This recipe for Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce makes for the perfect party appetizer or main dish. The Tzatziki Sauce is... chef's kiss.
Greetings 👋
I just had the best lunch. Though technically an appetizer, these Greek Lamb Meatballs made a wonderful meal. Did I eat the leftover Tzatziki Sauce with a spoon?
Yes, yes I did.
It reminded me of the meals my family had when we visited Santorini, Greece. It is this gorgeous town on the side of a mountain. Everything is white, yellow and blue.
It is a truly magical place.
So let me show you how to make these flavorful Greek Lamb Meatballs.
🥣 Ingredients
Meatballs:
- ground lamb
- garlic
- dried oregano
- dried rosemary
- ground cumin
- dried thyme
- salt
- black pepper
- grated parmesan cheese
- breadcrumbs or almond flour
- warm water
- eggs
Tzatziki Sauce:
- plain Greek yogurt
- English Cucumber
- lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- dried dill
📖 Recipe Variations
It's easy to make a Keto version of Greek Lamb Meatballs that is also low in calories. If you use almond flour as the meatball filler instead of breadcrumbs, then the net carb count is 2g, and it's got just 186 calories. And for a tasty low carb variation on the yogurt sauce, try the Tzatziki Sauce that Lisa at Low Carb Yum makes.
🧾 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cover 2 large cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
- Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Squish the mixture through your fingers until it is smooth and combined.
- Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into balls. Place the meatballs on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Carefully remove the fat surrounding each meatball with a spoon. Spear each meatball with a toothpick.
- Grate cucumber with the skin on into a medium sized bowl. Squeeze as much of the moisture out of it as possible. Mix in remaining tzatziki ingredients until fully combined.
- Either drizzle tzatziki sauce over meatballs or serve the sauce on the side.
💬 Any questions?
Keftedes Arni.
They are traditionally made from ground beef or lamb. Using ground chicken, turkey, or pork with the same Greek spices is lower in calories and just as tasty though.
Each lamb meatball contains 9 grams of protein when you use almond flour as the filler.
Each meatball has about 95 calories.
Yep, these Greek Lamb Meatballs are a thing of beauty.
The meatballs are flavorful and perfectly spiced. And because they contain water, the meat is steamed from the inside creating a softer meatball. Like I said before, the tzatziki sauce deserves a chef's kiss.
This appetizer is wonderful, just like the country it comes from.
📋 Recipe
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
This recipe for Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce makes for the perfect party appetizer.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 26 meatballs and 2 cups tzatziki sauce 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds ground lamb
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or almond flour
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 English Cucumber, grated with the skin left on
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried or fresh dill
Instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cover 2 large cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
Step 2. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Squish the mixture through your fingers until it is smooth and combined.
Step 3. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into balls. Place the meatballs on the prepared cookie sheets.
Step 4. Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Carefully remove the fat surrounding each meatball with a spoon. Spear each meatball with a toothpick.
Step 5. Grate cucumber into a medium-sized bowl. Press as much liquid as you can out of the shredded cucumber. Mix in remaining tzatziki ingredients until fully combined.
Step 6. Either drizzle tzatziki sauce over meatballs or serve the sauce on the side.
Notes
The nutritional info is for the version that uses almond flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatballs and 2 ½ tablespoons tzatziki sauce
- Calories: 186
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 3
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 19
Keywords: Greek Lamb Meatballs, Keto Greek Meatballs, Tzatziki Sauce, Keto Tzatziki Sauce
Brandie Benson says
Made this for dinner tonight we loved it I used a store bought tzatziki dip next time I might try your homemade recipe with it.I used half ground beef and half ground lamb gave it a real gyro meat flavor I also added some cavenders seasoning thank you so much for the recipe I will make it again
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Thanks so much for saying so. Using half ground beef and half lamb is a great idea. I will have to try that next time.
Robyn says
I have tried other recipes and found the meatballs were very dry. This recipe turned out so well, nice and moist, lovely flavour! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I will make again and again! Mashed cauliflower sounds like the perfect side.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Thanks so much!
Janna says
I am about to make these, and was thinking of doubling the recipe and freezing some. Do they freeze well? I am new to learning how to cook, freeze leftovers, etc. So sorry for the novice question!! 🙂
EmilyKrill says
No, that's a good question. These meatballs freeze well, just put them in a resealable plastic bag or plastic container and you can freeze them for 3-4 months. When you are ready to eat them, leave them out to thaw and then either use a microwave or oven to reheat them. If you are using the oven, it'll be about 10 minutes at 300 degrees F.
Kathleen says
Very good!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Thanks!
Denise S says
These were amazing and the sauce...soooo good. We went to Greece this past Christmas and these made me think of that trip!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Yay! I'm so glad they reminded you of Greece. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Paul says
I cooked these with a side of cauliflower mash and it was really good.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
That sounds like a great side for these.