Tuna Chipotle Meatballs and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carolina® Brown Rice
- 3 cans (6 oz each) tuna, drained and flaked
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped, divided
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp canned chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
Learn how to make your own air fryer meatballs using tuna, chipotle peppers in adobo and lots of tasty seasonings. For best results, serve over a bed of Carolina® Brown Rice to soak up all of the delicious sauce.
Step 1
Cook rice according to package directions.
Step 2
Mix together tuna, eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, 1 tbsp cilantro, mustard, chipotle, garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Roll into 1-inch meatballs.
Step 3
Preheat the air-fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 4
Place half of the meatballs in the air-fryer basket. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Air-fry at 400°F, turning basket halfway during the cook time, for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Repeat with remaining meatballs and oil.
Step 5
Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over medium-high heat, bring marinara sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Stir meatballs into sauce; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until well coated.
Step 6
Serve meatballs over brown rice. Garnish with remaining cilantro.
How to Cook in the Oven
Alternatively, if you don’t have an air fryer, arrange meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Drizzle with oil. Bake in 425°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
How to Make the Meatballs
Starting with a few pantry ingredients, these meatballs are actually quite simple to put together. Grab those cans of tuna from your shelf and combine with Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and seasonings like cilantro, mustard, chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, smoked paprika and a bit of salt and pepper. To help them stay together in their ball form, make sure to mix in eggs and bread crumbs so they will be more compact.
Once your ingredients are mixed, feel free to keep everything covered in the refrigerator until ready to form into balls and cook. If you’re hosting a get-together, prepare the balls ahead of time, store in the fridge and use your air fryer to cook to perfection later on.
Simply heat with sauce, add in the cooked meatballs and serve over warmed whole grain brown rice to wow your guests with a delicious meal!
Tasty Seafood Recipes
Need to spruce up your seafood repertoire? These tasty and simple tuna meatballs are exactly what you need, or maybe a few crispy salmon and rice croquettes. Fish and other seafood can be used in a wide variety of recipes that range farther than simply cooking it in a skillet.
Interested in more recipe ideas? Take a look at these 5 simple and delicious tips to get more seafood on your plate.
