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These Tortitas de Papa con Atun are so, so good. Even the pickiest of eaters will scoff them down!
Who would ever guess they are made with boring old canned tuna and potatoes.
Try making this recipe with canned salmon or (BONUS VEGGIES!) cooked broccoli or spinach. You can even turn them into burgers or make them smaller and serve as appetizers.
Tostadas de Atun, Atun a la Veracruzana, Tuna Balls in Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Tuna
- Onion (or onion powder)
- Egg
- Breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Oil
To make these Tortitas de Papa, you need canned tuna. Drain it well. Too much moisture will require more breadcrumbs.
Instead of breadcrumbs, you can also use parmesan cheese. In that case, omit the salt.
If you do not have fresh onion, you can also use onion powder or garlic powder.
Potato Taquitos, Chorizo con Papas, Grilled Herb Potatoes
How to Make It
- Peel the potatoes. Dice into small pieces.
- Boil the potatoes until soft.
Diced potatoes are easier to mash. You can leave them whole, but it will take longer to mash them.
Word to the Wise: You can also use leftover mashed potatoes. In that case, adjust the salt accordingly. You don’t want the potato to be too salty.
- Place all the ingredients in a large container.
- Mix well.
Be sure to use a container that is big enough for all the ingredients.
A great way to spice up any canned tuna recipe is by adding 1 teaspoon of ancho powder or ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne.
Other Ingredients You Can Add:
Garlic Powder
Cheese
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Cilantro
- Form the patties. About 1-inch thick.
- Set aside until ready to fry.
It should be easy to bring them together, but if you are having difficulty, add more breadcrumbs as needed.
Once the patties are formed, place them on a plate. You can also make more tuna potato patties but smaller in size.
How do you keep tuna patties from falling apart?
If the patties fall apart, place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before frying.
- Heat the oil.
- Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes.
Don’t go far. This part will go quickly.
Only add one or two to the frying pan, or they will not cook properly.
In the oven: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Place the tortitas on a paper towel.
- Drain any excess oil.
Pat them down gently to remove any excess oil that might be lingering.
Cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm.
How Long Do They Last?
In the fridge, the tortitas de papa con atun will last up to 5 days.
In the freezer, they will last up to 3 months.
What side dish goes with tuna patties?
- Refried Beans
- Arroz Blanco
- Ensalada de Nopales
- Green salad
This is such a yummy recipe using canned tuna and potatoes. Tortitas de Papa con Atun (or Tuna Potato Patties) are easy-to-make and seriously delicious.
Serve with tomatillo habanero salsa or salsa verde and enjoy!
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Table of Contents
Tortitas de Papa con Atun
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes
- 4 cups water
- 2 cans tuna drained
- 1 egg
- ¼ onion finely minced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tspn pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Wash, peel, dice the potatoes.
- Add the diced potatoes to a stock pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain water. Let potatoes cool.
- Open tuna cans, and drain the water from the cans.
- Add the cooked potatoes, tuna, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper to a large container.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Form patties. About 1-inch thick.
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove and place the patties on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Repeat with each of the patty until there are no more left.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
If the patties fall apart, place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before frying. In the oven: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.
It was delicious! Easy to make…even I was able to cook them and eat them too!!! Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it! Easy and delicious indeed.
These look easy and delicious. Perfect for family dinner at home!
Right! I think so too. Thanks for stopping by.
I made these flavorful tuna potato patties last week! Boy are they good! I came back to grab the URL to share the recipe with two friends.
Glad you liked them! They are really good!
Made these tuna patties and they were so delicious! Perfectly crispy and tons of flavor in it. The whole family loved it.
Glad you and your family liked it! This recipe is amazing
Hola Maggie,
I would love to make these in my Air Fryer.
For how long and at what temp?
Thanks in advance.
Rick
Believe it or not, I don’t own an air fryer. I’m sure you can do it, but I have no idea as to settings and time. Sorry.
We have very similar food in Indonesia called perkedel but they are usually either meatless or with ground beef. I’m going to try this version with canned tuna. I bet they’re tasty. 🙂
It’s really tasty! Hope you try it.
This looks delicious! This is a great use for all the canned tuna I have! I’m getting a little sick of tuna salad
It’s an easy and delicious option for all that canned tuna!