Spiced Lamb Meatballs With Yogurt and Herbs Recipe (2024)

while very nice, if you had added a bunch of chopped parsley, the mint, and plenty of dill to the meatballs themselves, they would be, and are moister, and more flavorful. and really no need for a yogurt sauce. yogurt will do, and is much more turkish. ayse

I made this again tonight and was thrilled with the outcome. It takes a little elbow grease, but is worth it. I used a potato masher to mix the meat and spices and then used a cookie scoop for the meatballs. Not looking to start some big debate about my methods...but those two steps help make this a little quicker for me. Also, I just bake the meatballs in the oven at 400 for 20 mins and skip the pan fry.

Put the dill and mint in the meatballs as per other comments and that was awesome! Added one lemon juiced to fa*ge 2% and that was perfect tartness. Delicious recipe!

As with so many NYT recipes, the time given for cooking the meatballs is too short and results in some very rare meatballs, which is not desirable. Otherwise this is a very good recipe, if labor intensive. I would suggest that after browning the meatballs that they be placed in a 350 degree oven on a sheet pan to insure they are cooked through while the sauce is being made.

Skip the sauté step entirely. Place on a sheet pan (on parchment or not) and roast at 450˚ till cooked through, about 10-15 min.

Cooked the recipe almost exactly as written and it turned out wonderfully. I decided to add some chopped mint and za'atar to the lamb mixture which gave a herbal note to the meatballs. The only tweak to the sauce would be a squeeze of lemon in the sauce or overtop the meatballs to add some zing.

Yogurt gets more tart the closer it gets to expiration date (which is when I feel it just starts coming into itself!) I'm the nut looking for the oldest yogurt on the shelf and then hiding it away. Don't break the seal or all bets are off on its longevity. You can always use a few flakes of sour salt (citric acid, lemon salt) to tart it up if its fresh.

Can these be frozen? At what stage of preparation? Will yoghurt sauce freeze if I freeze prepared meatballs in individual servings?

This has become a mainstay in my house. An absolute must cook. I recommend making them a bit bigger than recommended and cooking with a traditional tiziki sauce.

Instead of frying the meatballs I put them in a shallow roasting pan (or cookie sheet) on parchment paper (or foil) and roasted at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Easy to clean up and the meatballs come out uniformly cooked with a bit of brown crust. While meat balls are in the oven you can make the sauce saving preparation and clean up time. I added a squeeze of lemon juice to the plain yogurt to get a bit more tartness. Nice recipe. will make again.

I prefer freezing the meat before it is formed into balls, and wrapping very tightly before putting into the freezer. If you freeze them once formed, more surface is exposed and that leads to more exposure to freezer burn and change of taste. You can freeze it into smaller packets -- for two servings, four servings, whatever -- if you want. After it thaws, forming the balls is a quick process and your meal will taste fresh.

I thought the meatballs were great, but the texture and appearance of the yogurt sauce disappointed. It was pasty and whipped and overly white (although it tasted fine). I think next time I will saute onions and garlic, add stock, wisk in yogurt, and then simmer for a while, aiming for a thinner, less "white"-colored sauce. Or else just plain yogurt with salt and a pureed clove of garlic.

I followed this recipe almost exactly as written and it turned out great. I just added lemon juice to fa*ge yogurt for the sauce and lemon zest in place of the sumac (my grocery store doesn’t carry sumac). I served with orzo with lemon, asparagus, and tomatoes. I will definitely make again!

Made some tweaks to this as I have a gluten-free and dairy-free child. Replaced breadcrumbs with finely chopped mushrooms. Egg not needed. Added herbs (saved some for sauce) and 2 tsp za'atar to mixture and baked the meatballs at 400 for 20 mins. Made a sauce with tahini - 1/2 cup tahini paste, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 3 cloves finely minced garlic and 1/2 cup lemon juice, plus herbs, whisked and warmed, then poured over meatballs. Baked for 15 mins, with more herbs and spices. Delish!

read the recipe. the meatballs are cooked on the stove-top. the 225 oven is to keep them warm until serving.

Delicious. I omitted the turmeric but otherwise followed recipe. Will certainly make again.

Excellent recipe; the meatballs came out very moist! As others have suggested, added dill, parsley and mint to the meat mixture. Used 1 lb of lamb and a half a pound of 80/20 ground beef. Toasted ground cumin and coriander on the stovetop for 30 seconds. For the yogurt, I used labneh, added juice from a lemon, and sprinkled with sumac and crushed red pepper.

I have a sheep farm, so lots of lamb and sheep yogurt! This is a favorite or ours and a crowd pleaser (kids too)!

Delicious. Used labneh for the sauce and loved it and can also see making a tahina sauce. Used shallot instead of red onion and added dill because I had it to the meatball mix. Made the meatballs with an ice-cream scoop. Excellent the next day too.

This was fantastic. Served with rice and a Shirazi salad. My only change was Aleppo pepper, not red pepper, and added toasted pine nuts.

Made this with vegetable broth and impossible burger to convert to vegetarian recipe. Left meatball mixture overnight before cooking. Pan fried some kale after meatballs before wiping out pan to do yogurt sauce. Completely delicious!

Double to triple the herbs, consider putting some chopped mint into the meatballs. Served over egg noodles also with hot brioche because that's what I had. Delicious!

This was…okay? I put the mint and cilantro into the meatballs as suggested and they were fantastic (baked them according to suggestions too). I had such high hopes for the sauce but even using the proper yogurt it was kinda meh. Overall I’d make this recipe again but would probably just use straight yogurt or tzatziki instead of the sauce (definitely keeping the feta and sumac as well).

Incredible flavor and the sauce was delicious. As someone else mentioned, the cooking time didn’t get them cooked all the way through. My method was sear 3 minutes on one side, 5 on the other, then 3 minutes with the lid on to cook all the way through. Worked perfectly!

OMG. this does not take one hour! As noted, mint and dill were added to the meatballs

Excellent. guests worthy. Served with griiled peppers and zucchini. Wow.!!

Excellent! Made as written except only had dry dill, so added that to the yogurt sauce before serving. Served with pita and cucumber, tomato, feta salad.

I served these meatballs (without the sauce) with the Ottolenghi stuffed cabbage and they were a great complement for the meat eaters. I roasted them at 375 for 20 minutes. Yum!

Delicious. Added herbs into the meatballs and used buttermilk to thin yogurt. Otherwise made as written.

Really good but I’ll modify a couple things next time. Adding some fresh herbs (mint and cilantro) to the meatballs will add to their flavor in a good way. I’d also skip the egg in the sauce. I almost did and should have followed my gut as I could taste the egg I think muddied what should be a fresh, bright yogurt sauce.