Southwest Tuna Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

I've made tuna cakes before, and many times have thought about making them into a sandwich. This recipe differs from tuna cakes, as it makes the patties a bit sturdier (my tuna cakes are always on the brink of falling apart). Next time I might try adding some shredded cheese to the tuna mix and seeing how that enhances the flavor (and the calories...). These patties need a lot of seasoning to prevent them from tasting just like any old tuna fish sandwich, and I was very liberal with applying the chipotle mayo to do the same. Otherwise, you'll find yourself with a very quick and easy dinner that requires no thawing or handling of raw meat - and moreover, tuna is so low in fat that any other ground meat can't even compare (2 g in a cup of canned tuna vs. 19 g in a cup of extra lean ground beef). You'll also get more protein, less calories.

I enjoyed my Southwest Tuna Burger with a glass of semi-dry riesling and found the sweet & tart flavors of this popular wine balance out the spicy flavors of the chipotle. The specific bottle I opened was from Belhurst Winery in the Finger Lakes region of NY state, where riesling is a specialty.

What you need:
Chipotle Mayo:
1/2 cup low fat mayo
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from can)
1 tsp adobo sauce (from can of chiles)

Tuna Burgers:

4 cans tuna
3 eggs

1-1/3 cup panko

1 clove garlic, diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp dried cilantro

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Drain tuna, place in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and flake with fork. Beat eggs and add to tuna. Add remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.

3. Form 6 patties and refrigerate for about 10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.

4. To make chipotle mayo, add mayo, chipotle, and adobo sauce to mini food processor and pulse until chipotle is diced. Stir well to mix ingredents together. Set aside.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over just above medium heat. Add tuna patties and cook on each side for about 5-6 minutes or until golden brown on each side (cooking times will vary depending on appliance and cookware).
6. Remove patties from skillet and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10 minutes to assure cooked through.
7. Remove from oven and serve on burger buns dressed with chipotle mayo. Add lettuce, tomato, onion on top, if desired.