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Sometimes, when you have no fresh produce or meat in the fridge and dinner is unplanned.. you panic. Well, me? I never do because I *always* have canned tuna in my pantry and Whole30 Mayo in my fridge. I am smart like that 😉 haha, not really. It’s mainly because I’ve had years of practice on this whole clean eating thing and know having items on hand like that can lead to wonderful creations like these Whole30 Tuna Cakes with Smoked Paprika Aioli!
So, for lunches, I always whip up a quick, cold tuna salad and throw it on a bed of lettuce or really anything I have in my fridge. BUT, I wanted a warm, delicious, crispy tuna cake for dinner and so that is what I made! I also used my Primal Kitchen’s Mayo Whole30 compliant mayo to whip up a quick and easy aioli to dip it all in and YUMMO. I will definitely be doing this again soon.
Meals don’t always have to be fancy to be delicious. This Whole30 Tuna Cakes with Smoked Paprika Aioli recipe.. case and point! Plus, I am so beyond thrilled that Primal Kitchen’s Mayo is now available at select Costco’s in Texas! So, to celebrate, I thought I’d share this recipe that uses their mayo in two, delicious ways! Enjoy!
- 2 (5oz) cans tuna
- 1 tbsp. primal kitchens mayo
- 1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil (olive oil is fine, too)
- 1/2 cup primal kitchen mayo
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- salt, to taste
- In a bowl, add tuna, egg, 1 tbsp. mayo, diced bell pepper, garlic, almond flour, salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix to combine.
- Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup of the mixture. Transfer scoop to hands and form a nice patty. Continue until all patties are formed.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, using a spatula carefully lay the tuna cakes into the oil and let fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Using a sturdy spatula, carefully flip and continue to cook on the other side until golden brown, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Transfer patties onto a plate lined with paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt. Let rest for 2 minutes before serving.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl combine all of the aioli ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Serve with aioli and enjoy!
What is the nutrition facts for these?
I do not calculate the nutrition on any of my recipes but someone else may have who can share! You can often search my recipes on calorie-tracking sites like My Fitness Pal to see if someone has already calculated as well.
These are the BEST! I wasn’t even a tuna fan until I tried these. Highly recommend for Whole30, or really any time of the year even when you’re off Whole30. Simple and delicious, oh and also man approved! 🙂 Thank you, Alex!!
Would these work with canned salmon? They look delicious!
Yes!! They do work with canned salmon!
Could I make these in the air fryer?
Yes, I bet they’d be great!
This was delicious! Hot or cold, it’s great!! ????
could you saute the garlic and peppers first or will it make the mixture too runny?
Yes you could but like you said, be sure to strain it well.
Do these taste ok cold? Trying to come up with new lunch options for my son.
YES! I tried them cold and they’re just as amazing as warm.
Can you make these in advance and keep in refrigerator before cooking? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but I am pretty certain you could and they’d be great!!! That way you can fry them up as you go so they stay crisp! 🙂
would it be okay to cook the tuna cakes in the oven instead of on the stove?
They wouldn’t get crispy, so I wouldn’t personally do it this way.
Yum! Do you see any issues with replacing the tuna with crab meat? Thanks!
I am going to work on a crabcake next week so that I can make sure the measurements works the same. I know it will be super similar but just am not positive!
Can you use Arrow Root instead of almond flour?
If you do arrowroot, I’d just add 1 tbsp. I prefer to use arrowroot more as a thickener, not as a bread crumb replacement like I have in this recipe.
Can I substitute the almond flour for coconut flour?
I find coconut flour has a much stronger flavor to it, so i don’t suggest itin this recipe. Cassava, tapioca, or arrowroot would be beetter.