• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Petite Cook™ logo

  • Recipes
  • Italian Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Sicilian Cod Meatballs

    Published: Mar 10, 2016 · Modified: Dec 1, 2021 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious healthy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade Italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth!

    My mum's meatballs are one of my favorite things ever, but I know sicilian cuisine pretty well, and let me tell you it's not a light one.

    So, I've decided to give a healthier twist to this traditional dish, swapping beef with cod fish and adding a few more aromatic herbs instead of cheese, for an extra burst of flavor.

    Cod and swordfish are the most common fish consumed in Sicily.

    Known for its great nutritional properties, cod is cheap and has wonderful and versatile meaty flesh, making it a fantastic alternative to beef.

    It's an excellent low-calorie source of protein and vitamin B12 ( very important for our heart health), and can be bought and consumed fresh, frozen, smoked or salted - for this recipe I've used fresh steamed cod fillets, but you can, of course, use a frozen alternative.

    Making these delicious cod meatballs is such a breeze and takes less than 30 mins start-to-finish.

    All you need is 8 simple ingredients: fresh cod fillets, free-range egg whites, whole wheat/plain/gluten-free flour, lemon zest, panko breadcrumbs, spring onions, fresh aromatic herbs and of course freshly cooked Italian tomato sauce.

    The recipe is easy-to-follow and totally stress-free.

    Start by mixing together all the meatballs ingredients in a large bowl.  

    Taste the mix before adding egg whites. Add more herbs if you like. If it’s a bit dry, add a splash of olive oil. If it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

    Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious heathy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth! Recipe from www.thepetitecook.com

    Then shape the mixture into small balls (slightly bigger than golf ball size), and gently roll them into flour.

    Sizzle the meatballs in a hot pan with some extra virgin olive oil, they don't need much cooking, so just stir fry them until crispy and golden brown.

    Once meatballs are ready, drain the pan from oil in excess, add in some homemade tomato sauce ( I usually make a big batch the day before and freeze the excess), and gently cook for a further 5 mins until piping hot.

    Cod meatballs with tomato

    These tasty cod meatballs are fork tender and have an irresistible texture that flakes off in the mouth.

    Light, citrusy and deeply aromatic, they make a great starter or main course on their own, but are also fantastic tossed with pasta or in a sandwich. However you enjoy them, I'm sure you're gonna love this recipe!

    Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious heathy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth! Gluten-free and dairy-free recipe from www.thepetitecook.com

    MORE SICILIAN RECIPES TO TRY

    • Sicilian Caponata - Aubergine Stew
    • Mushroom Arancini, Sicilian Rice Balls
    • Shrimp Linguine - Authentic Italian Recipe
    • Sicilian Pasta alla Norma
    • Easy Clementine Cake
    • Sicilian Lemon Granita

    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!

    Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

    Print SaveSaved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Sicilian Cod Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Sicilian Cod Meatballs make a delicious heathy family meal and are so easy to put together in just 30 min - Toss them with delicious homemade italian tomato sauce for authentic Mediterranean flavors delivered straight in your mouth!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Serving: 4
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 400 g fresh cod fillets, steamed
    • 4 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
    • handful of fresh basil and oregano leaves, finely chopped
    • 1 lemon, zest and juice
    • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 tablespoon flour, rice, wholemeal or plain, for coating
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 cups homemade tomato sauce

    Instructions

    • In a large bow fold in the fish together with panko, basil and oregano, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until roughly combined. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and grate over a good bit of zest.
    • Taste the mixture and add more panko or a litte oil if too wet or too dry. Finally fold in egg whites and mix until combined through.
    • Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and gently roll them over a little flour.
    • Heat a large pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Sizzle the meatballs for a few mins, until crispy and golden brown.
    • Remove the oil in excess and fold in previously made tomato sauce. Cook over low-med heat for a further 5 mins.
    • Scatter basil leaves over the top, a glug of olive oil and some extra freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
    • Enjoy on their own, with toasted bread or toss in with pasta.

    Notes

    To make this recipe 100% gluten-free make sure you use a suitable panko breadcrumbs brand, or make your own breadcrumbs with gluten-free bread.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

     

    More Italian Recipes

    • Bucatini Pomodoro
    • Chicken Pizzaiola
    • Brodo Di Pollo - Italian Chicken Soup
    • Neapolitan Pizza Sauce
    889 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Thalia says

      November 30, 2021 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      My family loves these and I make them often. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Laura says

      December 17, 2020 at 4:25 pm

      Can you bake these in the oven?

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        December 17, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        Absolutely! Brush them with a little extra virgin olive oil, and bake them in a tray covered with parchment paper at 180C for about 20 minutes!

        Reply
    3. Andree-Anne Theroux says

      August 04, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      Hi! those look amazing and a great way to get my daughter to eat more fish! was wondering are they freezer friendly? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        August 08, 2020 at 7:14 am

        Hi! Absolutely, these crunchy fish balls are totally freezer-friendly!

        Reply
    4. Waleed Khan says

      May 29, 2019 at 5:47 am

      Love it! Will try it soon and will share what I come up with 🙂

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Andrea

    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


    Welcome to my kitchen!
    I’m Andrea, I'm Italian, and I absolutely LOVE cooking.
    Grab a fork and join me!
    READ MORE ABOUT ME…

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Follow us

    The Petite Cook™

    Quick and Easy Italian Recipes Anyone Can Cook


    About Andrea

    Privacy Policy

    Work with us

    Terms

    Press

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 The Petite Cook. The Petite Cook® is a registered trademark.