One-pan Tuna Meatballs in Green Chile Tomato Sauce

One-pan Tuna Meatballs in Green Chile Tomato Sauce – Not your ordinary tuna meatballs packed with amazing flavors and textures and served in rustic green chile tomato sauce all cooked in one pan.

One-pan Tuna Meatballs in Green Chile Tomato Sauce

This post is sponsored by Bella Portofino Tuna but all opinions are of my own.

I am thrilled to partner up with Bella Portofino Tuna to bring you this one-pan tuna meatballs in green chile tomato sauce recipe. Meatballs get lots of love in our house. So when Bella Portofino reached out for a sponsorship to create recipe using their high-quality tuna packed in E.V.O.O., I immediately thought of tuna meatballs. This one-pan tuna meatballs in green chile tomato sauce is one of our favorites. It’s one-pan and you get the family to eat tuna without them even noticing it!

Have you tried Bella Portofino Tuna packed in E.V.O.O. yet? In case you haven’t, boy, I love how it tastes. The tuna fillet tastes so mellow and tender. My husband couldn’t even recognize the taste of tuna in the meatballs! He thought I was using something else.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BELLA PORTOFINO TUNA
High-quality tuna
They are made with high-quality hand-selected wild-caught Albacore and Yellowfin Tuna
No funky ingredients
You only see wild-caught tuna, E.V.O.O., and sea salt. Simple as that, but it works!
Packed in E.V.O.O.
This really changes things up and give you that smooth and tender fillet I mentioned earlier

May is Mediterranean Diet month and this one-pan tuna meatballs in green chile tomato sauce fits right in.
They are made with Bella Portofino Tuna packed in E.V.O.O. and the rustic green chile tomato sauce is made with fresh produce, which are the key components in the Mediterranean diet.

WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE ABOUT THIS ONE-PAN TUNA MEATBALLS IN GREEN CHILI TOMATO SAUCE
1. Only one-pan needed
2. Tender tuna meatballs with a great contrast of texture from chopped macadamia nuts (oh yes!)
3. Rustic and flavorful green chile tomato sauce (you can make it not spicy too)

Whether you are serving them straight from the pan…

..or on a serving platter, you will discover those tuna meatballs disappear quickly.

Bella Portofino‘s take on the old-world approach with flavor inspires me to think beyond just tuna salad. It is so perfect for making these tuna meatballs because of its tender texture. Such a simple change of using E.V.O.O. for the tuna really changes everything. Well, don’t just take my words for it, you should try it to know what I mean.

Visit here for more recipe inspiration using Bella Portofino Tuna. You won’t regret it!

Here is a short video to show you how to make this One-pan Tuna Meatballs in Green Chile Tomato Sauce.

One-Pan Tuna Meatballs in Green Chile Tomato Sauce

Servings 4 servings

Please rate the recipe if you have tried it!

REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

0.5x1x2x

Meatballs:

• ▢ 3 cans Bella Portofino Tuna 4.5 oz each can
• ▢ ⅓ cup macadamia nuts chopped
• ▢ ½ cup bread crumbs
• ▢ 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ ¼ cup parsley leaves finely chopped

Green chili tomato sauce:

• ▢ 1 small onion peeled, quartered
• ▢ 14 oz Roma tomatoes quartered
• ▢ 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• ▢ 1 large red bell peppers cored and diced
• ▢ 3 large jalapeno peppers you can omit if prefer not spicy
• ▢ 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar more to taste
• ▢ ¼ tsp sugar
• ▢ Salt to taste

Garnish:

• ▢ Small bunch parsley leaves finely chopped

Instructions

 

Make the meatballs:

• Empty Bella Portofino Tuna into a mixing bowl along with the oil. Flake the meatballs with a fork. Add chopped macadamia nuts, breadcrumbs, eggs, and parsley leaves. Use a clean hand to mix and scrunch everything until you can form meatballs without them falling apart. If it's too dry, add a bit of oil. If it's too wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs

Shape the meatballs:

• Prepare a bowl of clean water. Wet your hands and then shape the tuna mixture into about 3-inch meatballs. Your wet hands will help to keep the meatballs surface smooth. Let the meatballs rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator while preparing the sauce

Brown the meatballs:

• Preheat a large pan with 2 Tbsp cooking oil. Arrange the meatballs in the pan, try not to overcrowd the pan and cook them over medium heat. Do this in batches if necessary. Let them brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside

Make the sauce:

• Place tomato and onion in a food processor and chop them. In the same pan you brown the meatballs earlier, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Add bell peppers and jalapeno peppers (if using). Saute until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and tomatoes. Continue to let it simmer for the next 15 minutes or until everything is soft. Add apple cider vinegar and sugar. Season with salt to taste. If the sauce is too thick, you can add about 1/3 cup of water to thin it out a bit. The sauce should be savory with some hint of tangy, spicy, and sweet
• While the sauce is gently simmering, add the meatballs back  to the green chili tomato sauce, cover and let them cook for another 5 minutes or until the meatballs cooked through

Serving:

• You can serve the meatballs straight in the pan or transfer them to serving platter. Garnish the meatballs with chopped parsley leaves. Serve immediately

Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bella Portofino Tuna.