Tuna meatballs with caramelized onions, Traditional and Bimby Recipe.
A sure hit as an appetizer, but also a main course to leave everyone speechless.
Today I will offer you both the classic cooking method and the Bimby method, which you’ll find at the end of the recipe.
Imagine an explosion of flavors in your mouth, the freshness and sweetness of the Tropea red onion combined with the sweet and sour of balsamic vinegar, and the richness of the tuna meatballs.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 463.63 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.38 (g) of which sugars 12.18 (g)
- Proteins 24.08 (g)
- Fat 23.48 (g) of which saturated 5.56 (g)of which unsaturated 5.41 (g)
- Fibers 2.89 (g)
- Sodium 436.78 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 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
Tuna meatballs with caramelized onions
- 10.5 oz tuna (fresh in steaks)
- 1 egg
- 1.25 cups breadcrumbs (seasoned Sicilian style)
- 2.8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Some as needed water
- as needed pepper
- as needed salt
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 17.5 oz Tropea red onion (sliced 0.4 inches thick)
- 2 tsp brown sugar (or 1 teaspoon of stevia or erythritol)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 10 leaves mint
Tuna meatballs with caramelized onions
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Pans
- 1 Plate serving
Preparations for Both Cooking Methods
Let’s go to the kitchen
Slice the onions very finely, then put them in a pan together with the sugar or sweetener and vinegar, cook for about 10 minutes then stir. If they have dried too much, you can add a cup of water.
Continue cooking until they are softened.
Have your fishmonger cut some steaks, remove their skin and bones.
Then finely chop it with a knife, or use a chopper not too finely otherwise the meatballs become tough.
Put the chopped tuna in a large bowl with eggs, seasoned Sicilian-style breadcrumbs, pepper, and salt, and mix. If the mixture seems a bit tough, you can add a few tablespoons of water and oil.
At this point, moisten your hands and form the meatballs, which should be no more than 0.8 inches in diameter.
Now add some extra virgin olive oil to a pan and fry the meatballs for about 1 minute on each side. Once cooked, drain the excess oil.
Then place them in the pan with the caramelized onions. Mix gently for 2 minutes on the heat, then arrange the tuna meatballs with caramelized onions on a serving plate, add a few mint leaves here and there, let it cool slightly, and serve.
Put the extra virgin olive oil and onions in the cup, set High Temperature for 15 min
Add water, sugar or sweetener, and salt. Bring to the bottom of the cup and cook: 6 min/248°F/reverse/cup speed.
Add the balsamic vinegar, place the splash guard instead of the measuring cup, and cook for 2 min at 248°F, reverse, cup speed.
Then pour the caramelized onions into a baking dish, then wash and dry the cup.
Cut the tuna steaks into pieces and chop for 10 seconds at speed 5. Repeat the operation until you get the ideal consistency like ground meat. Gather with the spatula.
Now add the egg, the Sicilian-style seasoned breadcrumbs, and mix for 1 minute reverse speed 4. Gather with the spatula. If the mixture seems a bit tough, you can add a few tablespoons of water and oil.
At this point, moisten your hands and make the meatballs, which should be no more than 0.8 inches in diameter.
Now decide whether to cook them in a pan or with Varoma.
Add some extra virgin olive oil to a pan and fry the meatballs for about 1 minute on each side.
Once cooked, drain the excess oil.
If you want to cook them with Varoma, wash the cup and pour in 500 g of water. Place the meatballs between the Varoma and its tray and cook for 20 min. Varoma temperature speed 1.
At the end of cooking, combine the meatballs with the caramelized onions in the baking dish or on a serving plate. Add a few mint leaves here and there, let it cool slightly, and serve.
Tuna meatballs with caramelized onions
They can be served both hot and cold.
The dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and, if the fish was not previously frozen, it can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
The tuna can be replaced with any type of fish, bluefish is ideal.
If you want to enrich the dish even more, you can add some previously toasted almond crumbs.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I enrich the caramelized onions?
Yes, I’ll give you the recipe for Eolian-style caramelized onions, click here


