How does a recipe come about? I don’t know, I can tell you how my Fried Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs Recipe came about because mine started from recycling! Yes, how many times have you read “recycling recipe” or “recipe for recycling” and then had to add ingredient upon ingredient? In the end, there was nothing recycled about them! This, however, is the filling from my Stuffed Eggplant Boats with tuna and tomato, obviously left over from that recipe and rightly recycled into Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs! If you’ve seen the video recipe for the Stuffed Eggplant Boats you already know what I’m talking about, if you haven’t seen it, I invite you to subscribe to the YouTube Channel of Le Ricette di Bea to see it, truly a real delight!

So if we’re really talking about a recycling recipe today, I can’t propose anything better than this! Take two eggplants, or better yet three, and prepare the Stuffed Eggplants with Tuna, then whatever filling is left over, turn it into eggplant and tuna meatballs to fry, bake, or cook in an air fryer! Come on, choose the cooking method you prefer, but in my opinion, frying is always the best choice!!! Oh, if you have an air fryer let me know, I’ve never bought that hybrid oven or fryer, I don’t trust it at all. It consumes like a normal oven, doesn’t fry, and don’t tell me it has the effect of frying because no one makes our dishes shine like Father Oil does, and it’s definitely not as economical as a pan. And you need to use a paper towel to avoid making it greasy, and you need to use spray oil because you can’t use regular extra virgin olive oil, and with the 2000 watts it consumes, I’d say it’s not economical at all! So I hope this current fad passes quickly. And I’m not even opening the “Thermomix paragraph” because I could really go all out!

Before moving on to the Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs Recipe, I want to leave you with some other Meatball Recipes you’ll find on the blog, from those with ricotta to those with tuna to be baked. From Meatballs in Sauce with Olives to Fried Rice and Tuna Meatballs, super tasty and super crispy! In short, I love Meatballs so much that I’ve prepared an entire Collection of Meatball Recipes for you to read and browse anytime you want!

I also remind you that you can become a follower of the blog’s social channels of Le Ricette di Bea by choosing between the Facebook fan page by clicking here, the Instagram profile by clicking here, or the Tik Tok profile with many fun videos by clicking here!

And now enough chit-chat, let’s move on to the Recipe for which you’re here in my kitchen!!!

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Economical
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 2 people
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Summer, Autumn

2,853.95 Kcal

calories per serving

Info Close

Energy 2,853.95 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 75.11 (g) of which sugars 12.56 (g)
Proteins 41.50 (g)
Fat 269.59 (g) of which saturated 43.03 (g)of which unsaturated 216.22 (g)
Fibers 8.90 (g)
Sodium 1,572.94 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients for Fried Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs:

2 eggplants (medium-large)
2 cans tuna in water (80 grams each)
4 teaspoons cheese (grated)
5 teaspoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons tomato pulp
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
to taste parsley (fresh or dried)
1 pinch nutmeg
to taste breadcrumbs (for breading)
1 egg (for breading)
to taste vegetable oil (for frying)

Tools for Fried Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs:

1 Bowl
1 Cutting Board
1 Knife
1 Stovetop
1 Frying Pan
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Tray
2 Paper Towels
1 Small Bowl
2 Plates
1 Spoon
1 Teaspoon

Steps for Fried Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs Recipe:

Let’s start preparing the Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs, a few simple steps, and on to frying! So begin by washing the two eggplants, obviously the quantity is for two people, if you have more guests, increase the amounts. Two eggplants, two people, to make 15 to 18 eggplant meatballs. After washing the eggplants, place them on a wooden cutting board and with the help of a non-serrated knife, cut them into not too large cubes. Place the eggplant cubes directly into the bowl. Now add all the other ingredients.
Pour in two tablespoons of tomato pulp, in my case with chunks, then add the two cans of tuna in water. If you can’t find it oil-free, drain both cans beforehand. Then add the teaspoons of grated cheese, in my case an aged Grana Padano, and the teaspoons of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley, either fresh finely chopped or dried as in my case, and nutmeg if you like. For these ingredients, there isn’t a specific amount, just go by feel, and it’ll be fine. Just don’t overdo it, that’s the trick.
Now it’s time to knead, with your hands. Only in this way, as I explain in the video recipe you can find on the YouTube channel (click here to watch it) or at the top of this article, will you be able to understand if the dough is too mushy. If that’s the case, just add more breadcrumbs. Apply good pressure to the ingredients when kneading everything in the bowl.
Place a plate near you where we will arrange the eggplant and tuna meatballs as we prepare them. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. In another plate, place the breadcrumbs for the breading. Alright, let’s start! Take a portion of the dough and applying gentle pressure, shape the eggplant and tuna meatballs. Roll them first in the breadcrumbs, then in the beaten egg, and again in the breadcrumbs. Lay them out on the plate in front of you. Continue this way with each tuna and eggplant meatball.
We are finally ready for cooking, which means frying our beautiful eggplant meatballs! Pour the vegetable oil into the frying pan and turn on the stovetop burner. When the oil has reached a temperature between 320 and 356 degrees Fahrenheit, we will start frying the tuna meatballs. The right temperature to fry the eggplants is between 338 and 356 degrees. Please, if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, test with one meatball. If the oil sizzles and brings the meatball to the surface, it’s at the right temperature, while if it doesn’t sizzle, you’ll need to wait a bit longer before proceeding with the other meatballs. Fry two or three eggplant and tuna meatballs, giving them enough space in the pan to cook. Turn them with a slotted spoon. They should become beautifully golden on the outside, so they’ll be crispy and super tasty. Drain them with the slotted spoon and then place the tuna and eggplant meatballs on a tray lined with absorbent paper for frying. You can purchase the frying paper I use by clicking here.
Have you finished frying everything? Great, now it’s time to eat!!! Grab a bowl or a tray and bring these delicious Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs to the table. Serve them with some yogurt and chive sauce, find the recipe by clicking here, or with a simple mayonnaise also enriched with chives, it always goes well! Oh, and if you like, don’t forget the ketchup, it pairs wonderfully with tuna and eggplant! All that’s left is to remind you that I await you in my kitchen, or rather on my blog, with many more easy, quick, and economical recipes like this one! Enjoy your meal!!!

Storage of Eggplant and Tuna Meatballs:

So, let’s say you can’t finish the Tuna and Eggplant Meatballs, which is absolutely impossible, but it could happen, maybe you didn’t gauge between appetizers, first and second courses, let’s assume this case of a super mega feast. Well, no panic, the fried eggplant meatballs store perfectly in the refrigerator in a container with a lid for two days. Obviously, they must be really cold, then you close them and off to the fridge. They won’t lose their breading, trust me!

If instead you’re more forward-thinking and you think:

1 about eating them again during the week;

2 about preparing the eggplant meatballs for a dinner and that evening you don’t want to smell frying in the house;

3 you wake up and realize you haven’t shopped for dinner (I’m part of point three)

No panic, the perfect long-term storage solution is obviously the freezer! Always let the meatballs cool down completely at room temperature. Then place them in a suitable container for the freezer and off they go, toss them into the freezer. How many dinners have I saved thanks to my trusty freezer buddy. While having breakfast at the kitchen table, with the cat wanting to drink my milk and the dog giving me puppy eyes for a cookie, I think. Do I have dinner for tonight? So I open the Holy Grail or the famous Pandora’s Box and pull out some delicacy like this one to heat up in the evening for dinner.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Any other questions? Write them in the comments or write them in the chat, let me know what you think and if you’ve ever tried Fried Tuna and Eggplant Meatballs!!!