Mini Herby Lamb Meatballs

Mini Herby Lamb Meatballs are a quick and easy way to bake juicy and tasty meatballs for a family meal! Serve with yogurt and cucumber salad for a refreshing supper or serve with dip at your next get together for a delicious appetizer.

I have been a long time fan of serving lamb to my kids. And likewise, they love lamb in return. These Mini Herby Lamb Meatballs didn’t disappoint mom or kids at dinner time.

I stuffed these mini meatballs with lots of bold and delicious flavours like dill and oregano (also favourites of my kids), as well as hits of lemon for that bright flavour.

Mini size is always a good idea for smaller kids. All my girls are preschool age so I went with mini meatballs to make them easier to eat and enjoy (it’s rough when you’re tiny and want to try to do everything on your own, but mom keeps serving you huge pieces that you can’t through by yourself).

Back to my lamb love though. Lamb has great flavour which often lends itself to being extra tasty for kids. It’s slightly fattier than other proteins (which means it’s usually juicier), and takes on flavours like lemon, garlic, and oregano like crazy (all those flavours are huge hit with kids).

Lamb is also usually way more tender than other red meat, making it a better choice when toddlers have sensitive gums during that dreaded teething stage.

Now the big one. Lamb is SUPER easy to cook. A lot of people get scared of cooking lamb, but I implore you to give it a try. With any food, start early and feed often. We have lamb a couple of times per month just to switch things up and keep meals interesting.

I served these mini meatballs with a savoury lemon yogurt (recipe below in card), a quick cucumber salad, and naan bread that I picked up at a local naan bakery.

We all adored this dish as is, but rice is a great option in lieu of bread, or make the meatballs to serve as an appetizer with the yogurt as a dip. There’s a lot of potential with this dish.

Other lamb-tastic dishes to get dinner going:

• Lamb Salad Flatbread: crazy good wrap using ground lamb as well and is packed with fresh vegetables.
• Iraqi Eggs with Lamb and Tomatoes: a really quick and delicious one pot with lamb, tomatoes, and curry. It’s SO good and quick!
• Easy Lamb Chops (oven recipe): has great tips for buying lamb and what to use to cook it.
• Grilled Lamb Lollipops: ’cause they’re bound to be a great time to munch on with your kids!

Things I’m digging lately:

• Rising Strong by Brene Brown – a non-fiction book on rising out of the muck that life just is sometimes. Life, parenting, and leading are all touched on.
• The Good Old Days by Macklemore and featuring Kesha – this song really hit home for me and made think of my late brother a lot. Macklemore is a talent. My favourite couple of lines are:
  “And I ain’t worried about the wrinkles around my smile
  I’ve got some scars, I’ve been around
  I’ve felt some pain, I’ve seen some things, but I’m here now
  Those good old days.”
• GLOW on Netflix – if you’re a female of the 80’s this is for you!

5 from 4 votes

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Mini Herby Lamb Meatballs

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

 

Mini Lamb Meatballs are a quick and easy way to bake juicy and tasty meatballs for dinner! Serve with yogurt and cucumber salad for a refreshing supper or serve with a dip for a standout appetizer. 

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 28 mini meatballs

Author: Samantha

Ingredients

Mini Herby Lamb Meatballs:

• 1 lbs ground lamb
• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped (this is approximately 1/3 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp lemon juice (use any remaining juice from a lemon in yogurt)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or parsley
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Lemon Yogurt:

• 1 cup thick plain Greek yogurt
• 2-4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick paper or foil (for easy clean up).

2. Place all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and mix (with hands is easiest) until all ingredients are well combined. Alternatively, all ingredients can be pulsed together in a food processor. 

3. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, roll one tablespoon of lamb mixture into small balls and place on a baking tray about 1" apart. (Should make 28-32 mini meatballs). 

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes (the internal temperature should reach 160° F for medium done ground lamb). 

5. Serve with a savoury yogurt, cucumber*, and toasted pine nuts if desired. 

Recipe Notes

* I sliced cucumber lengthwise on my mandolin slicer (this has been with me for a very long time and I love it!), and tossed in some lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil (my kids dig it this way). 

Enjoy! xo

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