These baked salmon meatballs are dairy-free, gluten-free and ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect for dinner or as an appetizer!

Loaded with flavor, these baked salmon meatballs are healthy comfort food at its best!

Growing up in Italy, my mum's meatballs with classic Italian tomato sauce were one of my favorite meals.

Now that I have my own little family to feed, I've become more adventurous with my meatball game.

Over the years I've shared A LOT of meatball recipes here on the blog, from chicken meatballs, ricotta meatballs, to eggplant meatballs and cod meatballs.

We love them all, but with the summer season coming up, I've been making these salmon meatballs on repeat, and they have earned a special place on the table!

They are fork-tender and have an irresistible texture that flakes off in the mouth.

They're also conveniently gluten-free and dairy-free. Plus they're weeknight-night friendly and take less than 30 minutes to cook.

Did I mention these easy salmon meatballs are pretty versatile too?

You can serve them with pasta and tomato sauce, or with these quick roasted potatoes and a salad, and use leftovers to fill up panini and sandwiches the next day.

Or you can serve them with a simple, a little spicy avocado dip (recipe below) - they make such a great aperitivo food or appetizer to share!

Ingredient tips

For this salmon meatball recipe, you'll need just 6 simple ingredients.

Here's what you'll need:

• Salmon: You'll need cooked skinless salmon fillets. Regular salmon or wild salmon, both work well for this recipe.
• Almond flour: To keep the recipe gluten-free I use almond flour, but you can also use oat flour, or a cooked and mashed potato.
• Lemon: This recipe calls for lemon zest, so I recommend using an organic lemon.
• Egg: You'll need a small beaten egg to bind all the mixture together.
• Garlic: This is totally optional, but a little garlic adds a nice added flavor.
• Fresh herbs: I love adding freshly chopped aromatic herbs such as basil, thyme, dill, or mint. They truly add an incredible aromatic note.

How to make salmon meatballs

I can't stress enough how this recipe is easy to to make and takes just a few minutes to make!

Here below you can find a quick recipe overview, but you can find the full printable recipe at the end of the post.

STEP 1. Mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.

STEP 2. Add chopped fresh aromatic herbs if you like (basil, oregano,  fresh thyme would all work well).

STEP 3. Finally, add the egg and mix everything until combined.

If the mixture is a bit dry, add a splash of olive oil. If it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

STEP 4. Form even-sized meatballs, and bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare a super easy avocado dip. Place the avocado in a bowl, and mash it well with a fork.

Add in chopped red chili, lemon zest, and juice, grated garlic, salt & pepper, and mix until combined.

For a super creamy avocado dip, simply blend all the ingredients (besides chili) in a smoothie maker or use a hand blender, then top it with chopped chili.

What to serve with baked meatballs?

These gluten-free and dairy-free salmon meatballs make a great starter or main course on their own or with veggie-loaded sides.

Here are a few other favorite ways to serve them:

• Pasta: Make spaghetti and meatballs by tossing them in tomato sauce and  al dente pasta.
• Potatoes: Serve them with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or roasted potatoes.
• Sandwich: Tuck them between two slices of ciabatta bread with mozzarella cheese and a little marinara sauce.
• Soup: Add them into this pumpkin soup or butternut squash soup for extra protein.
• Salad: For a protein-packed meal, top your Tuscan panzanella salad or this quinoa salad with meatballs.

Did you try this recipe?

Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!

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Recipe