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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Travel anywhere in the world and people will have some kind of meatball. After all, rolling ground meat in your hands and cooking it is not the most complicated idea. And although meatballs are universal, you’ll find some of the most exciting in Greece.
Originally called keftedes, Greek meatballs are truly something special. They’re made with ground lamb and are often flavored with parsley and spices like garlic and cumin. These one-biters are a bit more rustic and primal compared to regular beef meatballs, and that’s exciting!
Besides, chances are recipes for Greek meatballs go back at least a few thousand years. Lamb has always been a thing in the country, even in ancient times. This means making Greek meatballs is honoring one of the most popular meals in history, and that’s something, right?
I won’t lie, there are many recipes for Greek meatballs, and every family in the Mediterranean country has its recipe. The recipe below calls for ground lamb, a few aromatics, including onion and garlic, fresh parsley, dried rosemary and ground cumin. That’s basically all you need. Seasoned with salt and pepper, these meaty one-biters are deliciously simple.
Mix all the ingredients and roll some meatballs. And although you can cook meatballs in many ways, we’re cooking these in the oven to get juicy and flavorful meatballs. You can also cook them in a skillet if you want them crispier, but I believe lamb meat is fatty enough to have to worry about all that extra cooking oil.
These meaty treats are fantastic with a side of tzatziki sauce. You can make yours by combining yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon zest and lemon juice. What a combination!
And serving meatballs with a side of Greek salad and a slice of feta is also customary, so do try that as well. Greek food is considered amongst the healthiest on earth, but it’s also one of the tastiest! Let’s cook Greek more often!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Mince the onion and garlic, chop the parsley.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
Roll bite-sized meatballs and place them in the baking tray. Drizzle them with olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes and check they’re cooked through.
Serve with tzatziki sauce and a side of salad!
