Spicy Asian salmon meatballs - They are quick and easy to make with basic pantry staples, budget-friendly, and sure to be a crowd pleaser. Serve them as an appetizer, snack, or even as a main dish alongside some rice and vegetables.
When it comes to seafood, anything without an exoskeleton is welcomed on my plate. While I don’t want to sound like a princess, my dad used to peel all the hard layers for me ever since I can remember. Shrimp, crab...you name it. Umm..can we say spoiled much? So I guess you can say that I don’t know how to get my fingers dirty when it comes to seafood.
The Hungryman, on the other hand, LOVES a good crawfish boil, and although he’d like for me to join him from time to time, I keep away for his sake. Let the man do his thing is my reasoning bc I'm a considerate wife ;). He’d be spending more time peeling (for me) than actually eating. On a side note, I seriously don’t know what the big deal is with the little critters. It seems like an awful lot of work for so little meat. But what do I know, right?
When it comes to salmon, however, my fingers are eager to bless it with my tender and ever-so-loving touch. While I prefer the fresh variety, canned salmon is one of my pantry staples for those times when I just want to whip up something quick without having to make a trip to the store. Wild Alaskan salmon from CostCo is hands-down my favorite!
I had just purchased a new stack last week without realizing that I still had several cans hiding in the back of the canned goods section of my pantry. I probably would not have discovered them until much later if it weren't for this month’s Recipe Redux challenge - "Pick an ingredient/spice/condiment that’s been hanging out for a while and give it the attention it needs. Share a healthy recipe made using your new-found pantry prize."
Note to self - clean out the pantry!!
I tend to gravitate towards adding canned salmon to rice or pasta dishes. This time, however, I turned them into mini Asian-flavored meatballs. I was so tempted to add kimchi (no surprise there), but I held myself back and added sriracha instead.
These meatballs are super easy to make with ingredients that you probably already have on hand. What? You don’t have a bottle of sriracha in your fridge? That would be the Hungryman’s worst nightmare. And mine too because that’s how I get him to eat some of the vegetables he otherwise wouldn’t dare put in his mouth (like this celeriac and kohlrabi rosti).
While I used lemongrass ginger seasoning from Season with Spice (Love these guys!), regular ground ginger would work just fine, too.
I served this with a side of rice and some sautéed zucchini, but it would also make for a great appetizer. Ooh ooh or turn them into Asian meatball sliders with some crunchy slaw ;). Enjoy!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 6 oz. cans of Wild Alaskan salmon
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 egg
Sauce
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- a pinch of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. You can either coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with foil or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl. Using clean hands, stir until well combined (add more panko if necessary). Pack tightly and roll into 1.5 in. meatballs (will make 10-12 meatballs). Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients into a small pot and bring to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
- Serve meatballs immediately with the sauce and top with sesame seeds and green onions.
Anna says
Have you tried making this with canned tuna..? How does it taste..?
Min says
I haven't tried but I imagine it will be fine to substitute. Let me know if you try it!
suellen says
So does is the Costco canned salmon really 'boneless' as noted on the can. I made this, but was so grossed out by the skin, bones, and VERTEBRAE I had fished (no pun intended) out of my can of salmon that I couldn't enjoy the finished product
Min says
Yes, the one I got (wild Alasakan salmon) had none of those things you mentioned! I don't blame you! I'd be so grossed out too!!
EA-The Spicy RD says
I've never had salmon meatball before, but these look super yummy, and I love the lemongrass ginger seasoning! The story about your dad peeling your shellfish, reminded me of my grandmother who very lovingly peeled the white pithy part of tangerines for my daughter when she was little. TOTALLY spoiled her for sure 🙂
Liz says
Thank you for the nice recipe Min and have a wonderful weekend!
ellie | fit for the soul says
I happen to love canned salmon because it tastes like tuna, which I love too! Haha. But I love allllll fish and don't mind bones one bit. The only one I get frustrated eating and end up not eating because of all of its million kkashees is Milk Fish. It tastes good and it's big in Filipino culture, but then it's so incredibly dangerous? I love the sauce you made here. I think you and I were meant to be in terms of flavors 😉
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
Love this recipe! and I'm so excited to have something new to do with the canned salmon in my pantry! Oh, and my husband would also go crazy if we were out of sriracha!
Heather says
Oh, I love this flavor combination, and the fact that you've incorporated such a healthy (yet overlooked) ingredient -- canned salmon. Pinning this for when my husband returns home! Thanks!
Nancy Granada says
these look AMAZING! (and it just so happens that I have most of the ingredients just hanging out in my pantry....woohoo!!). Need to make mine GF--fortunately you've made it simple to make a few small tweaks to accommodate...love it!
Megan Ware says
Yummmm! I stock up on canned salmon to use as a topper for salad but I've never thought to make meatballs with it. I'm gonna pin this for later... fresh out of sriracha
Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite says
You just made my day with this recipe!! My husband is not a fish fan but I love salmon. I never want to spend money on fresh salmon because he doesn't like it and have never known what to do with canned salmon. Looks like I'll be buying canned salmon this week. Yum!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
Another masterpiece Min! You mentioned these would be good as an appetizer, snack, or main dish, I'm going to breakfast and dessert- I would eat these ANYTIME! My husband hates dealing with shellfish (but he loves to eat it), he's just too impatient to have to work to get the goods. He established this early on when on one of our first dates, he ordered the "lazy man's lobster"!