Spicy tuna croquettes are cozy, comfort food classic that can be served up as an easy party appetizer or side dish. These tender, lightly fried croquettes are made with jalapeno for a nice kick and served alongside a bright soy sauce dipping sauce.
A huge thank you to Bumble Bee Seafoods for sponsoring this post and keeping The College Housewife afloat!
If you love easy, quick recipes, this one is for you!
I love this recipe because of it’s simplicity. Seriously, the two main ingredients are a can of Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore Tuna and a potato and I almost always have these in my pantry!
These croquettes will take you almost no time at all to make. The base is made with 6 main ingredients and a few added spices and seasonings for flavor. It’s as simple as boiling a potato and opening two cans of tuna, easy peasy!
Take one bite of these croquettes and you’ll have that instant comfort food feeling. I always get the essence of spicy tuna crispy rice when I make these, YUM!
Made with tender chunks of hearty potato and Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore Tuna for lean protein, healthy fat and added vitamins and minerals, jalapeno for a kick and breaded in crunchy panko bread crumbs. Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore is the perfect choice for this recipe because its firm texture holds up so well in the recipe and fresh taste never gives off a ‘fishy’ bite.
If you’re looking for an easy appetizer for a small holiday party, this is a great go to recipe. They can be prepped ahead of time and fried off right before serving. I love serving them with crisp white wine or champagne for a little holiday happy hour.
What you’ll need:
There are two parts for the recipe, the croquette and the dipping sauce.
For spicy tuna croquettes you’ll need (2) Cans Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore, 1 medium russet potato, jalapeno, shallot, eggs, panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, cayenne pepper kosher salt, cracked black pepper and oil for lightly frying.
For the dipping sauce you’ll need soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, sesame seeds, chives or green onion.
How do I make them?
- Cut and peel your potato, boil for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.
- Add your cooked potato, (2) Cans Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore, jalapeno, shallot, cayenne pepper kosher salt, cracked black pepper and mash until the mixture comes together. Fork croquettes into balls or logs.
- In two shallow bowls whisk eggs together in one and panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the other. Dredge the croquettes into the egg mixture and then into the panko mixture.
- Fry lightly in a medium heavy bottom skillet with about 1/2 cup of oil. Fry each side 1-2 minutes or until the croquettes are golden brown.
- Serve with the easy dipping sauce on the side and extra jalapeno slices.
Can I prep these croquettes a head of time?
Yes, totally! I love these croquettes because if you’re making them for a party you can literally prep them up until the step to lightly fry them which is great when you’re trying to juggle multiple recipes. The sauce can be made ahead as well! They worked great prepped the night before or the morning of serving them.
What should I serve with a croquette?! Cocktails of course!
- Apple Cider Sangria
- Mrs. Claus Cranberry Whiskey Cocktail
- Aperol Pear Cider Spritz
- Apple Cider Whiskey Rose
Spicy Tuna Croquette
ingredients
- For the sauce:
- ½ cup of soy sauce low sodium
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- ½ tsp of sesame oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 green onion or 3 chives finely chopped
- For Croquettes:
- 2 5 oz Cans Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore
- 1 medium russet potato peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 jalapeno finely diced + more for garnish
- 1 small shallot grated
- ½ cup vegetable oil or neutral oil
instructions
- For the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, sesame seeds and green onion and set aside.
- For the croquettes: Peel and dice russet potato. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, add in the potato chunks and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- While the potatoes are cooking, add the eggs in a shallow bowl and whisk together. In another bowl, add the bread crumbs, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper. Set both bowls aside.
- Drain the tuna and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the cooked potatoes, cayenne pepper, 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black pepper, jalapeno and shallot.
- Mix well and mash tuna & potatoes with a hand masher or a fork.
- Form the tuna balls by squeezing them first then forming into small balls or logs.
- Dredge each croquette evenly into the egg mixture and then into the panko mixture until evenly coated.
- In a medium frying pan add in 1/2 cup of neutral oil, like vegetable and heat over medium high heat. Lightly fry each croquette for 1-2 minutes on each side or until all sides are golden brown. Cook in batches if need be, do not over crowd the pan. Add in more oil when needed.
- Drain onto a paper towel lined plate before transferring to a serving platter and serving with dipping sauce.
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