Tuna Croquettes

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Tuna croquettes mixed with onions and herbs in a creamy sauce then rolled in panko and deep fried can be made as a main course or scaled down and served as hor d’oeuvres.

Some weeks I have an easy time figuring out what to put on the menu and other weeks I can’t think of a single thing.  I usually have beef, chicken, and tofu every week but then the rest of the week is whatever we feel like.

Whenever we can get good fish we’ll have that weekly as well but that doesn’t happen very often.  Usually only whenever my dad or brother go on a big fishing trip and bring back a ton of fish.

Our favorite fish recipes include this tasty Parmesan Crusted Haddock or this super simple Herby Salt and Vinegar Chip Fish.  When we want to make fish cakes our go to recipes include easy canned Mackerel Patties or these Cod and Potato Cakes.  Either of these recipes are great for dinner or as an appetizer.

So when I saw a recipe for Tuna Croquettes that used canned tuna I was excited to try it.  We often have tuna sandwiches or tuna melts for lunch but we rarely have it for dinner so it would be something different.

While the original recipe was written to make these very small and serve as hor d’oeuvres I decided to make them bigger and serve as an entree.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• onion
• garlic
• flour
• milk
• tuna in water
• parsley
• lemon
• salt
• pepper
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs

1.  In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat.   Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic.  Add 1/2 cup of flour and reduce heat to low.  Whisk constantly until the flour is lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Slowly stir in the milk and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is smooth and begins thickening.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the tuna, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
5. Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
6. Remove the mixture from the refrigerate and roll into 2 inch balls (about 12).   Flatten and place on a parchment paper line baking sheet.  Freeze for 30 minutes.
7. Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven so that it is at least 1 inch deep.  Heat over medium high heat.
8. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.  Place the panko in another bowl and the remaining flour along with salt and pepper in a third bowl.
9. Dredge the frozen croquette in the flour mixture, dip into the egg, and then roll in the panko.
10. Place in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes per side.  Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
11. Sprinkle with salt and serve with lemon wedges.

One thing you need to know is that these take time to make because there is a required refrigeration period and a required freezing period.   I didn’t read all the directions before I made them the first time so I had to rush and they didn’t end up as good as I had hoped.

The second time around I made them the night before and put the mixture in the refrigerator.  Then before dinner I rolled them into balls and froze them.   This worked out so much better.  If you rush the refrigeration time they are super hard to handle and roll into the panko mixture.

I don’t have a lot of time.  Do I really need to refrigerate these for 2 hours?

You really do.  That’s why it’s nice that you can make these a day or two ahead of time.  If you are in a big rush you can freeze the mixture for 30 minutes instead of refrigerating then shape into the discs and freeze for another 30 minutes.

Can I serve these as appetizers?   Do I need to change the recipe?

Yes and no.   Use the same recipe but divide the mixture into 24  one inch balls.  Serve with dipping sauces or put on a charcuterie board for a fun serving suggestion.

Can I use real tuna in place of the canned tuna?

No you can’t.  I haven’t tested it with real tuna and it doesn’t flake as well as what is in the can.  I would stick to the canned tuna.

Can I substitute canned salmon for the canned tuna?

You certainly can!   You could even substitute canned chicken if someone in your family doesn’t like fish and have chicken croquettes instead.

Frying the tuna croquettes was easy.   They came out a deep golden brown color and were crisp.  Inside is hot and creamy.  It’s not the texture I was expecting inside but it really works.

I simply sprinkled mine with a little salt and squeezed lemon over top of them before serving. You could have some type of dipping sauce but it really isn’t needed.

More Fish Recipes:

• Oven Steamed Fish with Scallions and Ginger
• South of the Border Tuna Wraps
• No Fail Beer Batter Fish
• Fresh Herb Tuna Noodle Casserole

If you’ve tried my Tuna Croquettes or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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Tuna Croquettes

Tuna croquettes mixed with onions and herbs in a creamy sauce then rolled in panko and deep fried can be made as a main course or scaled down and served as hor d'oeuvres.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 38 minutes minutes

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 c. flour divided
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 10 oz. tuna in water drained
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. panko breadcraumbs

Instructions

• 1. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it is hot add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• 2. Stir in the garlic.  Add 1/2 cup of flour and reduce heat to low.  Whisk constantly until the flour is lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes
• 3. Slowly stir in the milk and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is smooth and begins thickening.  This will take 3-4 minutes.
• 4. Remove from heat and stir in the tuna, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, half the salt, and half the pepper.
• 5. Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• 6. Remove the mixture from the refrigerate and roll into 2 inch balls (about 12).   Flatten and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Freeze for 30 minutes.
• 7. Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven so that it is at least 1 inch deep.  Heat over medium high heat.
• 8. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.  Place the panko in another bowl and the remaining flour seasoned with remaining salt and pepper in a third bowl.
• 9. Dredge the frozen croquettes in the flour mixture, dip into the egg, and then roll in the panko. 
• 10. Place in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
• 11. Sprinkle with salt and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Food&Wine April 2021