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Salmon Meatballs & Apricot Sauce 🧡 (very inspired by Indonesian Satay Sauce) The sauce can be eaten with so many different things! I had plenty leftover and trust me, it is getting used.
If you loved this recipe, check out my Salmon Bowl & Jalapeño Sauce!
Why You’ll Love Salmon Meatballs
This is a high effort but high reward meal and it does keep well in the fridge! The meatballs are sooo good but the sauce here is the star of the show 🌟 It is AMAZING… It’s spicy, creamy and so good!
How To Prepare Salmon Meatballs
🧄 First, add the sesame oil to a pan and preheat for 1 minute. add in shallots, Fresno peppers, garlic and ginger. Then, sauté on medium for 5 minutes or until fragrant, mixing often. Remove from pan.
🍑 Secondly, add the water, rice vinegar and apricots to that pan, and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until apricots are soft.
🌟 Add that to a blender with everything else for the sauce, except salt and pepper. Then, blend until smooth.
🧂 Return sauce to pan and simmer 5-6 minutes, adding water to thin it out a bit. Then, add salt and pepper to taste.
🍣 Grind salmon in a food processor and mix in everything for the meatballs. Form them by hand, flattening them a bit to get them more golden. Then, refrigerate for 15 minutes.
🔥 Then, preheat a pan on high for 2 minutes, add avocado oil and lower to medium high. Give the meatballs a nice hard sear, about 1 minute per side if you like your salmon pink or 2 minutes if you don’t. Be careful to not overcrowd the pan.
🌿 Lastly, serve over the rice, drizzle sauce, add sesame seeds, peanuts, cucumber slices, Fresno, scallions, cilantro and lemon.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbs and spices are always very easy to swap out for your favorites or which ever ones you have on hand.
- You can also serve these whichever way you like! I like to serve with rice.
- You can also add more toppings.
- You can use regular mayonnaise instead of Japanese mayo.
Chef Nadia’s Tip
Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
You can use any peppers of your choice, such as banana peppers.
Of course! You can make this bowl your own.
Salmon Meatballs
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup mediterranean dried apricot
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 1/4 tsp fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large fresno chile, chopped
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Meatballs
- 1.5 lb skinless king salmon, cubed
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 lemon, zest
- 3 tbsp japanese mayo
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
- First, add the sesame oil to a pan and preheat for 1 minute. add in shallots, Fresno peppers, garlic and ginger. Then, sauté on medium for 5 minutes or until fragrant, mixing often. Remove from pan.
- Secondly, add the water, rice vinegar and apricots to that pan, and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until apricots are soft.
- Add that to a blender with everything else for the sauce, except salt and pepper. Then, blend until smooth.
- Return sauce to pan and simmer 5-6 minutes, adding water to thin it out a bit. Then, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Grind salmon in a food processor and mix in everything for the meatballs. Form them by hand, flattening them a bit to get them more golden. Then, refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Then, preheat a pan on high for 2 minutes, add avocado oil and lower to medium high. Give the meatballs a nice hard sear, about 1 minute per side if you like your salmon pink or 2 minutes if you don’t. Be careful to not overcrowd the pan.
- Lastly, serve over the rice, drizzle sauce, add sesame seeds, peanuts, cucumber slices, Fresno, scallions, cilantro and lemon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
