Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Herbed Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Servings:
12
12
Prep Time:
30 mins.
30 mins.
Cook Time:
30 mins.
30 mins.
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds ground American Lamb
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 11/2 cups sweet onions, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons Moroccan Spice Blend, divided (recipe follows)
- ½ cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- Shredded lettuce or scallion greens for garnish
- 2 cups Spicy Yogurt Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon mashed roasted garlic
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup plain Greek low-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
- For Moroccan Spice Blend, in a dry skillet, add cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, and red pepper. Cook over a low heat for several minutes until mixture begins to lightly smoke. Remove from heat; cool. Place in a covered container; hold until ready to use.
- For Herbed Yogurt Dipping Sauce, in a small food processor, pulse together mayonnaise, chives, parsley, garlic, and mustard until fairly smooth. Place in a bowl; whisk in yogurt, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onions and sauté 3 to 4 minutes until onions are golden brown. Stir in garlic; continue to cook 1 minute. Mix in 3 tablespoons Moroccan Spice Blend; continue to cook another 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, mix cooled onion mixture with bread crumbs, eggs, salt and orange zest. Mix in lamb; gently toss to incorporate well. Form into 36 1-ounce meatballs (a heaping 1 tablespoon). Evenly spread onto a parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes, turning at least once, or until meatballs are cooked through; remove from heat.
- To serve, in a saucepan, heat soy sauce, honey, cilantro, Sriracha and 1 tablespoon Moroccan Spice Blend; bring to a simmer. Add cooked meatballs; simmer, stirring gently until coated. Keep warm. Serve hot accompanied by Herbed Yogurt Dipping Sauce, if desired.
Source: American Lamb Board
