My Big Fat Greek Meatballs With Homemade Tzatziki
INGREDIENTS
For the Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground lamb, ground beef, or chicken
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 yellow onion, grated
- 1 lemon zested
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- Kosher salt and cracked pepper
- Garnish with Quinoa Tabbouleh, pickled red onions, feta cheese, chickpeas or hummus, and fresh dill
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- 2 cups grated cucumber (from about 1 medium 10-ounce cucumber, no need to peel or seed the cucumber first, grate on the large holes of your box grater)
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and/or dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Add the lamb, onion, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, dill, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls (will make 10-12 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp or cooked through on the inside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the tzatziki sauce.
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- Working with one big handful at a time, lightly squeeze the grated cucumber between your palms over the sink to remove excess moisture. Transfer the squeezed cucumber to a serving bowl, and repeat with the remaining cucumber.
- Add the yogurt, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to the bowl, and stir to blend. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and add additional chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, and/or salt, if necessary (I thought this batch was just right as-is).
- Serve tzatziki immediately or chill for later. Leftover tzatziki keeps well, chilled, for about 4 days.
