Today I am sharing a recipe that I made for our Labor Day barbecue in place of the usual hamburgers and hot dogs and my family absolutely loved it. I wanted to grill something easy, and, to enjoy a meal outdoors while we still have some warm days. Grilled lamb meatballs with tzatziki sounded tempting, especially when accompanied with some juicy mini peppers and homemade French fries!
If you have been following this blog for sometime now, I am sure that you have seen a couple of other meatball recipes, like traditional Greek meatballs (baked in the oven) and mini Greek meatballs (cooked in a skillet). For both of those very popular recipes, I use ground beef, or, a combination of beef and pork.
This time, however, I used American ground lamb, that I was sent for me to try. I have to say that I was very impressed by it and liked it more than the New Zealand lamb that I have used before (sorry dear readers from New Zealand!). It was super flavorful, extremely tasty, and it reminding me a lot of the Greek lamb that I have back in Greece.
The different cuts of lamb and the proper technique to cook them!
— The tender cuts of lamb, such as the ribs or the loin, need a “dry heat“ method of cooking (like sautéing, grilling or roasting).
— The shoulder of the lamb is a tougher cut of meat and needs a “moist heat“ method of cooking (like braising or stewing).
— The leg of lamb can use both the “dry heat“ method (roasting), or, it can be cut up into pieces that are perfect for kebabs.
— The lamb shanks are best cooked with a “moist heat” method (braising)
How to cook ground lamb
Ground lamb should be around 80% lean, as it renders the fat when it cooks and will not dry out quickly as might be the case for leaner grades. For this recipe I formed the ground lamb into oval patties and grilled them, but it can also be broiled or cooked on a griddle.
The rich flavor of lamb needs generous seasoning, so do not be afraid to add cumin, mint, rosemary, garlic, or your favorite combination of herbs. This dish pairs very well with cool, creamy tzatziki and grilled vegetables. You can also serve the grilled meatballs tucked into warm pita bread, if you have it. I hope that this grilled lamb meatballs with tzatziki will become a favorite of your family too!
- 1 lb. ground lamb (80% lean)
- 1 med. onion, grated
- 2 slices of rustic bread, torn into pieces
- ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
- zest of one medium lemon
- 1 TBSP. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ - ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp. dried mint
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. ground allspice
- Grate the onion into a medium bowl. Remove the crust, then tear the bread into small pieces and place them in a separate small bowl. Add some water to cover. After a minute or so, squeeze the bread dry and add it to the bowl with the grated onion.
- Add the ground lamb to the bread and onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients and blend thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour (this step will help the mixture hold together).
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and divide the mixture into 8 balls. Shape the balls into oval patties and slightly flatten them. Place them on a platter. Brush both sides with some olive oil.
- If you are using a griddle, make sure you oil it well once hot. If you are using an outdoor grill, cook the patties uncovered and directly over medium-high heat until they are cooked through—about 4 to 5 minutes per side--turning once with a spatula.
- ½ English cucumber peeled, seeded, grated and squeezed dry
- 2-3 med. garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2-3 TBSP. fresh dill, finely minced
- 1 16oz. container of plain Greek yogurt (like FAGE)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 TBSP. wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Peel the cucumber, seed it and grate it. Place it in a colander, sprinkle with some salt and let it sit for half an hour. Squeeze the water out by pressing it between the palms of your hands. Place the grated cucumber in a medium bowl.
- Mince the garlic cloves and the dill and add it to the bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, season with salt, mix well and refrigerate overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
- Before serving, mix again, drizzle with some extra olive oil and serve with toasted Greek pita bread, cut into triangles.
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Thanks! It looks great and it is interesting to think about the different cuts and techniques for lamb. I can’t wait to try.
Thank you very much Kathy! Yes, very excited to work with American lamb for this recipe, there are so many different cuts that require different cooking techniques. I think you are going to love it!
Lamb makes an excellent main ingredient in these meatballs. The lamb is ultra traditional for Greek food, and it tastes amazing with tzatziki as the condiment.
Hi Nick,
You are right about lamb, it gives the meatballs a very rich flavor and they pair so well with tzatziki!
Thank you Marilena. Your website is so polished with beautiful photos and your instructions are precise. It is an adventure to try your dishes but it’s not scary because everything is excellent. It’s nice to find a professional amongst all the cooking blogs.
That is so kind, Leigh, thank you so much for taking the time to share your comment! I try my best to post useful content without the distraction of adds…. I am so glad you visited my blog:)