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Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce.
I’m just going to go out and say it, you guys, I hate the word meatball. It’s just not very cute, you know? Like MEATBALL?! Hmm, it’s so odd to me and just well, so unattractive, but I guess that’s what you call a ball of meat. Makes sense, I get it, but still, it’s just not my favorite word, especially when there are 171,476 in the English language, I mean that’s the best we could come up with?
Anyone else with me on this one?
For the longest time I really steered clear of meatballs. They never excited me and I didn’t grow up eating them, so they just weren’t something I thought I needed to make. However, in an effort to keep things fresh and new here on HBH, I try to branch out of my comfort zone and try new to me foods. Over the years I’ve slowly grown to like (some) meatballs. I’ve now made a few versions (see here, here, and also in my cookbook), but these Greek inspired lamb meatballs are so different and so delicious. Hands down these are my favorite meatball I’ve made.
These are a game changer.
PS. how many times to you think I say meatball throughout this post? YIKES.
Unlike an Italian meatball, this Greek version is made a little simpler, and a littler healthier. I use plenty of fresh herbs, lean ground lamb, and lots of lemon (because apparently I am lemon obsessed). These are quick and easy to throw together and if you’re turned off by the idea of using lamb, you really shouldn’t be! It’s a great alternative to beef and in my opinion, has so much more flavor. That said, any ground meat can be used in place of the lamb, but I recommend meat that has a little fat on it.
I paired my Greek meatballs with some orzo, goddess sauce, and plenty of feta cheese. Oh, and greens too, of course.
A few notes.
Whenever I make meatballs, I always, always roast them in the oven as opposed to pan frying them. I’m pretty sure none of us wants to stand at the stove and tend to meatballs for thirty minutes. No, that is just not fun. I’ve also found that roasted meatballs just taste better. They hold their shape and never turn out dry.
Traditionally, Greek meatballs are served in or on a pita, but I was really feeling like this was a bowl kind of meal, so I decided to spread my goddess sauce (and some hummus too) inside a low bowl and pile it high with orzo, feta cheese, and plenty of greens.
Speaking of that goddess sauce. Oh my gosh. It. Is. Good. Think spoon worthy good. In fact, I sent this dish over to my parent’s house for them to try. My mom text me, asking if the green sauce was bad for her because she was literally eating the entire batch out of the bowl…all by herself. This coming from my mom means something is really, really good. She’s very much a pasta and butter kind of girl, so that fact that she loved this really says something.
Oh, and my answer to my mom’s question? No the goddess sauce is not bad for you, it’s actually great for you! I packed my goddess sauce full of avocado, yogurt, herbs, and spices. So basically it’s a super food and you should really have it on hand all times. It’s great for making salads, grain bowls, tacos, and everything in between, that much more delicious.
Just a suggestion…
What’s amazing about this recipe is that even though it’s loaded with flavor and texture, it’s actually very simple and easy to make. As mentioned, the meatballs are roasted on a baking sheet, while that’s happening you should be preparing your orzo (quinoa and couscous work great too!) and making your goddess sauce. By the time the meatballs are done cooking, everything else should be ready and all you need to do is assemble.
Simple, quick, light, healthy, delicious, and pretty much the most perfect weeknight dinner.
For real though.
Whooaaaa.
I feel like I just wrote through this post at a million miles a minute. Currently I am in GO mode, which I love, and which is the perfect way to start a Monday. I’m still on a major high from the weekend. I did an Instagram live and made my Earl Grey Blueberry Muffins from the cookbook. It was SO much fun and I Ioved getting to interact with you all, answers questions, and bake together. Best way to spend my Saturday! Excited to do more live cooking with you guys, so leave your requests in the comments, or email me!
Feeling motivated and energized for the week! OK. OKAY. And very excited to remake this recipe again tonight for dinner because I truly cannot get enough.
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 868 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb, ground beef, or chicken
- 1 yellow onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup plain hummus
- cooked orzo or couscous, for serving
- 8 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
- Persian cucumbers, arugula, tomatoes, and basil, for serving
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Avocado Goddess Sauce
- 1 avocado, halved
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
- juice from 1 lemon, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. Add the lamb, onion, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls (will make 10-12 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp or cooked through on the inside.3. Meanwhile, make the goddess sauce. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, to thin the sauce. 4. To serve, spread the hummus and goddess sauce on plates. Add the orzo, meatballs, feta, cucumber, tomatoes, and greens. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice lightly over top of everything. Enjoy!
SO GOOD.
This post was originally published on April 16, 2018
This recipe is delicious!! It was my first time trying ground lamb and I couldn’t have found a more superb recipe!! Even my 2 year old loved it! Thanks for creating such amazing recipes!
Hi Emily,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
This was amazing! It was delicious and so bright, beautiful AND healthy. It went nicely with a glass of Montepulciano. This is dinner guest worthy for sure! Next time I think I’ll throw a few kalamata olives on the plate.
Hey Maureen,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Love this meal! One of our staples we always come back to and one we make for when we have friends/family around. Such a beautiful presentation and the flavors are incredible!
Hey Ally,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Love these meatballs. So far I have only made the meatballs and I love them plain. Some day I will do the whole bowl but the lamb meatballs are perfect.
Hey Kris,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
These are also my favorite meatballs! Spice mix is just PERFECT! After making a few times I added some breadcrumbs and milk for a softer ball and will continue to do so. I also love the bowls shown in your photo. Any leads on where to get some?
Hey Laura,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! So sorry I don’t have a link for the bowls, they are from a vintage store. Have a great weekend:) xxT
Another 5 star recipe added to my ‘favorites’ file. Even though I didn’t have cilantro, or tomatoes (and I forgot about the lemon zest) my family LOVED this dish. My husband LICKED HIS PLATE! There are 3 of us, and there was nothing leftover. I can only imagine how delicious this would be with all the ingredients – and I won’t have to imagine for long, because I’ll be making it again soon. I substituted mint for the cilantro, and squeezed lemon over top to sub for the lemon zest. I will also make a tomato salad to have alongside next time.
Hey Karen,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
Hi! Curious if ground bison could work with this recipe? Thanks!
Hey Lainey,
Yes, that will work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve been meaning to write. This was my birthday request dinner – I love ground lamb, sometimes lamb loin – which my son made for me. It was delicious! We like the avocado goddess sauce so much, we’ve made it again. I used to get shrimp for my birthday but last summer, I had an allergic reaction to soft shell fish which is disappointing. Since my mother had a severe allergy, I’ve decided the best part of valor is to now avoid it – ugh – at least mine was only a swelling in my face, but still don’t want to tempt fate.
Turns out my brother also made this recipe within the last couple of weeks (unbeknownst to each other) and they loved it as well.
Hey Carol,
So great to hear! Love that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Sorry to hear about your shrimp experience. Have a great week? xTieghan
Made these for national meatball day! Everyone loved it! Definitely on our list of meals we’ll make often! Thank you for sharing
Hey Christine,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
The meatballs were so good and easy to make! Totally satisfied my Greek craving.
I didn’t make the avocado dressing because I don’t eat dairy. Is there a substitution you’d recommend for the Greek yogurt in the sauce? It sounds delightful.
Hey Lily,
Happy Wednesday! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it:) Try using a dairy free yogurt, there are great options available these days. xTieghan
Can I make this with Turkey? Do I need egg or bread crumbs if to use Turkey?
Hey there,
Totally fine to use ground turkey and follow the recipe as is. I hope you love the dish, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Loved this! My fiancé is a very picky eater and he loved it too! The green avo goddess sauce is the bomb! I am sure it would also work great with things like shrimp tacos etc. I did make the meatballs with beef because I couldn’t find ground lamb. I think the meatballs are a bit dry with the beef but lamb is generally a fattier meat so I am sure it would be delicious.
Needless to say I am excited about todays lunch leftovers!
Hey Clara,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
We subbed Grass fed ground beef for lamb as my 4yo and partner don’t really care for the flavor of lamb. It was delicious. I’m Gluten free (insert heavy eye roll because I do not want to be) so we served it over rice that I made in the instant pot with chicken stock that I made at home. My only regret was not grating the onion as instructed. I used a small onion but I only diced it which made the meatballs less than balanced. It was great otherwise and I have plenty of dressing left for dipping veggies. With two adults and one toddler we had just enough for dinner but I’d double the recipe next time.
Hey Katy,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
So good!! I used 3 cloves of garlic, but I followed everything else exactly the same and it was so good! Thanks again for the amazing recipe, I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you Mitra! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Can you make a recommendation for a substitute for cilantro? I can’t stand that stuff!
Hey Vivian,
Try using basil in place of the cilantro! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Vivian, I replaced the cilantro with fresh mint, and it was delicious!
It was super yummy, thanks:)
Thank you Sameh! xTieghan