Description
Delicious and healthy baked salmon meatballs served with a creamy and zesty avocado sauce. This recipe combines tender salmon meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices, baked to perfection, and paired with a smooth avocado dip made with Greek yogurt and chipotle chili powder for a flavorful kick. Perfect as a nutritious main course or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
The Meatballs
- 1 pound skinless salmon cut into chunks
- ½ medium onion grated
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 egg white
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
The Sauce
- ¾ California avocado skin & seed removed
- 3 tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ lime juiced
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking.
- Chop Salmon: Place the salmon chunks into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer the chopped salmon to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix Ingredients: Add the grated onion, whole wheat panko breadcrumbs, minced cilantro, egg white, minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and ground oregano to the salmon. Stir everything together until fully combined.
- Form Meatballs: Using a 2-tablespoon scoop of the salmon mixture, roll between your palms to form evenly sized meatballs. Place these meatballs evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake the salmon meatballs in the preheated oven until they are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 18 minutes.
- Prepare Sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, fat-free Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lime juice, water, minced cilantro, chipotle chili powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy.
- Serve: Plate the baked salmon meatballs alongside the creamy avocado sauce and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the whole wheat panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs or ground almonds.
- If you prefer a spicier sauce, increase the chipotle chili powder to ½ teaspoon.
- To save time, you can use pre-grated onion, but fresh grated onion gives better moisture and flavor.
- Make sure not to over-process the salmon to keep some texture in the meatballs.
- Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
