If you're looking for an easy and delicious way to serve tuna, you'll want to try these savory Tuna Croquettes. Each croquette is crispy on the outside, bursting with flavor on the inside, and perfect with a side of Cucumber Salad or German Potato Salad.

Make your patties by combining chunky tuna, bread crumbs, veggies, eggs, and spices.
These pan-fried until golden-brown patties take no time to make and are perfect for that sack of tuna in your pantry.
What Are Croquettes?
Tuna croquettes are patties or rolls of white flaked tuna combined with eggs, bread crumbs, vegetables, herbs, and spices. You can serve the croquettes either pan-fried or baked.
Ingredients
TUNA - Solid White Albacore tuna in waterworks great for this recipe.
VEGETABLES - Finely chopped bell pepper and celery.
HERBS & SPICES - Use a combination of fresh parsley (chives or dill works well), lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
BINDERS - Two large eggs and bread crumbs. I use traditional bread crumbs, but you can use panko bread crumbs instead.
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How To Make Tuna Croquettes
- Open and drain two cans of chunky tuna. Use a paper towel to drain any excess moisture. Set aside
- Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add in mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and combine well.
- Add the drained tuna, the bread crumbs, celery, and bell pepper to the egg mixture. Combine all the ingredients.
- Now you're ready to form the croquettes. Take a small amount of the tuna mixture into your hand, shape it into a ball. Then flatten the balls into patties or elongate into a roll if that's your choice.
- You're ready to cook your croquettes. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil to your frying pan. Once the oil is hot, add the tuna croquettes.
- Cook the patties over medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
How To Serve Tuna Croquettes
One of our favorite ways to enjoy this dish is to serve it over a bed of lettuce with a side of Chipotle Mayo.
You can also make larger shaped patties and serve them sandwich-style on a Kaiser roll.
Cooking Tips and Tricks
Can I Freeze Tuna Croquettes?
Yes. Seal the croquettes inside a freezer bag or air-tight container.
When you're ready to enjoy your croquettes, it's best to let them reach room temperature at their own pace. Then, reheat the tuna croquettes with a bit of oil in a frying pan.
TIP: If defrosted in the microwave, they may not hold their shape as well.
More Simple Lunch Recipe Ideas
- Chopped Greek Salad
- Classic Chicken Salad
- Shrimp Salad
- German Frikadellen Sandwiches
- Easy Curry Chicken Salad
Tuna Croquettes
Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna in water drained, 5-ounce cans (4 ounce drained)
- 1 cup celery finely chopped, about 3 stalks
- 1 cup red bell pepper finely chopped, 1 bell pepper
- ⅓ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Eggs, Herbs & Spices
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For Frying
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Drain the tuna remove any excess moisture.
- Finely chop bell peppers, celery, and parsley.
Making The Tuna Mixture
- In a large bowl whisk eggs, mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Add the tuna, bell peppers, celery, parsley, and bread crumbs to the egg mixture and combine well. Use your hands shape the tuna mixture into patties.
Cooking The Croquettes
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties when the oil is hot. Cook the patties for 5-8 minutes until you see a golden-brown crust. Flip and repeat. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
Hi There, I’m Maike!
A German girl turned American sharing hundreds of easy, homemade comfort food recipes perfect for everyday cooking.
Vicki
Hi, can I substitute almond flour for the pinko?
Maike
Yes, almond flour is a good substitute for bread crumbs. You can also try and mix almond flour and almond meal (50/50). The combination will help to bind the patties well and give you a similar crispy texture that you'll get when frying the patties with panko breadcrumbs.
Start using the same amount of almond flour as Panko and adjust it upwards if necessary. You're probably aware of it, but the taste will change slightly because Panko breadcrumbs have a neutral flavor, whereas almond flour/almond meal has a distinct nutty flavor. That's not necessarily bad, just something to be aware of. Hope that helps.