Meatballs aren’t just Italian food anymore! These lamb meatballs are made with Greek seasoning and cilantro. Cooked in a fresh spicy tomato sauce they are the perfect tapas dish, main course, or party appetizer.
I always think of meatballs being an Italian food to eat with pasta, and I’ve recently had some great meatballs at Table & Main and Osteria Mattone in Roswell, Georgia.
Ever since then I have been dreaming of making my own lamb meatballs. Lamb gives the meatballs a distinct flavor that can’t be denied!
Lamb Meatballs
On our last trip to Phoenix, I had the pleasure of eating at St. Francis. St. Francis’ lamb meatballs had cinnamon and other spices that I don’t really associate with Italian food.
But they were very intriguing, delicious, and enticed me to try some other flavors in the meatball itself.
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This recipe brings in some Mediterranean flavors and some Greek yogurt to cool the spice in them! Greek seasoning has a combination of oregano, garlic, onion, and mint.
Adding fresh mint to these meatballs will add another level of flavor. I added cilantro to mine because that is a flavor that most of my friends like.
They are even great for breakfast the next day or early morning after a night on the town! I hope you enjoy the flavor profile and inspire you to try some new flavors with your meatballs.
If you like these, try my homemade frozen meatballs that you can prep and store for later!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
These lamb meatballs are easy to prep and can be made in advance and placed in a crock pot if necessary!
If you want some Paleo lamb meatballs, just omit the breadcrumbs and the slider rolls. Feel free to substitute almond meal in place of breadcrumbs but I think they are fine without it!
If you like lamb in general like we do, then check out these No-Fail Grilled Lamb Chops from West Via Midwest!
Meatballs also make great sliders! I served these on adorable mini forks for a fun touch.
How do you eat your lamb meatballs? On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese? From a crock pot with a jelly glaze?
The only limit is your imagination when it comes to cocktail meatballs. Want more recipes? Check out this list!
To see the rest of the list of 40+ Best Meatball Appetizers check out this post.
Looking to make these a full meal? Check out What to Serve with Meatballs for delicious side dish ideas.
More Easy Appetizers
- Screaming Goat Lamb Sliders
- BBQ Meatballs (Crockpot)
- Gyro Nachos
- Honey Mustard Meatballs
- Walking Gyros
Lamb Meatballs
These lamb meatballs are packed with flavor and can be served by themselves, on pasta or rice, or on a toasted roll to make a slider!
Ingredients
For the Lamb Meatballs
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Greek Seasoning
- 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (minced and cooked)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 3 red chilies (I used dried ones that I split open or you can omit these all together)
- salt for seasoning
- pepper
- 4 cups water
- Greek yogurt for topping
Instructions
Make the lamb meatballs
- Mix the pork, lamb, bread crumbs, salt, and Greek seasoning just to combine.
- Scoop meat into meatballs, rolling slightly without over-working.
- Heat olive oil in a pan until shimmering.
- Brown the meatballs without cooking all the way through.
- Remove from pan saving the fat in the pan.
Make the sauce
- Add onions, garlic, spice, chilies, and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add water.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Return meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Toast bread to your liking.
- Assemble meatball sliders using the Greek yogurt as a topping if you like.
Notes
*If you like this recipe, leave me a comment and rate it with some stars!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 699mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 14g
This nutrition information was generated via a third party, Nutritionix, and can not be held liable for any discrepancies in the information provided.
These meatballs were inspired by April Bloomfield’s meatball recipe from “A Girl and Her Pig,” Canongate.
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Mini Greek Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Sauce | Tara Teaspoon
Tuesday 21st of July 2020
[…] Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs in Spicy Sauce […]
Monika M.
Wednesday 8th of January 2020
These were a new family favorite served over zucchini noodles. Thanks for the great recipe - and the Greek seasoning one too!
Jennifer
Saturday 11th of January 2020
So glad you liked it!
Julie @ Texan New Yorker
Friday 26th of February 2016
OMG, these look fantastic!! I adore cooking with ground lamb, and they do make perfect meatballs. I love the Mediterranean spin here, such great, clean flavors!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free
Thursday 25th of February 2016
Those meatballs look positively inspired! So much warmth and flavor - pinned these to trial later!
chubcheeks@bellsouth.net
Thursday 3rd of March 2016
Thank you Alisa! I was surprised by cinnamon!
Nutmeg Nanny
Thursday 25th of February 2016
These meatballs look fabulous! They are the perfect appetizer or dinner :)
chubcheeks@bellsouth.net
Thursday 3rd of March 2016
I could even eat them for breakfast!