An easy recipe for baked lamb meatballs. Served with a tasty yogurt sauce, they are wonderfully flavorful!
This easy recipe relies on the inherently bold flavor of lamb. Simply mix in a few spices, form into meatballs, and bake. Dipped in mint yogurt sauce, these meatballs are absolutely delicious!
Another advantage of this easy recipe is that leftovers taste really good – just as good as when freshly made.
Not everyone likes lamb
I really like lamb and find it a refreshing change from the ubiquitous beef. Although I usually opt for using ground beef, sometimes I crave the bold flavor of lamb.
Except for our youngest daughter, the Picky Eater, everyone in my family loves these meatballs. I often double the recipe to ensure I have leftovers for the next day or two!
The ingredients you’ll need to make lamb meatballs
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Greek yogurt: It’s best to use plain full-fat yogurt.
Fresh mint leaves: I tried one time to use basil instead, and decided that mint is much better.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is best.
Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use. A teaspoon of kosher salt weighs less than a teaspoon of regular salt
Ground lamb: I use a lean mixture of 85% lean and 15% fat.
Spices: Onion powder, ground cumin, and coriander. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
How to make lamb meatballs
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
To make the yogurt sauce, simply process the first five ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Then set aside until ready to serve.
Next, make the meatballs. Mix the ground lamb with salt, pepper, and spices. Shape into 20 meatballs.
Bake them on a parchment or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, about 15 minutes at 400°F.
Why bake them instead of frying?
I like to bake the meatballs because it’s the easiest method, in my opinion, for cooking meatballs. I actually like baking in general. It’s a hands-off cooking method that does not involve constant stirring and adjusting.
What to serve with lamb meatballs?
They’re actually great with many sides, but I almost always serve them with roasted cherry tomatoes. The flavors go really well together, and I can cook both dishes in the same oven. Another classic side dish is eggplant.
As for the topping, sometimes when I don’t have the ingredients for the mint yogurt sauce, I serve them with tahini sauce or with homemade hummus.
What to do with the leftovers?
Leftovers keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave on 50% power prior to serving.
I’ll go ahead and admit that I sometimes eat them cold, dipped in the yogurt sauce or in tahini sauce!
More tasty meatball recipes
Not everyone likes the bold flavor of lamb. So if these lamb meatballs are not your thing, may I suggest you try a few of my beef meatballs recipes? Simple baked meatballs and spicy meatballs are always a big hit when I make them. And if beef is not your thing either, how about these juicy turkey meatballs?
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Lamb Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
Sauce:
- 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt (I used Fage 5%)
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil spray.
- Prepare the sauce by processing all its ingredients in the food processor. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the meatballs ingredients. Form into 20 meatballs, each weighing about 1 oz.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve the baked lamb meatballs immediately, with the yogurt sauce on the side.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.