Mini Cajun Tuna Po Boys

Delicate, fried balls of tuna, prepared Louisiana-style and topped with a homemade remoulade sauce, sound like the perfect Cajun sandwich to me! These Mini Cajun Tuna Po Boys are perfect as an appetizer or as a way to enjoy a smaller, more approachable take on a New Orleans classic.

Speaking of Po Boys, you should also check out my Cajun Chicken Sausage Po Boy!

What is a po boy?

In the simplest terms, it’s a sandwich. And most of the time, it’s a reasonably large one! Meats like roast beef or seafood (shrimp and catfish are the most popular) are cradled between slices of toasted, soft French bread, then topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes, and slathered in mayo or remoulade sauce. There is typically no cheese added, and the non-seafood versions may come with mustard or a hearty gravy instead of mayo or remoulade.

Growing up in Louisiana, po’boy sandwiches were (and still are) a staple in the community. You had the options of fried shrimp, crawfish, catfish, and even oyster po’ poys, but my favorite was the oyster version, hands down! I remember being able to eat at least two of these in one sitting during my college football days.

As I have gotten older, I definitely can not eat that way anymore. On top of that, I made some dietary changes that prevented me from enjoying some of the recipes I used to devour back in the day. Hence, the reason I came up with this alternative — an easy swap of tuna in the place of crab, crawfish, or oysters, and I was back in the game!

With this recipe, you get all the flavors you would expect from a seafood-filled po’boy, but in a version perfect for those who want to try something new, or for others, like me, who don’t (or can’t) eat shellfish. It’s a win-win situation.

Ingredients you’ll need:

For the fried tuna balls, you’ll combine canned albacore tuna, mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, ground mustard, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, red cayenne pepper, organic brown eggs, and breadcrumbs. The eggs, parmesan, and breadcrumbs ensure the mini balls remain moist while frying.

After mixing those ingredients, the balls are formed and are coated in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and parsley.

You’ll need mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice, ketchup, Louisiana hot sauce, creole seasoning, white ground pepper, horseradish sauce, dijon mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and red cayenne pepper for the homemade remoulade sauce.

While the traditional po boys use French bread, I went with mini brioche rolls for this recipe, and instead of shredded lettuce, I chose arugula. Sliced tomatoes are a must.

How to make mini tuna po boys:

Prepare the tuna. Drain the tuna and break it down into smaller pieces. In a bowl, combine tuna with mayo, dill pickle relish, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, ground mustard, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and red cayenne pepper.

Add the remaining ingredients and form tuna balls. In a separate bowl, add eggs and lightly beat them. Add the slightly beaten eggs to the bowl with the tuna ingredients, then add the breadcrumbs. Mix the ingredients, then form the tuna into small to medium-sized balls with your hands.

Roll each tuna ball in panko. In a separate bowl, pour in the panko breadcrumbs and parsley. Roll each formed tuna ball in the panko mixture until completely covered.

Add the tuna balls to the skillet. Heat a cooking pan to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add the tuna balls.

Pan-fry the tuna balls. Each tuna ball should cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. You will need to flip the tuna balls every few minutes to ensure even cooking.

Make the remoulade. For the remoulade sauce, combine mayo, dill pickle relish, lemon juice, ketchup, Louisiana hot sauce, Creole seasoning, white ground pepper, horseradish, Dijon mustard, paprika, and red pepper.

Assemble the po boy sandwich. Layer each mini brioche roll with arugula, sliced tomatoes, fried tuna balls, and remoulade sauce to serve.

If you are allergic to shellfish, have other dietary restrictions, or crave a great-tasting seafood sandwich, this tuna fish Po Boy will make you feel as if you’ve landed smack dab in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans.

The southern fried flavors added to this dish give this dinner (or lunch) idea two thumbs up. And my homemade remoulade sauce seals the deal.

Cajun Mini Tuna Po Boys

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• Author: Eric Jones
• Total Time: 23 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Delicate tuna prepared New Orleans style and topped with a homemade remoulade sauce sounds like the perfect Cajun Fried Mini Tuna Po Boy!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Fried Tuna Balls:

• 20 oz albacore tuna, canned in water
• 3 tbsp mayo
• 3 tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper
• 2 large organic brown eggs
• 1/3 cup garlic and herb breadcrumbs
• 1/3 panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1 cup olive oil

For the Homemade Remoulade Sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp creole seasoning
• 1/4 tsp white ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp horseradish sauce
• 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dash red cayenne pepper

Additional Items:

• mini brioche rolls
• organic tomato, sliced
• arugula

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Instructions

1. Drain tuna and add to a large bowl. Break tuna into smaller chunks and add mayo, dill pickle relish, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, ground mustard, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and red cayenne. Blend.
2. In a small bowl, add eggs and lightly beat. Add the eggs to the bowl of tuna ingredients. Add breadcrumbs. Mix ingredients with hands until combined. Form the tuna into small to medium sized balls and set to the side. 
3. Mix the panko breadcrumbs and parsley in a separate bowl. Roll each tuna ball in panko until completely covered.
4. Heat pan to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Fry each tuna ball for 5 minutes or until golden brown. 
5. Layer mini brioche rolls with arugula, sliced tomatoes, and fried tuna balls. Top with remoulade sauce (see below, optional).
6. For the Homemade Remoulade Sauce, add mayo, dill pickle relish, lemon juice, ketchup, Louisiana hot sauce, Creole seasoning, white ground pepper, horseradish, Dijon mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and red pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Blend well.

Equipment

Glass Bowls

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Notes

You can also use toasted french bread instead of the brioche rolls.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Category: Manwiches
• Method: Pan Fried
• Cuisine: Creole

Nutrition

• Calories: 340
• Sugar: 6.2g
• Sodium: 824mg
• Fat: 12.7g
• Carbohydrates: 18.3g
• Fiber: 1.1g
• Protein: 39.7g
• Cholesterol: 156mg