These Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki are an easy weekday dinner recipe! Serve them with some rice, maybe my favorite greek feta fries or a Chopped Greek Salad and dinner is served.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I've made these Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki for Greek Easter the last few years (minus yesterday as I was traveling) and they are always a hit! I’ve been a personal fan of Greek Easter for exactly 11 years. Never mind the fact that I am in fact 30% Greek yet never celebrated growing up!! It wasn’t until one of my best friends from college (who is full Greek) invited me to her house for Greek Easter… you guys, I’ve never looked back. It’s hands down one of the most delicious holidays out there.
The meatballs are pretty straightforward as far as meatballs go. You have almost all the ingredients at home is my guess. The lamb and the mint are a flavor combo you’ll be obsessed with so if you’re game for lamb, go for it! If not, you could easily sub any other ground meat in this recipe and it will still be delish. The secret in literally in the sauce. The feta Tzatziki is truly what dreams are made of. I want to slather this all over every recipe for the foreseeable future. It’s that good. You can also take a little inspiration from the chicken gyros and assemble these in pitas with lettuce and tomatoes if you have leftovers, or just because.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Lamb- Not a fan of lamb? You can easily sub ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey in this recipe and it will still be delish.
- Red Onion- If you don't have a red onion on hand you could swap it for a shallot, yellow onion, or sweet onion.
- Garlic Cloves
- Flat-Leaf Parsley- While you could sub out dried herbs for the fresh herbs, it’s not quite the same. So I’d encourage you to use the fresh herbs if you can find them!
- Mint
- Egg
- Panko Breadcrumbs- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- Salt & Pepper
- Yogurt
- Feta
- Dill
- Cucumber
- Lemon Juice
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below
How to Make Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki
Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to broil. Then in a medium bowl, combine lamb with all of the meatball ingredients.
Step 2: Form the meat into golf ball sized balls. Place the meatballs two inches apart on the baking sheet, and position the baking sheet a few inches from the heat source and broil for about five minutes, turning once halfway through.
Step 3: For the tzatziki sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, parsley, and cucumber.
Step 4: Serve alongside the meatballs for dipping.
How to Store This Recipe
To store this recipe, place leftover meatballs in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. When ready to eat again, heat the meatballs in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute.
Similar to the meatballs, the tzatziki sauce can be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days.
To freeze the meatballs, store them in a plastic baggie for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the tzatziki sauce, however, there is a chance the texture and consistency will be changed after thawed.
Tips & Tricks
- The Trick to Tender Meatballs - Eggs and breadcrumbs are the trick to tender meatballs. They act as a binder and ensure that as the lamb meatballs cook they don't loose too much moisture and end up tough and dry.
- Broil vs. Fry - Don't fry your meatballs, broiling them takes 5 minutes, keeps your stove clean, and ensures you still get a nice brown crust.
- Feta Tzatziki - The secret to this recipe in literally in the sauce. The feta Tzatziki is truly what dreams are made of and not to be missed. I want to slather this all over every recipe for the foreseeable future. It’s that good.
FAQs
What to eat with lamb meatballs?
If you're wondering what to serve with lamb meatballs a Chopped Greek Salad, rice, pita bread, and tzatziki would all pair well.
What is lamb meatballs made of?
Lamb meatballs are made with a few ingredients ground lamb, red onion, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, mint, egg, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
Related Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh mint minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 Persian cucumbers small dice
- 1 lemon juiced, plus more if needed
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ cup feta
- chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- In a medium bowl, combine lamb with all of the meatball ingredients. Form the meat into golf ball sized balls. Place the meatballs two inches apart on the baking sheet, and position the baking sheet a few inches from the heat source. Broil for about 5-7 minutes, turning once halfway through. Alternatively you can bake these at 425 for 8-10 minutes.
- Combine the ingredients for the feta tzatziki. Serve alongside the meatballs for dipping.
Notes
- The lamb and the mint are a flavor combo you’ll be obsessed with so if you’re game for lamb, go for it! If not, you could easily sub ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey in this recipe and it will still be delish.
We add cumin to the lamb but otherwise LOVE these. This dinner is a huge hit with our 6 and 9 year old kids, and the leftovers (we double the recipe) make for a great packed lunch.
Fantastic! Lovely soft tender tasty meatballs. And the sauce is amazing, although maybe next time I won't put a much lemon... the one I had was quite large. Family of 5 are 2x the recipe with couscous (made using chicken stock with grape tomatoes and lemon juice) and streamed brocolini.
Yum!
My meatballs needed more salt but overall a hit! That tzatziki is the best I’ve ever had and so easy, I made it in the few minutes it took to broil the meatballs!
AMAZING recipe! I made a huge batch and froze half. My 4 kids loved it and I will make this again and again!
I made these as written and they were a hit around the family, from youngest to oldest. Being a soccer coach, I work in the afternoons and evenings. I made these during the day and kept them in the fridge, along with a simple tomato/cucumber/red onion salad. I also cut up pita and brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. When I got home from training, I popped the meatballs in the oven for 5 min, followed by the pita for a min to toast it, and dinner was ready! Next time I will try with ground turkey or chicken. Thank you for a a quick, weeknight recipe that can be prepped in advance and goes beyond the normal pasta/casserole/slow cooker dish (not that I have anything against those!).
I want to give TEN STARS. I made the greek chopped salad as well. What a wonderful dinner. I did cheat and used tzatziki from Trader Joes and added the feta. I also did not broil the meatballs- instead roasted at high temp (and probably overcooked a tiny bit but who cares when the taste is so good).
YUM... had left overs for lunch yesterday. Oh so good.
Delicious. I made mixture ahead and refrigerated it. Cooked them in the airfyer 12 to 14 minutes at 380. Served with an orzo Greek salad tzatiki and naan.
Ooooh, this sounds like the perfect summer meal. Light and delicious!
These are incredibly delicious. We actually grill them in a grill basket and they are even better.
omg love that! will try it asap
I would love to know how long you grilled them for. I don't have a broiler and no baking time is given for the recipe.
Hi Gaby. . .
What do you suggest serving with the meatballs and tzatziki?
I just serve it with pita or with a little bit of rice and my butter lettuce salad on the side!
I saw this recipe in the email today and made it for dinner tonight! It sounded great (and easy!) and it was both. So flavorful. This will definitely be added to the weeknight rotation.
The recipe directions are a little spare—it would be better to divide the ingredient list by meatball and tzatziki—but it works out as written.
good catch!! fixed and thank you!
Hi Gaby,
Looks delicious, I only wish I liked lamb.
Can I substitute pork or beef instead?
Love all your recipes. I recently made your pork meatballs with mint bowl and it was delicious. Everyone loved it. For dessert I made your blondies snickerdoodle brownie. Also delicious!
Many thanks for your recipes.
Lucy
YES!! you absolutely can