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Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Salad and Labneh

These Spiced Lamb Meatballs are easy, delicious and loaded with flavour. Try them alongside a fresh chopped salad and some creamy labneh
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: Chopped Salad, Labneh, Spiced Lamb Meatballs
Servings: 3 servings

Ingredients

For the Spiced Lamb Meatballs:

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper substitute ½ teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound ground lamb substitute lean ground beef
  • ½ medium white onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley plus extra for garnish
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter substitute ghee
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 10 ounces labneh
  • ½ teaspoon sumac

For the Chopped Salad:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 2 Persian cucumbers diced
  • ½ white onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac
  • ¼ teaspoon flakey sea salt plus more to taste

Instructions

For the Spiced Lamb Meatballs:

  • Add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds to a dry, cold skillet and place over medium-low heat. Gently toast the spices, stirring often, until fragrant and golden. Transfer the spices to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder along with the paprika, salt, Aleppo pepper and black pepper and grind to a fine powder.
  • In a bowl, combine the lamb, spice mixture, onion, parsley and baking soda. Mix to combine and shape into 1-tablespoon sized meatballs. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter and heat until the butter has melted. Add the meatballs and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms are golden brown, around 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until golden brown all over and the thickest part of the meatballs register at least 145F internally, around 4 more minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and set aside.
  • Return the pan over medium-low heat and deglaze with the lemon juice. Scrape off any brown bits on the bottom of the pan and pour the pan drippings overtop of the meatballs. Garnish the meatballs with a pinch of sumac and some chopped parsley and serve with the labneh and chopped salad.

For the Chopped Salad:

  • In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley, olive oil, sumac, and salt. Toss everything to incorporate, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt as desired.

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