Air Fryer Tuna Nuggets: Crunchy Perfection

Why get an air fryer if you have a convection oven and a cookie sheet/wire rack? The latter is supposed to be an alternative to an air fryer. But I’ve tried both and frankly, I don’t think the convection substitute gets the job done. So I bought a small air fryer on sale and I’m here to say, it’s amazing. These Air Fryer Tuna Nuggets are a testament to the wonders of an air fryer.

Although it is rather large and a pain to store, I solve those issues by hiding it under a table until I need it. Then I pull it onto my bench and pre-heat. Presto! By the way, it’s a great way to avoid turning on the oven in the summer. And given this week’s heat wave, that’s a huge plus.

When I’m in a rush, Air Fryer Tuna Nuggets save the day:

• They’re easy to make. How can you go wrong with a snack, light meal or appetizer that comes together in minutes? (Easy answer – you can’t)
• They’re simple. With only 3 ingredients (tuna, egg, and cornflakes), plus whatever seasoning you desire, they use staples that you probably have in your kitchen right now.
• You can make these nuggets ahead of time. Whether you serve them straight out of the air fryer or reheat them, they’re delicious. My taste tester used the toaster oven to reheat them. No need to turn on the oven.

The theory of these nuggets is simple. Like my mother’s recipe for chicken cutlets, they use egg to bind the coating to the main food, in that case chicken, and in this case tuna. You could use panko-type bread crumbs (see Crispy Baked Eggplant), or even crushed pretzels,(see Pretzel and Mustard-Crusted Fish Filets.) However, cornflakes are tastier than panko and easier than crushed pretzels, so I say, go with them.

How to Make Air Fryer Tuna Nuggets

Preheat your air fryer to 400° F/200° C.

Decide how you will season your tuna nuggets? I chose fresh dill, small capers, and a few turns of fresh balck pepper because that’s what we often use for tuna salad. Other options include substituting dried dill for fresh, or small pieces of apple and chopped nuts, or Old Bay or a similar spice with some chopped vegetables. I highly recommend using something chopped small (minced or diced) to break up the tuna and not just a seasoning like Old Bay.

Gather your ingredients. Remember mise en place? It makes this simple recipe quick to make.

Mash the canned tuna with a fork until it’s in small pieces. Add the seasoning – in my case dill and capers – and mash again.

Then add the beaten egg by tablespoonfuls until you can easily form it into nuggets but it’s not too wet. That’s about half an egg per can of tuna. I made my nuggets smaller than golf-ball sized. If you’re weighing them, that’s about 20g/ 5/8 oz.

Form the tuna nuggets and dip them in the remaining egg.then roll them in the cornflakes. I crushed the cornflakes in a bowl with my hands. But you’re a neatnik, you could put them in a bag and then crush them with your hands or a rolling pin. That’s how I did it for my graham cracker crust. But I was in a hurry with these tuna nuggets and I find the bowl-and-hand-method quicker for this small amount of cornflakes.

Cook them for approximately 10 minutes, until well browned. You can move them around after 7-8 minutes, but it probably isn’t necessary.

Enjoying the Tuna Nuggets

They’re best eaten warm, straight from the air fryer. You can make them ahead of time and bake them at the last minute. But you can also refrigerate them, then reheat them in a toaster oven at 350° F/180° C. I like them with a hot sauce I make (with hot sauce, mayonnaise, and yogurt) but you can eat them plain or use Sriracha mayonnaise or something else.