Recipe

Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Community Pick!

Recipe
No Questions Yet

Photo 1 of 2
by Joseph DeLeo

Photo 2 of 2
by MySocialChef

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Meatballs
A&M's Testing Notes: Easy, accurate recipe instructions, which produced very tasty meatballs. The currants provide a nice sweet counterbalance to the rich tasting lamb. I was going to try slightly toasting the...
Easy, accurate recipe instructions, which produced very tasty meatballs. The currants provide a nice sweet counterbalance to the rich tasting lamb. I was going to try slightly toasting the pine nuts, but was happy I didn’t. Toasting would have complicated the flavor and texture of the meatballs. - ECmtl

Expand Collapse
Chef
MySocialChef's Notes: Growing up my mother would buy any meat that was on sale and call it beef. Venison, lamb, buffalo were all turned into roast beef, meatballs and hamburgers. She had quite an imagination for...
Growing up my mother would buy any meat that was on sale and call it beef. Venison, lamb, buffalo were all turned into roast beef, meatballs and hamburgers. She had quite an imagination for such a frugal lady. It all came to an end one night when my dad wanted steak for dinner. She swore on all her daughters (not me) that it was beef, but my dad knew better. He packed her bags and threw her ass out of the house.

Lamb is something that you like more the older you get. The fresher it is the less it has that “lamby” taste. I know “lamby” isn’t a word, but you know what I mean if you’ve had a piece of lamb that wasn’t fresh.

I love making these meatballs for parties or picnics. They’re small, sweet and crunchy and when you serve it with the yogurt sauce, they’re refreshing. P.S. My dad never threw my mother out, but I could tell by the look on his face that he so wanted to! - MySocialChef

Expand Collapse

Makes 12 - 14 Meatballs

1 pound Ground Lamb Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup Dried Currants Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup Pine Nuts - Chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon Salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon Sweet Paprika Ask a question about this ingredient

2/3 cups Panko Bread Crumbs Ask a question about this ingredient

1 Egg Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until everything is dispersed evenly. Roll some of the mixture in your hand to form meatballs (a little smaller than a golf ball). Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. ..................... Yogurt Dipping Sauce--- 1 Cup 2% Greek Yogurt---- 1 Tablespoon Dill – Chopped---- 1 Tablespoon Mint – Chopped--- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice--- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. If your dipping sauce is too thick add another teaspoon of lemon juice.
Ask a question about this step

14 Comments on Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Westminstress added 2 months ago

Made these tonight and really enjoyed them! I subbed a bit of cayenne pepper for the paprika and a large finely shopped shallot for the onion powder. Oh and my bread crumbs weren't panko. No matter, all turned out very well indeed. Lamb has so much umami! The yogurt sauce was lovely also.

Jimbly added 3 months ago

I made these to nibble on while we were watching the Oscars. Great dish! I used dried sour cherries instead of currants, and Alton Brown's trick of using a baby-muffin pan instead of a cookie sheet. Very happy with this recipe.

tastysweet added 3 months ago

I have a son who follows a gluten free diet. Is there anything I can use in lieu of the panko
bread crumbs. I realize of course that Panko is the breadcrumbs of choice as I use them
all the time. But now I need a substitute.

Head2Tail added 2 months ago

My father is gluten-intolerant and my mom (an adventurous and resourceful cook indeed) has started using cooked white quinoa in place of breadcrumbs in meatloaf and claims it is even better tasting than meatloaf with breadcrumbs. I'm not sure about the structural integrity of using quinoa for meatballs but it seems worth a try.

shoestringmama added 3 months ago

Oh I can't wait to try these ... now why didn't I get that freshly ground lamb I saw at the Farmer's market this past Saturday - and it was calling to me too! I just didn't have a recipe in mind and hadn't read this one yet! Love your story too!

lapadia added about 1 year ago

Thanks for the entertaining story, thanks for the sharing your recipe, however I am not a "lamby" person, maybe I shall try with buffalo...I have never tried that and have wanted to...otherwise, how about beef or pork?

dymnyno added about 1 year ago

I love your recipe and your sense of humor! (you should have kept the last line off and kept us all in wonder)

MySocialChef added about 1 year ago

Ha, I did for my blog, but I received so many emails from people asking what happened to my poor mother. Thanks!

hamburglar added about 1 year ago

i know this is a meatball contest, but i think i'll make some burger patties with the same mixture, and toss in a pita with some havarti. MMMMMMMMMM

Gurra Bairam added about 1 year ago

These are amazing! I made these last night and served with a simple rice pilaf and shepherd salad. This morning, when I was getting ready for work, I snuck a leftover out the fridge and ate it just like that - so delicious. I'm already planning on making these for dinner with my extended family on Sunday. I didn't have dried currants so I finely chopped some dried cherries that I had in my fridge and added them to the mix.