We certainly love our lamb. It is a relatively lean meat and has such a unique taste and aroma. It also packs a mean punch of vitamin B. This recipe will have your house smelling oh so amazing. We are confident that there won’t be any leftovers. If you find that you are left with a few meatballs when the day is done, chop them up and add them to a breakfast scramble to enjoy the next morning.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup (75 g) shallots, minced
1 cup (100 g) mushrooms, finely chopped
2 pounds (1 kg) lamb, ground
¼ cup (7 g) fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon zest
½ tablespoon dried oregano
1 pinch salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground pepper, to taste
- Melt butter over medium heat in skillet. Stir in shallots and sauté until tender.
- Transfer to large bowl and add mushrooms, lamb, parsley, egg, and lemon zest to bowl with shallots.
- Sprinkle in oregano, salt & pepper as you mix all contents together. Let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Form lamb mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball (or golf ball if that helps) and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook meatballs in batches until evenly brown on all sides and place on paper towels to drain. Once they are done, transfer them to a serving dish and keep skillet contents on heat.
- Mix tomato sauce, wine, garlic, and cinnamon into skillet. Cook until well blended. Season with black pepper to taste, then pour the sauce over the meatballs. Serve with toothpicks and enjoy.
Variation—Try these with nearly any ground meat, but you’ll have to change the name.
More Recipes You'll Love
Sheepishly good meatballs are juicy lamb rounds scented with lemon zest, oregano, and a pinch of cinnamon, finished in a red wine tomato sauce. Shallots and mushrooms keep the meat moist from the inside out. Serve them with toothpicks and there will not be a single leftover.
Pro Tips
- Sauté the shallots until truly tender before mixing them in - raw shallot bits stay sharp and crunchy inside the meatball.
- Chill the lamb mixture a full hour before shaping; cold meat holds its round shape and browns far better in the pan.
- Brown the meatballs in batches over medium-high heat - crowding the pan drops the temperature and stews them in their own fat.
- Chop leftover meatballs into a breakfast scramble the next morning - the recipe's own favorite move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use another ground meat?
Nearly any ground meat works - beef, pork, or a mix - though the lamb is what gives these their distinctive flavor and aroma.
Can I bake the meatballs instead of frying?
Yes - bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes until browned, then finish them in the sauce. You lose a little crust but save the splatter.
How long do they keep?
Three days refrigerated in the sauce. Reheat gently in a covered skillet so they do not dry out.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Transfer to large bowl and add mushrooms, lamb, parsley, egg, and lemon zest to bowl with shallots.
- Sprinkle in oregano, salt & pepper as you mix all contents together.
- Let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Form lamb mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball (or golf ball if that helps) and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook meatballs in batches until evenly brown on all sides and place on paper towels to drain.
- Once they are done, transfer them to a serving dish and keep skillet contents on heat.
- Mix tomato sauce, wine, garlic, and cinnamon into skillet.
- Cook until well blended.
- Season with black pepper to taste, then pour the sauce over the meatballs.
- Serve with toothpicks and enjoy.
