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
- 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.
- Slice the cucumber lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
- 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.
- Using a standard cheese grater, grate the cucumber into the sieve set over the bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt and toss gently. For this recipe, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt will do.
- 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.
- 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
- Sloppy 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
- 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
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.
Ingredients
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
Instructions
Disgorging the cucumber:
- 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.
- Slice both ends off of the cucumber, then slice lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
- 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.
- Using a standard cheese grater, grate the cucumber into the sieve set over the bowl.
- Sprinkle with salt and toss gently. For this recipe, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt will do.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Form the lamb mixture into 12 golfball-sized balls.
- 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:
- 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.
- Serve the tzatziki sauce with the lamb.
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.
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
Kelsey says
This looks amazing! I love tzatziki sauce, it's so refreshing and tasty.
Waz says
For a moment, I thought this was falafel! That side salad looks so refreshing, and I definitely want to try making a vegan tzatziki sauce after seeing this dish. Thanks for the inspo!
Renee D Kohley says
Thank you for the simple tzatziki sauce! I have never made it before so this is a great start! Looking forward to trying this on our dinner menu!
Breona Graper says
Wow, these look delicious. I really appreciate the extra details about getting the excess water from the cucumbers. Great photos for a summery dish!
Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says
I love the flavors of Greek cooking, but ... here's where I'm going to get booed ... I really hate olives. So I never order a Greek salad like this at a restaurant. What I really need to do is make this recipe for myself at home and simply omit the olives. Why didn't I think of that before?!
Mary says
What a great combination! This sounds like a delicious dish!
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
These meatballs look absolutely divine, but I REALLY love that side salad you prepared. It looks so delish!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
Lamb is such a favorite in our house, but I've never made meatballs with it! This looks so tasty, look forward to trying these soon!
Stine Mari says
This looks soo good! Tzatziki is one of the finer inventions in life. I rarely make things with lamb, but I'll have to get some to make this - yum!
Ramona says
This is definitely a combo to die for. I love the looks and sound of this recipe. Recipe saved! I must make it very soon and make some munchkins very happy 😉
Yang says
This is my kind of dinner! All of the favourite flavours together, so fresh and beautiful!
Debbie says
That TZATZIKI SAUCE is worth making this recipe alone !! Beautiful and flavorful!!
Tessa Simpson says
I ador lamb and the creamy sauce together...love the addition of the pork rinds to keep it keto friendly!
Erika says
I love, love, love, tzatziki sauce, and this dish looks fabulous. I've never had lamb meatballs, but this is one I really want to try. It looks so light and fresh.
Becca says
Greek food is my weakness. This recipe looks so tasty, my husband would love this so much. Definitely going to try this one out.
Kelly Anthony says
I'm also always looking for ways to not turn on the oven in the heat of the summer. I will be adding these greek lamb meatballs to my list of things to make this summer that don't require the oven.
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says
Lamb and tzatziki are my favorite things to eat! Yum! I love that you included pork rinds in your recipe!
Aleta says
YUM!! The perfect recipe to add to my low carb menu! My home is 1970's but the windows are blown and we get the afternoon sun.. meaning it's HOT! I hate turning on the oven past 11 am beyond july 1st, so this is going to be a welcome treat all summer. Thanks for sharing!
Gloria says
We happen to LOVE lamb. These meatballs, along with the tzatziki sauce look delicious. I could stuff a sub and call it dinner. In fact, that just might happen.
Dan from Platter Talk says
I'm a huge fan of tzatziki sauce and meatballs too. With that in mind, believe it or not, but I have never had lamb meatballs! What a genius idea and one I'm looking forward to trying. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!