Greek Lamb Meatballs with a Fresh Lemon and Herb Yoghurt

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Tender, melt in the mouth, succulent lamb meatballs seasoned with paprika, cumin, coriander and lightened and brightened with fresh mint, oregano parsley and zesty lemon. Oven-baked for ease of cooking and to reduce the amount of oil needed, they are delicious served as part of a mezze, alongside a barbecue or as a meal in their own right.

Served here with a fresh lemon and herb yoghurt, they also work perfectly with hummus, flatbreads, rice, Greek salad, tzatziki, potatoes, feta and cous cous.

Do I have to use lamb to make these meatballs?

Lamb is naturally a very fatty meat and as such it is perfect for meatballs; they will remain moist and shouldn’t dry out when you cook them. However, if you are not a fan of lamb, these meatballs are also delicious with beef mince. If using beef, choose mince with a 20% fat content. The flavours would also work well with pork, veal or chicken, but I have yet to try them in this recipe. As these meats tend to be less fatty, you would need to be diligent about not overcooking them, or they could dry out.

Greek Lamb Meatballs with a Fresh Lemon and Herb Yoghurt

Collect the ingredients together:

Greek Meatballs –

• red onion, peeled and finely chopped – I use my mini food processor but you can also chop it by hand
• olive oil, divided
• garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or finely chopped – I also throw these in the food processor
• breadcrumbs, ideally panko, or make your own. Simply blitz some bread in a food processor or rub it between your fingers.
• minced lamb (or use beef mince with 20% fat. See above for more information)
• lemon zest
• paprika powder
• cumin powder
• coriander powder
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• egg
• chopped fresh mint
• chopped fresh oregano or use dried oregano
• chopped fresh parsley

Lemon and Herb yoghurt –

• Greek yoghurt or a mix of yoghurt and blended feta or goat’s cheese. You could also use plain natural yoghurt.
• olive oil – as good quality as possible
• lemon juice
• fresh mint
• fresh oregano (or dried oregano at a push)
• fresh parsley
• fresh dill
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper

To serve –

• Harissa
• Greek Herby Rice
• Flatbreads or pitta bread
• Greek salad
• Sliced tomatoes, pepper and cucumber
• Tabbouli
• Cous cous salad
• Feta cheese crumbs
• Hummus

How to make these fabulous meatballs:

1. Place a cast-iron/oven-proof frying pan in the oven to heat up. Finely chop the onion; I do this in a food processor. Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a frying pan, over a moderate heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs.
3. Measure/weigh all the remaining meatball ingredients, except the fresh herbs, into a mixing bowl, with the onion, garlic and bread crumbs, and mix thoroughly. The easiest way to do this is with your hands.
4. Chop the fresh herbs and mix in. (N.B. I chop the fresh herbs for the meatballs at the same time as the herbs for the herby yoghurt. Simply chop at the same time and mix half with the meat mix and half into the yoghurt.)
5. Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to measure out roughly 20 meatballs. Roll the balls using wet hands, to neaten them. (The diameter of my small ice cream scoop measures 4cm and holds 20ml.)
6. Take the hot pan out of the oven and pour in the remaining oil, ensuring it covers the base of the pan. Add the meatballs and, either roll them in the oil or use a pastry brush to ensure they are covered in the oil. They are quite soft and delicate, so I find it is easier to use a pastry brush.
7. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 10 – 20 minutes or until just cooked through. This will depend on size: I cook mine for 15 minutes.
8. Serve with the fresh herby yoghurt and your choice of accompaniments.

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How to make the Fresh Herby Yoghurt

1. Mix the yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper well.
2. Finely chop the herbs and stir into the yoghurt mix.
3. Serve drizzled with a good quality olive oil.

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Made this recipe?

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