Greek Style Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Looking for a crowd-pleaser? These Greek Style Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce are perfect for an appetizer or hors d’oeuvres for your next get together.
Ingredients
- For the dipping sauce:
- 1 cup Greek-style yogurt (if you can't find Greek-style, any yogurt will work, just won't need to thin it so much. Even can be made with non-fat or low-fat)
- ¾ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaf
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Additional milk to thin to desired consistency
- For the meatballs:
- ¾ pound lean ground lamb
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup fresh bread crumbs or as needed (when making the meatballs, the meat should hold together and not feel too loose, if it does, add a little more bread crumbs)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped kalamata olives I used a combo of chopped Kalamata and Italian oil cured green olives
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon dried and in this case dried is better than fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon cumin or to taste
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cardamon (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the dipping sauce: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Thin as needed with some milk until you achieve a sauce that clings but is not overly thick. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the meatballs: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well with your hands. TEST a meatball by forming a small one and placing it in a small bowl; heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Make small, just bite-sized, balls. Set on a rimmed cookie sheet. (These can easily be made the day before; cover the sheet with foil and place in the refrigerator.) Set the oven to 400°F; when hot, cook the meatballs, shaking the pan once or twice, for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gSodium: 149mgCholesterol: 19mgCalories: 66kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 2gFat: 2gProtein: 4gCarbohydrates: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!