Easy Mediterranean Meatballs
These Simple Mediterranean Meatballs are packed with delicious flavor! They’re quick to prepare using my time-saving chopping tip and are incredibly healthy, fitting perfectly into both Keto and Paleo diets.
Mediterranean Meatballs
These tender meatballs are bursting with aromatic herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients that will transport your taste buds to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean Sea. If you’ve never had middle eastern food before, you must try these meatballs! They’re super easy to make and take barely any effort at all! Plus, you can make a huge batch and freeze them for later, making them perfect for meal prep or quick dinners! And these lamb and beef meatballs cook in less than 15 minutes! What’s not to love?
Why You’ll Love It
Flavorful: These meatballs contain tons of Mediterranean flavors like garlic, lemon, and parsley.
Simple: This meatball recipe uses simple ingredients like ground meat, shallots, garlic, lemon, herbs, and spices to create the ultimate healthy dinner!
Easy: With only a few simple ingredients and a handful of easy-to-follow steps, you can make these delicious meatballs in no time!
Ingredients
- Ground lamb or beef (or a mix of both)
- Shallots – These can be found near the garlic and onions in the grocery store.
- Garlic cloves
- Lemon
- Flat leaf parsley
- Fresh parsley
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground cinnamon
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
- Olive oil – for cooking.
Tools
- Ice cream scoop
- Sheet pan
- Food processor or blender
- Large bowl
How to Make This Mediterranean Meatballs Recipe
Prepare the Oven and Meat Mixture
Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, take a large bowl, big enough to mix everything together, and put your ground meat in it.
Then, put the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it becomes completely smooth.
Get Ready to Roast
Line a sheet pan or any oven-safe pan with parchment paper. This makes it easier to clean up later. Then, use an ice cream scoop to place your meatball mixture on the prepared baking sheet. You don’t need to space them too far apart because they’ll shrink as they cook, unlike cookies that spread.
Roast the Meatballs
Put the sheet pan with the meatballs into the preheated oven at 450 degrees. Let them cook for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve and Garnish
Once they’re done, take them out of the oven. You can serve them immediately, maybe with some extra parsley and lemon zest for more flavor. They go great with hummus and pita bread to make a tasty meal!
Tips
- Roasting at a high temperature not only decreases your cooking time but allows them to stay moist and crispy at the same time!
- You can use any size ice cream scoop you like! I typically use a 2oz scoop, and that makes them the perfect size!
- Use a good meat thermometer to ensure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
Variations
- Get creative with the toppings to make these meatballs your own. Some great options are feta cheese, creamy tzatziki sauce, red onion, and other fresh herbs!
- If you want to add some bulk and texture to your meatballs, feel free to add some bread crumbs!
Storage
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze these delicious meatballs for up to 4 months!
You can either freeze them in the raw form on a sheet pan and then place them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 6 months! Then defrost them the day before in the fridge and cook according to the instructions above. Or you can place the frozen meatballs into a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until they reach the proper temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also freeze them in the cooked form! And then reheat them until they come to the proper temperature.
Reheating
If you plan on reheating your meatballs, it is a good idea to undercook them so that you can reheat them without drying them out.
To reheat your meatballs, you have a few options:
- Oven – Set the oven to 400 degrees F and cook the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 155F.
- Skillet – Set a skillet to medium heat and heat up the meatballs until they reach 155F.
- Air fryer – Set the air fryer to 250 degrees F and heat the meatballs until they reach 155F.
- Microwave – Microwave in 30-second intervals until meatballs reach 155F.
FAQs
What are some other Mediterranean dishes that pair well with Mediterranean meatballs?
Mediterranean meatballs taste great with lots of Mediterranean dishes like Greek salads, tabbouleh (a tasty grain salad), baba ganoush (a creamy eggplant dip), rice bowls, and stuffed grape leaves. These dishes have similar flavors and ingredients, so they all go together nicely for a Mediterranean-style meal.
Can I make these meatballs ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can bake these meatballs a couple of days beforehand and reheat them in the oven using the same recipe instructions as above. Alternatively, you can freeze them and reheat them as the recipe instructs!
Can I use only ground beef for this recipe?
You can absolutely use lean ground beef for this. But the ideal mix is lean ground beef with at least 85% ground beef blended in.
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Easy Mediterranean Meatballs
Description
These Simple Mediterranean Meatballs are packed with delicious flavor! They’re quick to prepare using my time-saving chopping tip and are incredibly healthy, fitting perfectly into both Keto and Paleo diets.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb or beef (or a mix of both)
-
2 shallots
-
4 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 lemon zested
-
1 handful of flat leaf parsley
-
1 handful parsley
-
1 teaspoon ground cumin
-
1 teaspoon ground coriander
-
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
Red pepper flakes (optional)
-
Salt and pepper, to taste
-
Olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Place the meat into a large enough bowl to mix all the ingredients.
- Place the remaining ingredients into a food processor and process until completely smooth.
- Line a sheet pan or any oven safe pan with parchment paper. (See note 2)
- Using an ice cream scoop, place your meatballs on the sheet pan, spacing them out about ½ -1 inch apart. They end up shrinking while cooking not growing like cookies, so you do not need to space them far apart.
- Roast them at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes. (See note 4)
- Serve immediately with a few extra sprinkles of parsley and some extra lemon zest. I love serving them with my hummus and some pita bread to really amp up the meal!
Notes
- You can absolutely use lean ground beef for this. But the ideal mix is lean ground beef with at least 85% ground beef blended in.
- Refer to my Italian Wedding Soup recipe for my neat hack on how to make your parchment paper stick!
- You can use any size ice cream scoop you like! I typically use a 2oz scoop and that makes them the perfect size! But this is why I love this set, you can get several different sizes in this pack!
- Just remember if you make them larger they WILL take longer to cook. Just use a good meat probe and you will be safe! You want to remove them at 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you plan on reheating your meatballs, it is a good idea to under cook them so that you can reheat them without drying them out.
- Almost all meatballs are the ULTIMATE freezer meal! You can either freeze them in the raw form on a sheet pan and then place them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 6 months! Then defrost them the day before in the fridge and cook according to the instructions above. Or you can place them into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until they reach the proper temperature of 155 degrees fahrenheit. You can also freeze them in the cooked form! And then reheat them until they come to the proper temperature.
