These shrimp meatballs with garlic aioli make for the perfect unique entertaining recipe that guests will love (every time I’ve made these the plate was cleared!)

So I have to ask a question…are there certain things that you just cannot pass up at parties in terms of food? For me, it’s meatballs.

If I see food in meatball form, I just HAVE to try it.

If we’re being honest, It’s not just at parties. I love trying different kinds of meatballs anytime.

It was right before we were going to have some people over and I was getting some popcorn shrimp out that I was going to make and serve (you know how much I love Gorton’s Seafood – these 5 ingredient fish stick wraps are always an awesome fast meal) and since I had two boxes, I thought I’d try something creative with one of them.

As the shrimp was baking, I was excitedly telling my husband what my plans were: that I was going to make shrimp meatballs for an appetizer. He gave me a look that said he was skeptical, at best lol.

I proceeded, undeterred.

The end result was amazing. Shrimp meatballs are like an elevated crab cake, but in fun meatball size with delicious flavors – and the garlic aioli on top is the perfect finish.

These shrimp meatballs are SO GOOD, that when I gave my husband one to try, he said jokingly “let me have another one, just to make sure I really like them”…then he proceeded to eat  10 meatballs lol. Thankfully I had a second box of popcorn shrimp, so I just whipped up another batch before guests arrived.

The next time you’re need of an impressive and unique party appetizer, I’d totally recommend making these shrimp meatballs with garlic aioli!

Yield: 14-24 meatballs

Shrimp Meatballs with Garlic Aioli Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes

Total Time 37 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box (14 oz) Gorton's popcorn shrimp
• 1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• For the garlic aioli:
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

To make the shrimp meatballs: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Bake popcorn shrimp for 12 minutes, remove from oven.

Put cooked popcorn shrimp and remaining ingredients (old bay, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice) in a food processor and process until well combined (I processed mine for 30 seconds, scrapped down the sides and then processed for another 10 seconds.)

Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or your hand to form tablespoon size meatballs with contents of the food processor. Put formed meatballs onto lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and rotate/flip meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes, then remove from oven.

While the meatballs are baking, make the garlic aioli by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and stirring well. Transfer sauce into a piping bag, or into a ziplock bag and then cut of the corner to make it function like a piping bag.

When meatballs are done, arrange them on a plate and squeeze a little aioli onto each meatball, serve remaining aioli on the side for dipping, enjoy!