Salmon Meatballs Recipe
Sticky, sweet, and savory, these perfectly glazed BBQ Salmon Meatballs are sure to be a hit. Choose between cooking them over the stove or in the air fryer!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
BBQ Sauce
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cups tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Meatballs
- 1.5 lb. salmon fillet
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ white onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
Other Ingredients
- Optional: ½ cup white sesame seeds
- Avocado oil
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Once fragrant, add the garlic and fresh ginger to the oil and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute. Add the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and honey to the pot, whisk the ingredients together, and bring to a gentle boil over medium/high heat.
- Make a slurry with 1.5 tablespoons of water and ½ teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk the two ingredients together until there are no cornstarch lumps. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and whisk until incorporated.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then turn the heat to low to keep warm. The BBQ sauce will thicken as it sits.
- Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a high-speed food processor. Pulse the ingredients together until all of the ingredients are blended and the consistency of the mixture is similar to ground meat.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop. Wet your hands and use the scoop to spoon the mixture into your hands. Gently form a meatball and set it aside. Repeat until the entirety of the mixture has been made into meatballs.
- Optional: Add the sesame seeds to a plate. Roll each meatball into the sesame so it is fully coated. Repeat until each meatball is coated.
- Stovetop instructions: Add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium/high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook the meatballs for 6-8 minutes, turning about every 2 minutes to brown the whole meatball. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 145ºF. Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly add the BBQ sauce to the meatballs. Gently toss the meatballs in the BBQ sauce.
- Air fryer instructions: Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil and add the meatballs. Be sure they do not touch. You may need to cook the meatballs in batches. Air fry the meatballs at 400ºF for 4.5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF. Toss them in the BBQ sauce.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and cilantro.
Video
Notes
- We have not tested this recipe with any other type of fish.
- We do not recommend using a cast iron pan for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g