Description
These Sriracha Tuna Cakes are a flavorful and spicy twist on traditional tuna patties, combining tender tuna with fiery sriracha, crunchy mini sweet peppers, and a creamy homemade spicy tartar sauce. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or light meal, they are pan-fried to a golden crisp and served with a zesty dipping sauce for an irresistible bite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Tuna Cakes
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 (5 oz.) cans of tuna, drained
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s rice crumbs or breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 red mini sweet peppers, finely chopped (or 1/2 a red bell pepper)
- 1 tbsp sliced green onion
- Pinch of Trader Joe’s umami seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Spicy Tartar Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
- 2 tbsp sriracha, or to taste
- Pinch of ground ginger (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Spicy Tartar Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, dill pickle relish, sriracha, a pinch of ground ginger if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Break up the Tuna: Drain the tuna cans thoroughly. Add the drained tuna to a medium mixing bowl and use a fork to break it apart into flakes.
- Add Egg: Whisk the egg and mix it into the broken-up tuna to help bind the cakes together.
- Mix the Tuna Cake Ingredients: Add rice crumbs, mayo, sriracha, minced garlic, optional umami seasoning, and salt and pepper if needed. Stir the mixture well to combine all ingredients evenly. If the canned tuna is already salted, additional salt can be omitted.
- Incorporate Peppers and Onion: Fold in the finely chopped red mini sweet peppers and sliced green onion until distributed throughout the mixture.
- Shape Patties: Using about 1/3 cup of the mixture, scoop and shape it into balls with wet hands for easier handling, then gently flatten to form around 5 patties.
- Cook the Tuna Cakes: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and evenly coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the formed tuna cakes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they turn golden brown and are heated through. Flip them gently to avoid breaking.
- Serve: Plate the warm tuna cakes alongside the chilled spicy tartar sauce and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Using wet hands when forming patties helps prevent the mixture from sticking and makes shaping easier.
- You can substitute red mini sweet peppers with half a red bell pepper if preferred.
- Adjust sriracha quantities in both the patties and tartar sauce according to your spice tolerance.
- To make the recipe gluten-free, ensure the rice crumbs or breadcrumbs used are certified gluten-free.
- The umami seasoning is optional but adds depth to the flavor profile.
- Leftover tuna cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheated in a skillet or oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tuna cake with sauce
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
