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These small tuna cakes combine drained canned tuna with egg, mayonnaise, soy sauce and garlic, then receive a separate crumb coating. The quarter cup of mayonnaise belongs inside the cakes. An optional bottled spicy mayonnaise can be served alongside, but no extra sauce is required to complete the recipe. This avoids borrowing the binder mayonnaise for an unmeasured dipping sauce.
Drain both 142-gram cans thoroughly before mixing. That label weight is not necessarily the drained fish weight. Break up large flakes, distribute the binder and shape one small test cake before coating the rest. If it slumps immediately, assess remaining liquid first; adding an unlimited amount of flour changes the ratio and can produce a dense center without explaining why the first mixture was wet.
Drain before assessing the mixture
- 2 cans (142 g each) flaked white tuna, drained
- 2 green onions, finely chopped (whites and greens separated)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or regular flour 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup gluten-free crumbs or panko crumbs
- Avocado oil, for frying Sesame oil, for frying
Shape and cook a test cake
- Stage 1
- Drain the tuna thoroughly. Combine it with green onion whites, egg, soy sauce, the selected binder, the measured mayonnaise and garlic.
- Stage 2
- Season cautiously because tuna and soy sauce already contribute salt. Shape evenly shallow cakes about two inches across. Coat both sides with the measured crumbs, pressing gently.
- Stage 3
- Test one cake’s handling before shaping the rest. Heat a thin film of avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add sesame oil sparingly for flavor according to its label. Fry without crowding, turning carefully, until browned and the centers reach 160°F.
- Stage 4
- Two minutes per side is only an initial check. Transfer to a clean plate and garnish with green onion tops. Serve plain or with optional ready-made spicy mayonnaise; do not remove mayonnaise from the cake mixture to make a separate sauce.
A two-inch diameter does not specify thickness. Keep the cakes evenly shallow so their centers heat at a comparable rate. The tuna is canned, but the added egg starts raw: FDA egg-safety guidance sets 160°F for egg dishes. Check the center with a suitable probe, and reduce the pan heat if the crumbs darken before that point.
Refrigerate cakes and toppings separately
Transfer cooked cakes to a clean plate rather than the surface used for raw mixture. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within the USDA three-to-four-day window. Reheat thoroughly, and expect the coating to lose some crispness in storage. Keep any ready-made dipping sauce separate and follow its label after opening; a general week-long sauce-storage promise is not established here.
Serve with a contrasting side
Use the green onion tops as a final garnish instead of discarding them. A cool bean and corn salad adds a different texture alongside the hot cakes. For another seafood preparation, baked Parmesan shrimp uses a different cooking method and should retain its own temperature and timing checks.
Know which swaps change the binder
Arrowroot and flour are listed alternatives, but they may not bind with identical texture. Likewise, panko and gluten-free crumbs absorb moisture differently. Ordinary soy sauce and some crumb products contain wheat, so selecting one gluten-free ingredient does not establish a gluten-free meal. Use avocado oil as the frying base and sesame oil according to its label; toasted sesame oil is generally chosen for flavor, not as an unlimited frying bath.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Where does the quarter cup of mayonnaise go?
Into the tuna mixture. A dipping sauce is optional and separate.
- Why does a cake fall apart?
Check drainage, binder distribution and thickness before adding more flour. Handle it with a broad spatula.
- Is two minutes per side enough?
Not necessarily. Pan heat and cake thickness vary; check the center because the mixture contains raw egg.
- Are these automatically gluten-free?
No. Check soy sauce, crumbs, binder and all package labels.
- Can I replace the egg with flax?
That binder change has not been validated for this mixture. Follow a separately developed egg-free formula.