I dreamed this Shrimp Balls recipe up in my head for years, and I have yet to find anything like it around. I have seen some versions with Asian flavors in them, but I give mine a more classical Italian twist. They are just like making traditional Italian meatballs, just with shrimp instead of beef, veal, or pork.
The great thing about these Shrimp Balls is that you can serve them with any type of pasta you like. Whatever you have laying around in the pantry. In my photos, you see it served with Bucatini pasta, but really any pasta will work.
Ingredients
Quite possibly THE BEST part about this recipe is the EXTREMELY short ingredient list. It's also a great way to use up a leftover half an onion or finish off that parsley left in the fridge. And although I like the flavor of red onion for these Shrimp Balls, you could really use any type of onion or even a couple of shallots.
Method
On top of a super short ingredient list, they couldn't be easier to make. Plus they use minimal dishes. The food processor, a sheet pan, and a skillet.
I start by pulsing together the onion, garlic, and parsley in the bottom of the food processor until the onion and garlic are finely chopped.
Then add in the shrimp, bread crumbs, and egg and blend until well combined. I like to get it well mixed while leaving some decent chunks of shrimp if possible.
Then using a small scoop, or a couple of teaspoons to scoop out the mixture onto a sheet pan. This just makes for quick and easy portioning of the shrimp balls and makes them all evenly sized. After scooping I wet my hands and give them a quick roll between them to give them a smooth finish.
To cook the meatballs, melt some butter in a large skillet and cook some butter in it for about 30 seconds. Then add the balls and cook in batches if needed. They cook quickly and I just give the pan some gentle swirls to roll them around and cook them evenly until they pink up and lightly brown on two or three sides.
I then boil my favorite pasta, after cooking and removing all the shrimp balls, toss the pasta in the butter and garlic and a little seasoning, then add the shrimp balls back in just to warm them before serving.
Notes & Tips
If you do not have a food processor, you can still make this recipe. Start by chopping the onion and garlic as fine as you can, then chop the parsley into it. Add the shrimp to a pile on your cutting board and chop it on top of the onion/garlic mixture.
Chop everything together, running your knife back and forth on your board til everything is as small as you can get it. Then add it to a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs and egg. Then follow the remaining directions as written for portioning and cooking.
I LOVE this little scoop for making these. I know it's an investment that takes up space in your kitchen, but there are great instances where I love to use it, so I make space for it in the drawer.
After you scoop the meatballs, roll them in your hands, keep them wet when doing it for quick easy work of this. I do it right next to the sink and rinse my hands every 5-6 meatballs or so.
Substitutions
This recipe is so stripped back and basic, so I don't have many subs for you. The only thing I have is that if you need to keep the recipe dairy-free, skip the butter and use olive oil. And you can use any pasta you like, my photos showcase bucatini pasta.
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📖 Recipe
Shrimp Balls
I dreamed this Shrimp Balls recipe up in my head for years, and I have yet to find anything like it around. Mine have an Italian flair!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Parsley, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, rough chopped
- ½ small Red Onion, rough chopped
- 1 ½lb Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 lg Egg Yolk
- 1 pound Bucatini Pasta
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2-4 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, and shallot. Blend until finely chopped.
- Add the shrimp, bread crumbs, and egg yolk to the bowl, and pulse. Pulse only to combine and evenly distribute all the ingredients. It is ok if large and small pieces of shrimp remain in the mixture.
- Using a small scoop, scoop the mixture into tiny meatballs and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Boil 1 pound of your favorite pasta according to the package instructions, I like bucatini for this recipe.
- To cook the shrimp balls, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan, when melted add the garlic. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the shrimp balls to the pan. Cook in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the shrimp balls for 5-7 minutes turning and tossing until cooked through or an instant-read thermometer reads 120˚F. Give the balls a sprinkle of salt and a few cracks of black pepper over them as they cook.
- Remove the balls from the pan and toss the pasta in the butter and garlic in the bottom of the pan. Season with crushed red pepper and cracked black pepper.
- Add the cooked shrimp balls back to the pan, toss to combine, serve immediately.
Notes
Notes & Tips
If you do not have a food processor, you can still make this recipe. Start by chopping the onion and garlic as fine as you can, then chop the parsley into it. Add the shrimp to a pile on your cutting board and chop it on top of the onion/garlic mixture.
Chop everything together, running your knife back and forth on your board til everything is as small as you can get it. Then add it to a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs and egg. Then follow the remaining directions as written for portioning and cooking.
I LOVE this little scoop for making these. I know it's an investment that takes up space in your kitchen, but there are great instances where I love to use it, so I make space for it in the drawer.
After you scoop the meatballs, roll them in your hands, keep them wet when doing it for quick easy work of this. I do it right next to the sink and rinse my hands every 5-6 meatballs or so.
Substitutions
This recipe is so stripped back and basic, so I don't have many subs for you. The only thing I have is that if you need to keep the recipe dairy-free, skip the butter and use olive oil. And you can use any pasta you like, my photos showcase bucatini pasta.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 400mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
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