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    Home » All Recipes » Mexican

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun (Tuna Potato Patties)

    Published: Apr 9, 2020 · Updated: Nov 7, 2024 by Maggie Unzueta

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun (or Tuna Potato Patties) are golden and crispy on the outside and tasty and delicious on the inside. Once you start eating these, it’s hard to stop!
    Jump to Recipe
    Tortitas de Papa con Atun on a white platter sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun on a white plater sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    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.

    More recipes using canned tuna:
    Tostadas de Atun, Atun a la Veracruzana, Tuna Balls in Salsa Verde

    The ingredients for Tortitas de Papa con Atun on a wooden surface.

    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.

    More Potato Recipes:
    Potato Taquitos, Chorizo con Papas, Grilled Herb Potatoes

    A collage showing how to make mashed 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.

    The ingredients to make Tortitas de Papa con Atun in a large baking dish.

    • 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

    Tuna Potato Patties uncooked and on a white plate.

    • 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.

    A collage showing how to fry the Tuna Potato patties.

    • 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.

    Tortitas on a paper towel draining any excess oil.

    • 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.

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun on a white platter sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

    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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    Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun on a white plater sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

    Table of Contents

    • 1 Tortitas de Papa con Atun
      • 1.1 Ingredients
      • 1.2 Instructions
      • 1.3 Video
      • 1.4 Notes
      • 1.5 Nutrition

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun

    Tortitas de Papa con Atun (or Tuna Potato Patties) are golden and crispy on the outside and tasty and delicious on the inside. Once you start eating these, it’s hard to stop!
    4.97 from 33 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch or Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 32 minutes minutes
    Servings: 7
    Calories: 140kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Instead of fresh onion, you can also use 1 tablespoon onion powder.
    Use leftover mashed potatoes instead to make this dish faster!
    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.
    In the oven: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 1245mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

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    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the face behind In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been publishing Mexican recipes and creating delicious recipes 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.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.97 from 33 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anonymous

      November 27, 2025 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        November 29, 2025 at 5:41 pm

        Great to hear! Thanks for your comment 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kim

      December 14, 2023 at 2:33 pm

      4 stars
      I made these tortitas today and they turned out pretty good! My husband is Mexican and he really loves them. They were easy and I followed the instructions pretty faithfully except when it came to the amount of salt. One tablespoon seemed to be way too much so I set aside half that much and that even seemed to be a lot so I put maybe one teaspoon at the most and it was plenty salty. I can’t imagine what one whole tablespoon would have tasted like.
      But all in all a quick and yummy recipe. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        December 14, 2023 at 3:00 pm

        So glad your husband, the Mexican food expert, enjoyed this Tortitas de Papa con Atun recipe. Quick, yummy, and a hit—recipe success!

        Reply
    3. Esther

      November 23, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      It was delicious! Easy to make…even I was able to cook them and eat them too!!! Thank you

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        November 24, 2020 at 12:29 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it! Easy and delicious indeed.

        Reply
    4. Cyndy

      April 13, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      These look easy and delicious. Perfect for family dinner at home!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        April 14, 2020 at 10:13 am

        Right! I think so too. Thanks for stopping by.

        Reply
    5. Denay DeGuzman

      April 13, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        July 22, 2020 at 10:25 am

        Glad you liked them! They are really good!

        Reply
    6. Emily Liao

      April 13, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Made these tuna patties and they were so delicious! Perfectly crispy and tons of flavor in it. The whole family loved it.

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        July 21, 2020 at 11:14 am

        Glad you and your family liked it! This recipe is amazing

        Reply
        • Rick Solis

          April 07, 2022 at 2:04 pm

          Hola Maggie,
          I would love to make these in my Air Fryer.
          For how long and at what temp?
          Thanks in advance.
          Rick

        • Maggie Unzueta

          April 08, 2022 at 11:02 am

          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.

    7. Anita

      April 13, 2020 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      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. 🙂

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        July 16, 2020 at 3:36 pm

        It’s really tasty! Hope you try it.

        Reply
    8. HANNAH HEALY

      April 13, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      This looks delicious! This is a great use for all the canned tuna I have! I’m getting a little sick of tuna salad

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        July 16, 2020 at 3:36 pm

        It’s an easy and delicious option for all that canned tuna!

        Reply

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    iBienvenidos! I'm Maggie. Welcome to my blog! My passion is authentic Mexican food and traveling throughout Mexico to bring you the very BEST in culture and cuisine.

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