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“Made a double batch of these and they were a huge hit with my Greek husband and 6 year old son. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I will be adding this into my regular meal plan repertoire.” ~Camille
Greek meatballs in lemon sauce are melt-in-your-mouth tender!
Greek meatballs in lemon sauce has been on my list of things to make for a while, and when a reader, Alexandra, emailed me her favorite recipe yesterday I leapt into action. Alexandra was born in Athens, and now lives outside the city of Veria, in northern Greece. She follows tvfgi and thought I would like these…she was right! These meatballs have so much flavor, and a divine tender bite, they almost melt in your mouth.
the secrets to these amazing lemony meatballs
Several things make these meatballs uniquely tender and delicious
- For one thing, they’re made with a mix of ground pork and lamb, and ground pork cooks up especially tender, so any time you add it to beef or lamb you will get a lighter texture.
- This recipe also calls for cooked rice, and it does a wonderful job of lightening the meat mixture. I think it works much better than the classic breadcrumbs we tend to use.
- The mixture gets a huge amount of flavor from the herbs, especially the fresh mint, and so even before you dip these in the sauce, they’re fabulous.
My best tip for working with ground meats
Most recipes will tell you to mix ground meats for meatballs, burgers, and meatloaves by hand. And I did it that way for years. But I’ve found a better way!
I now use my Kitchenaid Mixer and it’s a game changer. The paddle attachment is just perfect for getting everything incorporated without over-mixing, and it saves so much hand washing! I think it did a better job than I do, because I usually can’t wait to get my hands OUT of the bowl and I don’t always get everything thoroughly mixed.
this recipe is slightly adapted from Herbs in Cooking, by Maria and Nikos Psilakis.
It’s a gem that I never would have found if Alexandra, hadn’t sent it along, thanks a million Alexandra! She says “It’s so-very-Greek and so-very-traditional! I have done it for many occasions and it works just fine as is. I’ve served it as a starter at a formal dinner at home; also as an appetizer with just one ball swimming in the sauce, and of course as the main meal of the day as comfort food…” I agree.
More Greek inspired recipes
- Grilled Chicken Greek Salad
- How to Make Tzatziki Dip
- Shrimp in Lemon Sauce with Olives
- Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Olives
- Greek Lemon Potato Salad
- Chopped Greek Salad
- Baked Feta Cheese
Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1/2 lb ground lamb
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 yellow onion, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, 1 small 2/3 ounce plastic package
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion salt
lemon sauce
- 3 eggs
- juice of 2 1/2 – 3 lemons
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put all the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix everything thoroughly, but gently. Don’t over mix or compact the meat.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Scoop the meat mixture out into 1 1/2 inch sized balls, and roll smooth with your hands. Set on a platter.
- Put about 4 1/2 cups of water in a stock pot with a wide bottom. Bring the water to a boil, then set the meatballs in the water, one by one. Do this carefully, they can be fragile. The water should almost cover the meatballs, but not quite. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Don't let the water boil furiously. Do this in stages if your pot is not large enough.
- Remove the cooked meatballs to a fresh platter and keep warm.
- While the meatballs are cooking whisk the eggs well in a medium sized bowl, whisk in the lemon juice and salt.
- Remove 2 cups of the meatball cooking liquid and strain. While whisking the egg and lemon mixture, ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the eggs to temper them. Then slowly add the rest of the liquid, stirring as you add. Pour the sauce into a clean saucepan and gently cook for a few more minutes, but don’t let the sauce come to a boil, or even a simmer.
- Serve the meatballs in shallow bowls on top of the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- My store was inexplicably out of fresh dill so I used (gasp) dried, and it was fine. I used a heaping tablespoon, maybe a little more.
- Make sure your onions and herbs are nice and finely chopped, I used a small food processor.
- If you by any chance get a few curdled eggs bits in your sauce, don’t panic, just strain it through a fine mesh strainer and you’ll be good to go.
- Leftovers can be reheated gently. The sauce should not come to a boil.
Nutrition
It looks really great, I am keeping this in mind, it is the kind of food we looooove!
I love all things lemon. And Greeks really have a way with lemon, don’t they? Much of the world highlights its flavor in sweets, but they do a wonderful job of exploring its savory side. Anyway, these meatballs look awesome Definitely need to jump the queue with this recipe!
Meatballs are a favorite in my house, this looks like a delightfully unique way to do them!
Although I love lamb, Sue, it’s just not real popular with a lot of mine — except my one sister who made a gorgeous mustard and parmesan crusted leg of lamb for Easter. It was just excellent. (And I have the leftovers for a great salad today.) And I don’t often find ground lamb in my local markets. I have successfully made meatballs that are kinda Greek, just by virtue of seasoning and the lemon. But I’m gonna find me some ground lamb!
Sounds interesting! I don’t think I have tried meatballs in lemon sauce!
I had to laugh when I saw your recipe, always something with lemon! This sounds delightful! Will make for company sometime soon. What would you recommend as a side to go with this? I thought of you today while reading Southern Living Magazine, they had a Zesty Lemon Glazed Chicken recipe that sounded right in your wheelhouse!
Send that recipe along, Sue — it does sound good! As for this one, I think something green, like a salad.
So lovely and the flavours sound just perfect. Can’t wait to try! Pinned 🙂
The creativity is off the charts! This sounds fantastic and the meatballs look so tender, I just need a spoon! What a wonderful recipe – thanks for sharing!
This looks like such a keeper recipe Sue, I love all the herbs and that beautiful sauce!
Sue, you did such a great job! You made them look cheerful and inviting; exactly what they are suppose to be. Sometimes I enjoy them with some good feta and toasted bread. It can only make you fell better…
Thanks Alexandra — I’m glad I did you proud! The feta and bread sounds wonderful, will try that next time 🙂