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Five Lamb Meatballs served in red sauce and photographed at an angle.
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5 from 5 votes

Easy Lamb Meatballs

Meatballs so tender that they melt in your mouth smothered in a garlicky tomato sauce with crumbled feta cheese, fresh mint and parsley mounded on top.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: comfort food, easy
Servings: 4 people
Author: Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice
  • 1 large clove garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves loosely packed, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley loosely packed, plus more for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To Make the Lamb Meatballs:

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ideally Greek oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup minced shallot or onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 pound ground lamb

For Garnish:

  • 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese or more to taste
  • chopped fresh mint to taste
  • chopped fresh parsley to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To make the sauce, add tomatoes with juices, garlic, mint and parsley to a blender pitcher; blend until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again. Pour mixture into a medium saucepan and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set on the stove over low heat; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until you're ready to pour sauce over cooked meatballs. 
  • Meanwhile make lamb meatballs. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, egg, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Add panko breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Stir in shallot and parsley. Add lamb and mix just until combined (don't overmix or your meatballs will be tough).  
  • Scoop meatballs out with a 2-tablespoon scoop or heaping standard tablespoon and place in ragged mounds on prepared baking sheet. Gently roll mounds into balls and arrange on baking sheet with some space around each one.
  • Bake meatballs until cooked through and lightly browned, 12 to 20 minutes (Recipe Note #1).
  • Transfer meatballs to serving bowl and pour desired amount of Garlicky Tomato sauce over. Gently toss meatballs to coat. Top with a generous amount of crumbled feta and fresh mint and parsley; serve.

Video

Notes

  1. Baking time depends on the size of the meatballs and your desired doneness - The USDA recommends a 160˚F internal temperature for ground lamb.
  2. When garnishing with feta, mint and parsley, be generous. You'll make your meatballs and tomato sauce sing with flavor!
  3. You'll have plenty of sauce. Serve the meatballs extra saucy (as we like) or add hot pasta to this dish to toss with meatballs and sauce for a heartier meal or save extra for another use (it freezes well).

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1163mg | Potassium: 1031mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1217IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 6mg

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