Fresh Tuna Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Dip

These fresh tuna meatballs are easy to make, delicious and healthy! Serve them with the creamy avocado dip for an extra special appetizer. 

While I love canned tuna fish, it is a completely different ingredient from fresh tuna steaks. Fresh tuna shouldn’t smell fishy at all. Like all fresh fish, it should have a nice clean smell and a nice clean taste. If you aren’t a fan of the canned stuff, consider giving fresh tuna a chance. 

If you are willing, look for bright pink flesh and choose the tuna steak with the least amount of white filaments running through it. Sushi grade tuna has none or almost none but who can find/afford that? 

We have a couple of ways we like eating fresh tuna. Most often, we like it sliced relatively thinly as sashimi. (Pop it in the freezer till it's almost firm and easier to slice.) A little wasabi and soy sauce for dipping purposes is all you need to make that fresh tuna a meal. But it’s also great packed with spices and seared on the outside, still a lovely pink on the inside. I serve it on a bed of greens. Delightful. 

The third way is in meatballs! 

Fresh Tuna Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Dip

These are really meaty so you can simmer them in a rich tomato sauce after baking to serve over pasta but they also make a great appetizer as below. This makes about 20 meatballs. 

Ingredients

For the fresh tuna meatballs:

1 1/4 lb or 560 fresh tuna fillets

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Zest 1 lemon

Olive oil for brushing on the meatballs before baking

For the creamy avocado sauce:

1 ripe avocado

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Water (to thin, if needed)

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. 

Cut the tuna into small chunks.

In a food processor, pulse about 2/3 of the tuna along with the egg, minced garlic, parsley, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon zest until the tuna is finely chopped but not pureed.

Add in the reserved tuna and pulse again briefly.

You want to have some nice pink bits still showing. 

Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form it into a patty.

 Pan fry until just cooked through and taste it for salt and pepper. 

Add more and mix through thoroughly, if needed. 

With damp hands, form the mixture into small meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. I use a small scoop to measure them out, then use my damp hands to roll them in to smoother balls. Brush with a little olive oil. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly golden on the outside. You can use the broiler to add a little extra color if you’d like but you don’t want to overcook them or the tuna meatballs can become dry. 

While the meatballs are baking, combine the avocado, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. 

Blend until smooth. Add water a little at a time to reach your desired dipping consistency.

Serve the baked fresh tuna meatballs with the creamy avocado dip and some toothpicks to facilitate dipping. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are all sharing meatball recipes. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out our WELL-ROUNDED (get it? I do crack myself up) list below.

• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Meatballs 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Coconut-Ginger Turkey Meatballs 
• Food Lust People Love: Fresh Tuna Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Dip 
• Sneha's Recipe: Keto Pan Fried Pork Meatballs 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Swedish Meatballs 
• Culinary Cam: Zuppa Maritata, a Misinterpreted Italian Wedding Soup 

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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