Seriously, these baked salmon meatballs may be some of the best things you've eaten in awhile. They're made even better with a dollop of creamy avocado sauce on top. Thanks to California Avocado for helping me to share this recipe with you.
It felt like we covered all of the seasons on spring break last week. A little spring skiing just 30 minutes from home, a few bouts of soccer at the park (in shorts!), at least one great flank steak meal and a few runs to burn off the Easter candy that always seems to linger. Curse those Cadbury mini eggs!
All of that fresh air and activity made us hungry. And not just for chocolate and jellybeans, but for filling protein, whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies. Which means that these baked salmon meatballs with avocado sauce disappeared from the plate in a matter of minutes. A couple of my kids' friends were at the house when I first made these and they all gathered around the kitchen island, popping one after another into their mouths.
Kid-friendly? Yeah, I'd say so.
There are so many food reasons to get excited for springtime. Asparagus, cauliflower, strawberries and one of my all time favorites...avocados. California avocados, to be exact. For the past couple of years, I've been an ambassador for California Avocados. I continue to work with them because I am convinced that there is no avocado like a California avocado.
I can't count the number of times that I've spooned an avocado straight out of the skin and into my mouth. With a little sprinkle of salt, thank you very much. As good as they are straight or sliced up for sandwiches and salads, their natural creaminess lends itself really well to sauces that taste and feel rich and luxurious, but don't have a drop of actual cream in them. Healthy fats, fiber and vitamins? Win, win and win.
These baked salmon meatballs take very little time and effort to put together. Just throw some salmon into a food processor and give it some pulses until it's finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, no worries. You can chop up that salmon the old fashioned way, with a sharp knife and a cutting board.
After that, incorporate the salmon with some onion, garlic, spices and cilantro, and form them into meatballs. I always use my cookie scoop to portion out even meatballs. It's a time saver, for certain!
While the meatballs are baking, whip up the avocado sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust the salt and chipotle chile powder according to your preference.
If you can't find chipotle chile powder at your local grocer store, you can use some adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers. It will lend the same great smokiness and touch of heat to the sauce.
Other avocado recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Mini Avocado & Hummus Quesadillas
Cookin' Canuck's Kicked-Up Avocado Margaritas
A Southern Fairytale's Avocado Fries with Home Ranch Dipping Sauce
Average Betty's California Avocado & Hemp Seed Arancini
Souffle Bombay's California Garlic Bread with Sautéed Spinach & Avocados
Printable Recipe
Baked Salmon Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Sauce
Ingredients
The Meatballs:
- 1 pound skinless salmon cut into chunks
- ½ medium onion grated
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat panko breadcrumbs see note
- 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 see note
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
The Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the salmon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer to a large bowl.
- To the salmon, add the onion, breadcrumbs, cilantro, egg white, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Using a 2 tablespoon portion of the salmon mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
- Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs with the avocado sauce.
The Sauce:
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic, lime juice, water, cilantro, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
catherine stukel
I made this last night. I altered it a bit because I'm a low carb dieter. Instead of bread crumbs I added ground almond meal. And I added old bay seasoning and chives, and garlic. In theory I would never have come up with this recipe nor did it ever cross my mind I could make "meatballs" with salmon.
I served Asian dipping sauces; although the avocado dip was a perfect mesh for a low carber. Your recipe, combined with your photos was an awesome help to me. I would do this again, for sure. Thanks for your photos and creativity.
Margarita Oviedo
Can this be made in advance?
Candace
I am curious. The recipe mentions panko bread crumbs (see note). Where is the 'note'? bread crumbs are not mentioned in the article. What is a good grain free substitute?
Melissa
Planning to make these this week! I'm picturing them with zucchini spirals!
Laura NN
My family always enjoys salmon, so I thought I'd give these a shot. They were A HUGE HIT! My 5-year old actually asked if I could make them every week. Thank you for the great recipe.
Yolixtly.
thank you! I cooked it today and it tasted delicious! I loved the dipping!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
These are so smart, pretty and I'll bet deee-licious! I often make salmon sliders or cakes, yet never thought of a meatball, love it! Thanks for the shout out as well!
Cathy Pollak ~ Noble Pig
These are gorgeous! What a creative idea. We catch our own salmon in Oregon so I always have a freezer full. A must try recipe for me!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
These are like little balls of superfood heaven! Love that you used fresh salmon (for as much as I love salmon, the canned stuff makes me want to gag!) and that avocado sauce looks to die for!
Mimi @MimiAvocado
Those cute little salmon balls look so tasty! We'd love them on top of a Caesar salad with lots of avocado chunks.
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons
Salmon + Avocado is definitely one of my favorite flavor combinations! This would be such a fun, elegant party bite!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious
Whaaaaa?! I'm a seriously meatball lover but I would never ever have thought to make them with salmon. YUM!! Especially with that creamy avocado sauce on top!
KalynsKitchen
I've made salmon patties, but never thought of making them in meatballs! Sounds delish.
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet
Stunning! And brilliantly made!
Heather / girlichef
Heck yeah, I eat avocados "straight" all the time - love them! I also love salmon meatballs, so this sounds like an awesome little meal or nibble.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
Oh my! That salmon looks incredible. I don't know if I could bring myself to toss it into the food processor. 😉 But the meatballs look like it's probably worth it!
And what is up with the weather?! This craziness needs to stop. It snowed twice this winter but then we got some more in late March. Weird.
Jennie @onesweetmess
Wow, I want all the salmon balls. They're stunning and look absolutely delicious.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
Salmon + avocado are such the perfect duo!!! I had an avocado today at lunch and let me tell you... it was not from California. 🙁
Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet
Those look amazing! At first I thought that was a weird food combination. Then it hit me - California roll sushi. Duh. And it's pretty, too.
Rose
these look so delicious! really excited to try making them. do you have any suggestion s for what to serve with them? thanks!