Spicy Lamb Meatballs
These spicy lamb meatballs are one of my top recipes for a quick weeknight dinner because they’re incredibly flavorful and cook in the oven in 20 minutes. The combination of warm spices with flavorful ground lamb is sure to satisfy every craving and pair well with almost any side dish. This recipe is a testament to the power of a dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon is a beautiful aromatic spice that provides a hint of sweetness and warmth that compliments lamb beautifully.
What to serve with spicy lamb meatballs? Spicy lamb meatballs are best served with something fresh to compliment their rich, bold flavor. My favorite side dishes to pair with lamb are quinoa salad, sweet pickled red onions, or a refreshing cucumber salad — or, better yet, all three.
Can spicy lamb meatballs be made ahead of time or frozen? Yes, you can make these spicy lamb meatballs ahead of time and even freeze them for an easy and quick meal. To meal prep the meatballs, prepare them fully, let them cool completely after baking, and either store them in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months.
Why do meatballs need breadcrumbs? Adding the combination of breadcrumbs and an egg to meatballs increases the moisture in the meatballs and helps the meatballs not fall apart. Breadcrumbs in particular will soak up the moisture from the egg and the fat from the ground lamb and keep the meatball hydrated.
How to tell when meatballs are done? The best way to tell when spicy lamb meatballs are finished cooking is by using a digital thermometer to measure the temperature. They should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Meatballs that are finished cooking should also be evenly browned and crispy.
Can you bake meatballs in the oven? YES! This is actually my favorite method of cooking meatballs because you don’t compromise any flavor or browning, but you have very minimal cleanup compared to if you browned the meatballs fully on the stove.
Meatball troubleshooting guide:
Why are my meatballs dry? There are two main reasons why meatballs can become dry:
The meatballs are overcooked. If you cook the meatballs in the oven past the point when they reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, you risk them becoming dry and potentially crumbly. To avoid this, I recommend using a digital thermometer to measure their temperature.
You add breadcrumbs without any additional moisture to hydrate them. This recipe calls for a large egg in addition to breadcrumbs to hydrate the meat and the breadcrumbs. This allows the meatball to remain hydrated during the baking process and keep from drying out. If you don’t add another ingredient such as egg (or milk in some recipes) to hydrate the breadcrumbs, the crumbs can soak hydration out of the meat and make the final product dry and crumbly.
Why did my meatballs fall apart? Meatballs typically fall apart when they are either:
The meatballs are overmixed. For best results and a tender meatball, you want to gently mix the ingredients together making sure to avoid smashing the ingredients together too much with your hands. This is counterintuitive, but an overworked meatball can become dense and crumbly. I recommend combining the meatball mixture together with your less dominant hand to avoid overmixing the ingredients.
There is a lack of a binder in the meatball mixture. The egg in this recipe serves as the metaphorical “glue” in the meatball mixture. Without it, the meatball will fall apart and the ingredients won’t hold together through the baking process.
How to make spicy lamb meatballs:
Spicy Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tsp diamond kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- Optional - soft herb garnish like parsley, mint, or dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together all ingredients and form the mixture into 10 meatballs.
- Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan and bake them for about 20 minutes or until a digital thermometer reaches at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll them halfway through the cooking time to ensure that the meatballs brown evenly.
- Optional - Broil the meatballs for the last few minutes if desired to achieve even more browning.
