These Greek Lamb Meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to prepare at home! Made with ground lamb, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, and plenty of spices, they have all the delicious flavor of restaurant-quality meatballs without a ton of work. Serve them with homemade tzatziki sauce, fresh veggies, and warm pita bread for a delicious weeknight dinner!
Greek Lamb Meatballs: Flavorful, Juicy, and the Perfect for Weeknight Dinner
If you’ve ever had lamb meatballs that were dry or had an overly gamey flavor, this Greek lamb meatballs recipe is for you! I know ground lamb can sometimes have a bit of a reputation for having a slightly overpowering taste, but trust me. When you use the right combination of ingredients, it can be SO good!
The recipe is similar to my Greek chicken meatballs and Greek turkey meatballs but adapted slightly to let the lamb shine without being gamey. The secret is using plenty of fresh herbs, spices, shallot, lemon zest, and Greek yogurt.
All of those ingredients work together to balance the flavor of the lamb while still keeping the meatballs tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The result is a delicious meatball that tastes like something you’d order at your favorite Greek restaurant, but is actually easy to make at home!
Key Ingredients: How to Get Lamb Meatballs that are Juicy and Not Gamey
- Ground Lamb: you’ll need one pound of ground lamb for this recipe. Lamb has a richer, slightly stronger flavor than beef or chicken, but don’t worry! I’ve included plenty of ingredients to balance that flavor and ensure the meatballs taste delicious.
- Greek Yogurt: trust me, you don’t want to skip this! Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients to use in these meatballs because it adds moisture to keep them nice and juicy. It also adds a little tang that helps balance out the stronger flavor of the lamb. I prefer to use full-fat whole milk Greek yogurt for the best flavor, but reduced-fat also works.
- Almond Flour: a little almond flour helps to keep the meatballs moist and prevent them from being dense. If you don’t need to keep the meatballs gluten-free, you can use regular breadcrumbs instead.
- Spices: cumin and oregano add bold flavor while red pepper flakes add just a little kick of heat. All of the spices in this recipe help balance the richness of the meat and make sure every bite is full of flavor!
- Fresh Herbs: fresh dill and mint are a must in this recipe. They add bright, fresh flavor which cuts through the richness of the lamb.
- Shallot and Garlic: I like using shallot here because it has a slightly milder, sweeter taste than regular onion, which works really well with the lamb. Be sure to mince everything finely so that it mixes in nicely with the lamb.
- Lemon Zest: this is another must-have ingredient you don’t want to skip! Again, we’re adding ingredients that cut through richness and help balance the flavor of the meatballs and the lemon zest does this!
How to Make these Meatballs and All My Favorite Tips
Ashlea’s Pro-Tips
- I like to use a cookie dough scoop to portion out the mixture so all the meatballs are roughly the same size and cook evenly. You can also lightly wet your hands before rolling to keep the mixture from sticking!
- Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet! I recommend working in batches if needed so the meatballs have plenty of room to brown.
- I also like to use a meat thermometer to make sure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
All About Serving (the Possibilities are Endless!)
One of my favorite things about these Greek lamb meatballs is how versatile they are! They’re delicious on their own, but I really love pairing them with fresh veggies, herbs, and a creamy sauce for good measure.
- Stuff them in a pita! This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy these meatballs. I like to warm up some pita bread and fill it with the meatballs, fresh cucumber, tomato, red onion, dill, mint, and crumbled feta cheese. Then, I add a generous dollop of tzatziki sauce to bring everything together.
- Make a salad or grain bowl. I love using these meatballs to make a hearty salad or grain bowl for lunch or dinner. I’ll start with a bed of romaine or mixed greens and add fresh tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta, and whatever other veggies I have on hand. You can also add a scoop of quinoa or garlic rice to make things a little heartier. Finish everything with tzatziki, hummus, or my lemon garlic tahini sauce for extra flavor!
- Serve them as an appetizer. These meatballs also make a great appetizer or party snack! If I’m serving a crowd, I like to make a double batch and set out some tzatziki and tahini yogurt sauce for dipping. They’re easy to grab and always a fun addition to the table.
I hope you give these Greek Lamb Meatballs a try! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
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Juicy Greek Lamb Meatballs (not gamey!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Greek Lamb Meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to prepare at home! Made with ground lamb, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, and plenty of spices, they have all the delicious flavor of restaurant-quality meatballs without a ton of work.
Serve them with homemade tzatziki sauce, fresh veggies, and warm pita bread for a delicious weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking the meatballs
For Serving
- tzatziki sauce
- cubed feta
- fresh dill and mint
- pita bread
- cucumber
- tomato
- red onion
Instructions
- Add the meatball ingredients to a small mixing bowl and use your hands to mix until well combined. Next, use a cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the lamb mixture and use your hands to form it into meatballs.
- When the meatballs are formed, heat a large skillet over medium heat and then add a tablespoon of oil. Next add the meatballs to the hot skillet and cook for roughly 4-5 minutes per side until browned and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Serve the meatballs with tzatziki sauce, feta, fresh herbs, cucumber, tomato, and red onion.
Notes
Baking Option: If you’d rather skip the stovetop, you can bake these Greek lamb meatballs instead. Just place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet that’s been lightly sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Store: transfer leftover meatballs to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: these meatballs are great for freezing, which is why I love making a double batch! You can freeze the uncooked meatball mixture in a freezer-safe storage bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing. When you’re ready to cook, let the mixture thaw in the fridge before forming the meatballs and cooking as directed.
You can also freeze the cooked meatballs! Just let them cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat: to reheat the meatballs from frozen, place them in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake at 300°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. You can also let them thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Photography: Sasha Hooper
These meatballs took quite a while to prep, but they were so worth it as my family of eight loved them!!
I made these for dinner and they were delicious! I ended up baking them for 15 min at 400 degrees like the recipe suggested. And I used breadcrumbs! i stuffed them in pitas with tzatziki, tomatoes, lettuce and hummus! One small piece of feedback I have is that I was a bit confused about the 1-2 tbsps olive oil at the beginning of the recipe. I didn’t know if I should add it to the meatball mixture or if it was to be used for frying the meatballs on the stovetop. I added one tbsp of olive oil to the lamb mixture just in case since I wasn’t frying in olive oil on the stove.