Greek Meatballs

Photo from Gimme
Some Oven

I like meatballs and rarely make them. I've been purposely picking some of those recipes because I think they are a good solid protein meal. 

These were good. I wouldn't use as much Panko breadcrumbs as this asks for. It was a little too much bread for me in my meatball. 

I didn't change anything in this recipe and I think it turned out great. I'd make it again. 

Greek Meatballs

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Makes 30 meatballs

• 1 c Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 c milk
• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (or a 50/50 mix of both)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced
• 1/3 c fresh mint or cilantro
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• zest of 1 lemon

TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE:

• 1 c full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c tahini
• 1/4 c freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Make the panade. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Panko and milk until combined. Set the mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Mix the meatballs. Once the Panko mixture has finished soaking, add the ground beef (or lamb), garlic, eggs, scallions and mint to the bowl. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

Prep the oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1.5-tablespoon balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. (I recommend greasing your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking.)

Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through. Remove pan from the oven.

Make the yogurt sauce. While the meatballs are baking, whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients until combined. If you prefer a thinner sauce, whisk in a few tablespoons of water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve. Serve the meatballs warm with the yogurt sauce however you please and enjoy!