Easy Lamb Meatballs Recipe
This Lamb Meatballs Recipe is super delicious, moist, and so easy to make. Perfect to serve as an appetizer or as a main with your favorite pairings. I love that these meatballs are so versatile, and the flavor is phenomenal with no gaminess. If you love Middle Eastern or Asian dishes, you're going to love this easy lamb meatballs recipe.
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Meatballs are one of my go-to dishes when I have a pack of ground meat. They are super easy and very versatile. You can change the seasonings and make them with different flavors. You can serve them with a sauce as an appetizer, serve with pasta, over rice, use it for sandwiches, or as a pizza topping. So many ways.
Testing the seasonings
Take a tiny lump of meat and cook it in a pan, and taste it (no need to add oil). If you feel like adding more salt or spices, adjust the seasonings accordingly.
I always do this for all of my raw meat mixtures. Because I don't want to make meatballs from all the meat and later find out that they are lacking seasonings. And this way I can make them spicy if I want, add more flavorings if I feel like it.
Tips for juicy lamb meatballs:
The amount of fat in the meat you choose heavily matters when you want to make moist and juicy lamb meatballs. I usually go for 80% lean 20% fat. This has enough fat to keep the meatballs juicy but not too fatty that they feel greasy, and it renders too much fat, and the meatballs shrink in volume.
Also, make sure not to overcook your meatballs. I always use my instant thermometer to make sure that they are perfectly cooked in the middle. The cooked temperature for lamb meatballs is 160°F / 71°C.
Do not over-mix the meat mixture. This is one of the most common mistakes people make when they make meatballs. Overmixing makes the meat rubbery and dense by tightening the meat fibers. The more you work, the rubberier the meatballs become. So mix it just enough until the ingredients are mixed through to keep your lamb meatballs soft, juicy and moist.
When you shape the meatballs, do not press them too hard. You need to gently press it until it shapes into a ball. I usually use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the meat mixture. This helps to make uniformly sized meatballs and it also makes it easier to shape them.
Serving Ideas:
I love to serve these lamb meatballs with yellow rice, tzatziki or yogurt sauce, with some fresh salad or cut up cucumbers.
It's great as an appetizer too. You can spread some seasoned yogurt or your favorite sauce on a platter and then plate the meatballs on top. Or serve the meatballs on spring greens and drizzle with some garlic sauce or tzatziki and top with pomegranate seeds.
You can also use them for sandwiches with your favorite marinara. They are amazing as a pizza topping. Great for wraps and pita.
I hope you try my easy lamb meatballs recipe. It's super delicious and comes together so quickly. My family loves it when I make it, and I hope you love it too.
This Lamb Meatballs Recipe is super delicious, moist, and so easy to make. Perfect to serve as an appetizer or as a main with your favorite pairings.
- 1 lb Minced lamb (I use 80% lean)
- 1/2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Paprika (you can use cayenne if you like heat)
- 1/2 tsp Granulated garlic/garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Large eggs
- 1/4 cup Traditional breadcrumbs/ Panko
- 1 green onion, finely chopped (1 green onion = about 2 tbsp when chopped)
- 1/2 tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)
- 2 tsp Cooking oil
Add everything except oil (lamb, tomato paste, paprika, garlic powder, cumin powder, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, green onion, salt) to a large bowl. Mix well until everything is nicely combined. (but do not over-mix as this leads to dense meatballs)
optional but after mixing the meat mixture I usually cook a small lump of meat to taste the seasonings. And then adjust the seasonings as needed.
Oil your hands liberally to make it easier to handle meat. Now divide the meat mixture into 12 portions (you can use an ice cream scoop for this) and shape them into meatballs by pressing them gently with your hands. Put them on an oiled or parchment paper-covered plate.
Bring a pan to medium heat. Add oil, and when the oil is heated, place the meatballs. Let them brown on one side first. Then turn them and fry until all the sides are brown and cooked through, turning them every few minutes. This will take about 8 minutes. When cooked, remove to a plate, let them rest for 5 minutes before serve.
Test with an instant thermometer to make sure the meatballs are cooked all the way through. The cooked temperature for meatballs is: 160F / 71C
