Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Greek Yoghurt and Mint Raisin Pesto

Juicy, tender, and ultra-flavourful lamb meatballs, thanks to all the wonderful spices, served with creamy Greek yoghurt and mint raisin pesto. They are baked in the oven and all cooked evenly throughout without hovering over the skillet and flipping when you are pan frying them.
The mint pesto keeps well in the fridge for a few days. It also freezes well – leftover can be frozen in an ice cube tray. You can also make an extra batch of meatball and keept them frozen for up to 2 months.

Meatball	Mint Raisin Pesto
1 Large egg 50 g Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1 tsp Ground cumin 1/3 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp Ground turmeric 1 Large garlic clove, minced A handful of flat parsley, finely chopped 1 tbsp Bacon fat, melted (or olive oil) 1 tsp Sea salt 400 g Ground lamb	35 g Mint leaves, thick stems removed 20 g Parsley leaves, thick stems removed 3 tbsp Golden raisins 1 clove Garlic, minced 1 tsp Lemon zest Juice of 1 lemon 120 ml Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp Sea salt Plain Greek yoghurt (for serving) Red Peppercorns (optional, for serving)

Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Combine egg, panko, cumin, red pepper flakes, turmeric, minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, bacon fat, and salt in a large bowl. Add in ground lamb and mix well.
Roll teaspoons of mince mixture into balls. You should have about 30 meatballs. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake meatballs in the middle of hot oven until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
Process mint, parsley leaves, raisins, garlic clove, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt in a blender until smooth. Taste pesto and season with more salt if needed.
Spread yoghurt over plates and divide pesto and meatballs on top. Sprinkle some red peppercorns over if using.

33 comments:

J.P. Alexander 20/4/21 05:13: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso
Sherry's Pickings 20/4/21 08:21: we don't eat lamb but all the flavours here sound fantastically tasty. i could sub beef for lamb:)
Evi Erlinda 20/4/21 09:01: Meat balls with mint pesto sound so delicious!
Thank you for recipe, Angie!
DEZMOND 20/4/21 09:56: That red fork looks like a delightful weapon for murder LOL
Tom 20/4/21 12:46: ...looks delicious.
Eva Taylor 20/4/21 13:43: I’ve only just started enjoying lamb, what my mom used to make was just too gamey for me. Unfortunately, Ontario lamb is ridiculously expensive so we don’t have it often, but it’s JTs favourite.
Eva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/
Nancy Chan 20/4/21 13:50: I am sure the meat balls taste great.
Martha 20/4/21 13:51: They look and sound so delicious!
» Joha 20/4/21 14:32: Great post! Thanks for sharing. x
thepaintedapron.com 20/4/21 15:00: Wow these sound good! I love lamb and the mint pesto is brilliant!
The Exclusive Beauty Diary 20/4/21 15:01: These meatballs look so delicious and your presentation is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

New Post - https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2021/04/tom-ford-lip-color-flamingo-chanel.html
Kitchen Riffs 20/4/21 15:17: Mmmm, lamb -- my favorite red meat! These meatballs look terrific -- tons of flavor. Besides, everyone likes meatballs! Good stuff -- thanks.
Christine 20/4/21 16:12: I should get some lamb thanks.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 20/4/21 16:39: these sound perfect just the right spice and love the yogurt with them!
foodtravelandwine 20/4/21 17:38: I love that mint raisin pesto!!....Ideal for a summer dish...I need to try it!......Abrazotes, Marcela
Pam 20/4/21 17:41: My lamb loving husband and daughter would dig these spicy meatballs.
Brian's Home Blog 20/4/21 19:36: Spicy is good and I'll bet those are yummy!
Valentina 20/4/21 21:47: I've never seen anything like the mint-raisin pesto before. So intriguing and I can't wait to try it! :-) ~Valentina
Tanza Erlambang 20/4/21 22:20: I just eat Greek yogurt... fresh and healthy...

the meat ball sound fantastic.
Pedro 20/4/21 23:44: Another delicious spicy meat dish, and a tasty pesto sauce!
Greetings
claire 21/4/21 00:26: It seems to be a great dish, anyhow lamb is very expensive here in Poland :-)
Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake 21/4/21 00:44: I adore meatballs and as usual, you present yours so nicely with pesto and yogurt sauce. They'd be impossible to resist! Lovely!!
Raymund 21/4/21 05:44: That indeed looks delicious! I would nibble on those beauties endlessly
Nammi 21/4/21 07:54: yumm, i love lamb more than beef !
2pots2cook 21/4/21 13:14: Beautiful refreshing summer lunch !
Easyfoodsmith 21/4/21 15:03: That pesto has stolen my heart. Look at the beautiful bright colour! So pretty!
tigerfish 21/4/21 23:01: I like the addition of raisins to the pesto to give it sweetness.
mjskit 22/4/21 01:04: I've discovered lamb meatballs at one of our local Indian restaurants. They are so good as I'm sure yours are as well. Next time I order them, I'd love to make your mint raisin pesto to go with them. Sounds absolutely wonderful!
The-FoodTrotter 22/4/21 23:42: OMG I'm all into these sorts of flavours with yogurt, mint, fresh, sour, spicy... Sounds heavenly :)
bread&salt 23/4/21 04:47: Meatballs and yogurt sound good for the dinner! Have a wonderful day
Noob Cook 26/4/21 04:24: home-made meatballs are the best!
Happy Retiree's Kitchen 26/4/21 10:36: I love lamb meatballs, especially those that can be baked in the oven. The pesto looks delicious, and your photos make me want some right now. Beautiful photos.Well done with this recipe.
Karen (Back Road Journal) 27/4/21 15:43: I love everything about this dish, especially with the mint raisin pesto. I've pinned and can't wait to give your recipe a try.