Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Savory Meatballs in less than 30-minutes

These Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce are flavored with a delicious base of savory Mediterranean spices then paired with a cool and herbaceous Tzatziki Sauce swirled with garlic, lemon, mint, and dill. I've included two methods for preparing them, pan-fried on the stovetop or baked in the oven, depending on your preference. For either method, these savory meatballs can be on your table in less than 30-minutes.

Let's talk about disgorging: The key to a thick tzatziki sauce

Did you know that cucumbers are comprised of about 96% water? It's crazy to wrap your mind around that number, but it's true. As such, the high water content is the primary reason why so many tzatziki sauces become watery and separate quickly. You can give your tzatziki sauce a fighting chance to stay nice and thick by simply disgorging the cucumber before you add it to the sauce. The process of disgorging uses salt to pull excess water from vegetables and fruits, and it's incredibly simple to do.

Prepping the Cucumber

1. If you use a traditional cucumber, peel the tough skin off first. If you use a soft-skinned English cucumber, peeling the skin isn't necessary.
2. Slice the cucumber lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
3. Set a mesh strainer over the top of a bowl so that it has a few inches of space between itself and the bottom of the bowl.
4. Using a standard cheese grater, grate the cucumber into the sieve set over the bowl.
5. Sprinkle with salt and toss gently. For this recipe, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt will do.
6. Allow to sit out for a minimum of 10 minutes. The longer you let the cucumber sit, the more water will eventually disgorge from the shreds and end up in the bottom of the bowl.
7. When you're ready to assemble the sauce, drain the disgorged cucumber liquid from the bowl and transfer the remaining shreds to the bowl to utilize for mixing the sauce.

If you are using a super thick Greek yogurt (5% fat or higher), I don't usually repeat this process with the yogurt because it should already be thick enough to produce great results. However, if your yogurt is a little on the thin side, this process can be repeated similarly for that as well. You'll want to line the sieve with a few layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter first so that your yogurt remains in the cheesecloth or filter and doesn't find its way through the sieve and into the bowl as it disgorges.

Meet your new favorite binder: Pork rinds

In addition to an egg, these Greek Meatballs use ground pork rinds to bind the meat together so that it stays in a secure ball form. You may be familiar with pork rinds as a popular gas station snack, but these days there are much better options on the market. I personally like these 4505 Sea Salt Pork Rinds or these Epic Oven Baked Pork Rinds with Pink Himalayan + Sea Salt that I've found on Amazon and at Whole Foods. We originally bought them as a low-carb snack to substitute for chips when making dips and spreads, but I quickly realized that they would make an awesome swap for panko bread crumbs when crumbled. Let's just say that my low-carb meatballs, meatloaf, and "breadings" have been getting a serious structural upgrade ever since.

My preferred way to prepare the pork rinds is to just blitz them in my food processor for a few seconds and keep the granules in an airtight container to use just like you would traditional bread crumbs.

How to serve these Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

• Alongside this Crunchy Greek Salad with Avocado and Feta
• On top of Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
• With a side of Mediterranean Roasted Rainbow Vegetables
• Stuffed into a pita bread pocket with fresh greens and roasted peppers
• On top of a tossed salad with kalamata olives, red onions, tomatoes, and feta cheese
• With your morning eggs and a side of pita or flatbread

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

• A cutting board
• A chef’s knife
• A grater
• A fine-mesh sieve
• 2 - mixing bowls
• 2 - metal spoons or forks (for mixing meat and Tzatziki separately)
• A kitchen scale (or measuring cups for less precise measurements)
• Measuring spoons
• An oven-proof skillet (If using the oven-baked method, you can alternatively use a casserole dish or parchment-lined baking sheet if you prefer)
• A metal or silicone spatula (if using the stove-top method)
• A meat thermometer

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION?

Love this recipe? Here are some additional dinner dishes you might enjoy!

• Swedish Meatballs
• Burger Salad with Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Special Sauce
• Unsloppy Joe Bowls
• Cuban Picadillo

A note for special diets

These Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce can be made friendly for grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb, and Keto diets. I estimate that this dish averages 4 net carbs per serving.

Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 47 reviews

• Author: Whip & Wander
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 12 meatballs + sauce 1x
• Category: Mains
• Method: Oven / Stovetop
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

These Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce can be on your table in less than 30-minutes and fit low-carb and Keto diets at only 4 net carbs per serving.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Greek meatballs:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 3 tbsp pork rinds, blended until fine and granular (I like 4505 Sea Salt Pork Rinds or Epic Oven-Baked Pink Himalayan + Sea Salt)
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped - OR - 4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped - OR - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp minced garlic (may sub for 2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp avocado oil, for cooking (may sub with your favorite cooking fat)

For the tzatziki sauce:

• 1 medium cucumber (about 232g or 1 ⅓ cup)
• 1 cup thick Greek yogurt (5% fat or higher is best)
• 1 tsp minced garlic (may sub for 4 tsp garlic-infused olive oil)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste

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Instructions

Disgorging the cucumber:

1. If you use a traditional cucumber, peel the tough skin off first. If you use a soft-skinned English cucumber, peeling the skin isn't necessary.
2. Slice both ends off of the cucumber, then slice lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
3. Set a mesh strainer over the top of a bowl so that it has a few inches of space between itself and the bottom of the bowl.
4. Using a standard cheese grater, grate the cucumber into the sieve set over the bowl.
5. Sprinkle with salt and toss gently. For this recipe, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt will do.
6. Allow to sit out for a minimum of 10 minutes. The longer you let the cucumber sit, the more water will eventually disgorge from the shreds and end up in the bottom of the bowl.
7. When you're ready to assemble the sauce, drain the disgorged cucumber liquid from the bowl and transfer the remaining shreds to the bowl to utilize for mixing the sauce.

For the Greek meatballs (2 methods):

• Oven-baked method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 205 C. Reserve an oven-safe skillet, an oven-safe casserole pan, or a parchment-lined baking sheet to the side.
2. In a large bowl, mix the lamb, crushed pork rinds, egg, parsley, oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic (or garlic-infused oil), pepper, and salt until fully combined.
3. Form the lamb mixture into 12 golfball-sized balls, placing each into your reserved cast-iron pan (or casserole pan or parchment-lined baking sheet) equally spaced apart from each other.
4. Bake for 18-22-minutes or until the meatballs have browned and reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F / 74 C.

• Pan-fried method

1. In a large bowl, mix the lamb, crushed pork rinds, egg, parsley, oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic (or garlic-infused oil), pepper, and salt until fully combined.
2. Form the lamb mixture into 12 golfball-sized balls.
3. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or your favorite cooking fat) to a large skillet over medium-high heat. If using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, I find that the cooking oil can generally be skipped as the meatballs will render a fair amount of oil on their own. Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan to cook, turning as each side browns. Cook until the meatballs have browned and reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F / 74 C.

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the disgorged/drained cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic (or garlic-infused oil), lemon juice, mint, dill, and sea salt with a spoon until well combined. Taste for salt.
2. Serve the tzatziki sauce with the lamb.

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Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 3 meatballs and ¼th of the batch of tzatziki sauce
• Calories: 372
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 567 mg
• Fat: 25 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Carbohydrates: 5 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 32 g
• Cholesterol: 125 mg

Keywords: lamb, meatballs, tzatziki