depending on the size of patties).

Video

Notes

POTATO: Equivalent to 2 & ¼  cups cooked mashed potato. Allow potatoes to cool completely, in the refrigerator, if you have time.
BREADCRUMBS: Panko works great but you can use any breadcrumbs. If you prefer a thicker, crispier coating then coat the patties in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. 
BAKE VS FRYING: Pan-frying is great when you only need to make a few cakes as the cooking time is shorter than when you bake. However, baking is great for a couple of reasons
  1. You just have to pop them in the oven, set the timer and forget about them. Baking is definitely less labour intensive than frying. Perfect when you have young kids running about at your legs.
  2. You need less oil.
However, baking does result in a less golden fish cake than frying. (If want to achieve a more golden look to your baked fish cakes you can pre-bake your breadcrumbs. Place breadcrumbs on a baking tray, spray with oil and bake on the top shelf for around 10 mins (or until golden) before coating. 
Nutritional information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. 

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.6mg