Shrimp Scampi Meatballs
I have been waiting to share these shrimp meatballs with you for SO long! I’ve been working on this recipe for several months now and it’s evolved into something amazing.
Ever since I made my shrimp burgers, I wanted to make a shrimp meatball recipe as well. I was experimenting with different flavors and also the way to make shrimp meatballs gluten free. At the end, I settled on the shrimp scampi flavors because it’s so classic and goes beautifully with shrimp.
It’s really easy to make meatballs gluten free by substituting bread crumbs for either GF bread crumbs or using a slice or two of GF bread. (I actually prefer a slice of bread to bread crumbs when making gluten free beef/pork meatballs.)
With shrimp meatballs, it’s a little different because adding bread wasn’t working as well. Bread crumbs work great thought, you just have to adjust the amount a little. (There is a note for GF substitution in the recipe for those who are interested.)
Tips For Making Shrimp Meatballs
- Make sure to squeeze the liquids out of the minced veggies before adding to the shrimp mixture! Your shrimp meatballs mixture should not be too thin so squeezing the liquids out is key.
- Egg, mayonnaise, and bread crumbs are important binders in meatballs, especially in delicate ones like shrimp.
- Make sure to preheat the pan first, add enough oil to the pan, and let the meatballs sear for a couple of minutes before flipping. All three parts help with meatballs not sticking to the pan. (You can also use non-stick pan.)
- To tell if the shrimp meatballs are done, press on the center of the biggest meatball. If it feels firm and bouncy, it’s done. It it still feels soft or squishy in the middle, it needs more time. (You can always cut into one to check as well.)
Storing and Reheating Recommendation
- Storing: store in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat it in the pan over medium-low heat until just warmed all the way through. You never want to overcook seafood, especially leftovers, or it will be rubbery.
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Shrimp Scampi Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Shrimp Meatballs
- 1 lb peeled and deveined raw shrimp
- 4.5 oz yellow bell pepper (1 medium pepper)
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon ZEST
- 2 Tbsp minced chives
- 1/2 Tbsp Tuscan herb seasoning ** see notes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
Sauce
- Saved juice from straining veggie mixture to add to sauce
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp minced chives
- 2 tsp Tuscan seasoning
Instructions
Shrimp Meatballs:
- Seed and chop yellow bell pepper and add it to the food processor. Peel and chop onion and add it to the food processor as well. Add garlic cloves.
- Pulse a few times until finely minced but not blended. Transfer the veggie mixture into a fine mesh strainer and set over a small bowl to catch the juices.
- Press a few times to get most of the juice out. Save the juice for the sauce and add veggie mixture into a mixing bowl.
- Add peeled and deveined shrimp into a food processor and pulse a few times, until very finely chopped, and transfer into the bowl with minced veggies.
- Add egg, seasoning, bread crumbs, salt, mayo, minced chives, and lemon zest. Mix everything very well, until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of canola oil for cooking shrimp meatballs.
- Rub your hands with a little bit of oil and roll meatballs that are about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter.
- Place meatballs into the preheated pan and cook for about 7 minutes on each side (depending on the size of the meatballs.) You can cover the pan with a lid after flipping meatballs. Meatballs should be firm to the touch but you can always break apart the biggest one to make sure it's cooked through in the center.
- Once the meatballs are just done, add pressed garlic to the pan and let it sear for a few seconds.
- Pour in white wine and let it simmer for about a minute.
- Add butter, saved juice from veggies, and seasoning. Add salt if needed. After butter melts, gently shake the pan to mix sauce ingredients well. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle with some chives as you’re serving the meatballs.
- You can serve shrimp meatballs over pasta, rice, or roasted veggies.
Notes
- Gluten Free Notes: to make these meatballs gluten free, use GF bread crumbs. I noticed that a couple of extra tablespoons are needed of the GF bread crumbs because they are not as dense as regular bread crumbs.
- Tuscan Seasoning: Tuscan seasoning can be found in most grocery stores. You can also make your own by combining dry rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley. There are recipes that can be found online.
- Storing: store in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat it in the pan over medium-low heat until just warmed all the way through. You never want to overcook seafood, especially leftovers, or it will be rubbery.
Nutrition
Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Seafood Dinner Recipes, Shrimp Dinner Recipes, Valentine's Day,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Made this for company and it was a huge success. Everyone’ loved it and I would certainly make it again.
Thank you, Lisa! I am so happy it was a success! 🙂
Yum yum yum!
No white wine
Hi, Erica! You could use grape juice or apple juice with a tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar.
this is very useful
Thanks!
Could I just serve these as an appetizer? Also I’m allergic to basil. Can I leave it out?
Hi, Kim! I think they make a great appetizer and you can just leave out the basil. I hope you like it! 🙂
I WANT TO MAKE THESE, BUT CAN NOT EAT CITRUS.. IS IT POSSIBLE TO OMIT IT?
Yes, you can leave it out.
The best shrimp balls I have ever had! Great recipe.
Thanks, Stone!
If you soak the bread crumbs in just enough water or milk you will get a more tender meat ball. Only use as much moisture as needed for the bread crumbs to be come moist almost to the point of turning into a paste. So add the moisture a little at a time.
With shrimp meatballs there is a lot more liquid so I wouldn’t recommend soaking the bread crumbs. I hope you will try it!
I made these, changes it up by wrapping bacon around them and putting them in the grill (indirect heat)
Turned out fabulous!!
Thank you
I would like to use this recipe to make stuffed lasagna rolls, with a creamy lemon white wine sauce poured on top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Hi Judith! That sounds very interesting 🙂 I would probably cook (or at least par-cook) the meatballs first. I hope you’ll let me know how it turns out!
Hi, I would like to know on the shrimp meatballs how many are per serving? nutrition facts
Oh of course, it’s 3 meatballs per serving. I got 15 meatballs out of this recipe total.
Just made these and they are amazing!!!! I had never made shrimp meatballs so I was intrigued and my whole family loved them! A nice light dish and not heavy! I served them over zucchini noodles! Great, unique, easy to follow recipe!
I love hearing that! I am definitely going to try them with zucchini noodles because I don’t eat much pasta myself 🙂