Tuna Meatballs (Baked)

bakedtunameatballs2 Baked tuna meatballs are a healthy seafood spin on your average meatballs. They’re easy to make with a few cans of tuna fish and perfect for a low-carb snack or topped on zucchini noodles for a full meal. Think of tuna meatballs as tuna patties in ball form. These savoury bites are a blend of canned tuna fish, fresh vegetables and savoury herbs. They’re light in flavour (so perfect for picky eaters), but just as juicy, tender and filling as your typical meatball. Better yet, did I mention they’re super easy to make? All you need to do is mix a few ingredients, roll them into balls and bake in the oven until lightly golden. And since they’re bite-sized, they make for the perfect healthy snack or delicious addition to a salad or bed of greens.

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, finely diced
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 (5 oz) cans tuna, or 1 lb cooked tuna
¼ cup almond flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and sauté for a minute. Then add the chopped baby spinach and sauté for another 1-2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.

Transfer the onion spinach mixture to a bowl and let it cool. You can place the bowl in the fridge to speed this up.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Drain the cans of tuna and add the tuna to a mixing bowl along with the cooled vegetables, almond flour, eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, dill, salt and pepper.

Use your hands to dig in and mix everything together, breaking up any large chunks of tuna. The finer the mixture, the easier it will stick together.

Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out evenly sized amounts of mixture. Use your fingers to mold this into a ball, then place it on a parchment lined baking tray.

Bake the tuna meatballs for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Makes 20 meatballs.

Cook's Notes:

For picky eaters when it comes to seafood, this recipe is milder in flavour than my salmon patties, so give it a try.
If your balls are too soft. Depending on the brand of canned tuna you use, your tuna may be more moist (even after draining). If so, just add a couple Tbsp. of almond flour or coconut flour (which is highly absorbent). Or reduce the lemon juice by ½ Tbsp. in the future.
Want to cook on the stovetop? No problem. Place the first batch of meatballs in the pan with a little oil. Cook the meatballs for 2-3 minutes on one side, then rotate them, so that all sides are browned. This should take about 15 minutes. Then when the first batch is done, remove to a plate and start the next batch.