These baked, ground lamb meatballs are flavored with feta and green olives.
I had 1.25 # ground sirloin. I find it is much less greasy than lamb and comparable flavor. I just finished making a little sample burger and it is delicious. I did add fresh chopped basil, parsley, and 1 tsp. dried italian seasoning. I also crushed 1 clove of garlic, as I love the flavor of garlic with feta. I used both calamata and green olives. I measured everything and even with the 1.25 # of meat, I thought 2 eggs seemed a bit much. This is a rather loose mixture and wanted to make this into kabobs and serve w/a yogurt sauce. The nice thing is that there are a variety of ways in which these can be prepared besides meatballs. Hamburgers on the grill, kabob, etc. I would love to make these on the grill as kabobs this summer; will either cut it down to 1 egg or keep it at 2 and throw in a few tbsp. of dried bread crumb. Give this recipe a try for something new and flavorful! Can substitute any other ground meat. Would be great with ground turkey since that has a tendency to be dry and flavorless by itself.
Read MoreThese were way too dry and tough. Good flavor but next time I will add a lot of breadcrumbs to make them soft. Thanks for the recipe though.
Read MoreI had 1.25 # ground sirloin. I find it is much less greasy than lamb and comparable flavor. I just finished making a little sample burger and it is delicious. I did add fresh chopped basil, parsley, and 1 tsp. dried italian seasoning. I also crushed 1 clove of garlic, as I love the flavor of garlic with feta. I used both calamata and green olives. I measured everything and even with the 1.25 # of meat, I thought 2 eggs seemed a bit much. This is a rather loose mixture and wanted to make this into kabobs and serve w/a yogurt sauce. The nice thing is that there are a variety of ways in which these can be prepared besides meatballs. Hamburgers on the grill, kabob, etc. I would love to make these on the grill as kabobs this summer; will either cut it down to 1 egg or keep it at 2 and throw in a few tbsp. of dried bread crumb. Give this recipe a try for something new and flavorful! Can substitute any other ground meat. Would be great with ground turkey since that has a tendency to be dry and flavorless by itself.
everyone that eats these loves them. I have used lamb, beef, turkey, and combinations of the above as I have them on hand. All were good. I also used the same recipe to make hamburgers that were to die for, a little lemon-garlic-mayo sauce on top with some sliced onion and lettuce and it's really good. I also second the use of kalamata olives instead of green. Great recipe all around.
I formed some of mine into strips no tthe balls. Then put it in warmed pita, w/ vegies and cucumber ranch salad dressing. It was a great Guyro filler
Good recipe! I would use kalamata or Greek black olives rather than green olives, but that's just an opinion from a Greek girl!
I also made small cocktail meatballs. I replaced green olives with Greek Kalamata olives and organo instead of italian seasoning. I also used 1 egg like many reviewers and the consistency was good. I was curious to see how the meatballs would cook under the broiler and it did not go well. They were burning up and smoking like crazy. My pan was almost ruined. Next time, I will cook these in a large skillet, or in the oven, but not under the broiler.
I first got this recipe from All Recipes a couple of years ago. I fix it frequently, sometimes as meatballs, sometimes as a meat loaf, and sometimes on the grill in pattys. It is always a big hit. Thanks All Recipes
I like this recipe - I did make three major alterations: lean ground turkey meat, black olives, and sheep's milk feta. (It's what I had on hand.) They still turned out great - a little dry, but not too greasy.
Wowza! In keeping with other suggestions, I added 1/2 lb ground sirloin, a tsp. of cumin seeds and two cloves of minced garlic. The additional meat took care of the "too much egg" problem and added so much flavor tot hese meatballs.
Really enjoyed these. 2nd portions all round (my husband 3rd). Would do again. I stuck to the recipe and it seems right to me.
A friend gave us some ground lamb, and this is the only recipe I use for it. I make a mint/yogurt sauce (tzatziki) and fill a pita with meatballs & sauce. So good!! I can't wait for summer to try grilling them.
Quick, easy and delicious. Made mini versions for a party the day before and they stayed beautifully moist overnight. Will definitely make again!
These were great as is. Going to try putting them are skewers next time, just to see if it works. I made them with a Greek salad and got good reviews.
These were way too dry and tough. Good flavor but next time I will add a lot of breadcrumbs to make them soft. Thanks for the recipe though.
These were great! We also used Kalamata olives instead, and subbed a variety of dried herbs in place of the fresh parsley. We served these with Molly's Mouthwatering Tzatziki--a perfect combo.
I'm a poor college student, so I ended up using ground beef instead of lamb. I paired it with romemary red potatoes and green beans sauteed with garlic and onion. Yum!
I wanted a unique and different meatball recipe and this one really stood out. I was so excited and got to cooking only to be floored to see that I had two containers of blue cheese and no feta. I used the blue cheese and they were still very good. Since I live 20 miles from a real grocery store it was out of the question to make the trip...but next time I'm in town, you can bet I'll buy feta and try again. Thanks for the originality!!!
I made these using ground turkey, didnt have fresh parsley or onion so I used dried minced onion and dried parsely and added some dried breadcrumbs. The flavor was wonderful using the broiler instead of baking! I had them like regular meatballs with spaghetti and red sauce and they were delicious and filling, will definately make again next time I have feta to use up!
I made these for an office potluck. They were amazing. I really dislike meatballs but I had to have one as I LOVE feta & olives! I did kalamata olives instead of green olives. I did ground chuck instead of ground lamb (I'm sure most co-workers wouldn't eat lamb), and added oregano & garlic salt. They were so juicy & full of flavor!! This is such a great idea for meatballs!
I made this as an Easter appetizer and they have since become a staple in my house. The kids love them. I used kalamata olives as per some of the reviews but I think either way they're great. They also freeze well so you can make batches for later.
Lamb seems to be the only red meat my 14 month old daughter will eat. She LOVED these. Best meatballs we've had. Next time I will make more and freeze them. I broiled them and then cooked them in the spag sauce.
I actually made this like a meat loaf, so took a while longer to cook. I used 2 eggs, but it was too moist, and so I had to use breadcrumbs to make the mixture firmer. I was expcting to find melted feta cheese or a cheesy flavour, so don't think the cheese made much difference, except to make it salty. I was glad that I automatically reduced my salt input, so take care about that. Actually it tastes alot like the 'kofta' we make here in Libya and other Arab countries, but we add garlic and cumin, and fry them. I think it will go well with cucumber and yoghurt salad dip, so will prepare that with it next time. But still a nice dish.
very flavorful. used Kalamata olives instead. I think 2 eggs were too many. next time I will only use 1 egg. will definitely make again. thnks for the recipe.
I LOVE this recipe. I do not use olives, and add 2 pieces of crumbled bread to make them lighter. I serve it with orzo mixed with tomatos and peppers. Great easy meal!
Served these meatballs on a bed of cooked egg noodles. Made a sauce with cream of mushroom soup, mil, and feta cheese, poured the thick sauce over the meatballs and noodles, and served. Was VERY good. Will make this way again.
These were excellent meatballs very greek the only thing I changed was I used kalimata olives instead of green olives. We served the meatballs with a greek salad, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce.
brought these to a "meatball" potluck. All of the usual meatball recipes had been snatched up so I tried these. Used pork instead of lamb and served with pitas and tazikki sauce. Tasted just like a gyro, many compliments. Thank you for sharing!
yummmmmm....Make sure you use the tangy feta and not the cheep stuff. Next time I will add garlic, like other reviewers did. I am drooling thinking of these as about kabobs on the BBQ. Also, don't forget the taziki!!
Excellent and different. I used Kalamata olives and ground turkey because that's what we had, and it was delicious. We served it in pitas with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and tzatziki sauce. Yummy.
The lamb, feta and olives are a nice combination. I tend to prefer meatballs containing breadcrumbs for a smoother consistency, but I liked these just fine. I used them to top off a Greek salad (gotta have protein!) and it was delicious. I will definitely make this recipe again!
The flavors were nice. I had them with Amy's Cilantroe sauce. It needed something like that to make this complete. Thanks for the recipe.
This was excellent. I used beef, green onions, only one egg and exchanged cilantro for parsley ( all I had). OMG it was delicious. I made four patties and baked on 450F for 15 min. So flavourful and juicy. We will make these offen.
These are killer! I use half ground lamb and half ground turkey. I also cook them in a skillet on the stove rather than in the oven. I serve them with tzatziki sauce and people love them! They reheat so well that I keep a bag of cooked ones in the freezer, douse them with a bit of chicken stock, and throw them in the oven or crockpot to reheat. SO GOOD!
These were super yummy...added a few more ingredients to suit my our personal pallet, but great base for yummy meatballs.
My family loves these. Only change I made was using ground turkey instead of lamb (not available at my local market). I make enough for left-overs - they reheat great for lunch. I serve them with a ceasar salad and couscous with pine nuts.
excellent, very easy and tasty. Even the 2 year old liked them. I served them with tziki dip and rosemary roast potatoes. I do suggest you buy more feta and olives as you end up eating half of what the recipe calls for before you even get started!!
I made as meatballs. added only one egg. served as gyros with yia yia tzatiki sauce. I don't think i would have enjoyed them without the sauce. will make again!
I used ground elk meat as that is the staple meat in our hunting household, and it turned out great. Definitely didn't have the grease problem some others mentioned with the lean elk. Yum!
I used ground beef instead of the lamb; also added some garlic for flavor. Delicious!! When cooking the meatballs, I used a broiler pan so that the fat drained into the pan and away from the meatballs. Will make again soon!
This recipe is great with spicy ground beef, too!
These were awesome. Made them cocktail size and served with cucumber/yougurt sauce. Will make again.
These were delicious. My husband thought they would be kind of gamey tasting so for the first time cooking I used half lamb and half beef. I also sauteed the onions first, and as another reviewer mentioned used Kalamata olives along with green. My husband thought they were so good (and mild) he gave the go ahead to do all lamb next time. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
I followed this recipe almost perfectly, except that I did only use 1 egg on the recommedation of other raters. Also, I baked the meatballs instead of putting them under the broiler. This recipe was a very big hit and it was very quick and easy to make. Thanks!!
Wow was this excellent!!! I made a few minor changes however, they are as follows: didn't use any egg, used dried oregano instead of Italian seasoning and added a little fresh mint chopped super fine, a little minced garlic and a pinch or two of kosher salt. Served with a Tzatziki sauce (Yia Yia's from this site) and another greek style yogurt sauce I've been making for years. Also served alongside a plate of Greek feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced red onion and kalamata olives. I LOVE this recipe and will make again and again.
I made these for a party this weekend and they were a hit! I modified slighly by using ground turkey, adding greek seasoning and about 3/4 cup of italian bread crumbs. I also fried them instead of broil. They turned out wounderful!
These are weirdly addictive. Upon first bite, my husband and I both thought, "strange, but kind of interesting". By the time we'd polished them off we were saying, "Oh, I'd definitely make these again".
Really good. My hubby, the picky eater, loved it. Even my 3 year old enjoyed 2 of them. We have fairly big appetites and 3-4 of these really filled us up.
Very good meatballs. Forgot to buy olives and didn't have italian seasoning (they don't stock that in Israel), so didn't use these ingredients. However, I did add some fresh chopped basil. I think two eggs are a bit too much, so next time I'll use only one. Also, used both ground turkey and ground beef. Finally, I baked it in the over and it came out very good! Loved the idea of the feta cheese. Will definitely do this again, this time will try to remember to buy olives.
These were really flavorful & fun to make. A great recipe. I only used one egg, and it was plenty enough. I think two eggs would have been too much. I also made a simple marinara sauce (1/4 cup of olive oil,2 cloves of garlic sauteed, tomatoes chopped, 1 tsp dried oregano, & 3 tbsp of dried parsley); and put it over some noodles with the meatballs on top. It was wonderful. Thanks for sharing. Another keeper :-)
ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! I USED ONE EGG AND ADDED 1/4tsp ROASTED GARLIC. I USED FRESHLY DRIED PARSLEY, OREGANO, DASH OF OLD BAY AND CRACKED BLACK PEPPER. I ALSO USED GREEN OLIVES STUFFED W/PIMENTO & SERVED WITH CUCUMBER RANCH DRESSING THAT I HAD ON HAND. I COOKED THEM IN A FRYING PAN AND DRAINED WELL. I WAS GOING TO SERVE THEM IN ROMAINE AS A WRAP, BUT MY BRITISH RAISED HUSBAND ATE THEM ALL! I LOVE SHEPHERD'S PIE, BUT THIS IS DEFINITLY THE BEST GROUND LAMB RECIPE MY HUSBAND & I HAVE EVER TASTED!!!
Delicious and easy; can multiply recipe and freeze extra meatballs for a quick dinner the next week. I used anchovy stuffed olives.
Wonderful! Everyone at the party was asking "who made those meatballs". I made them smaller than the recipe called for, like cocktail size, then made a cucumber-yogurt sauce to dip them into--they tasted like a gyro--I will be making them again!
I made this as sort of an appetizer for a ladies' spa night/dinner that our women's Bible study group put on... I was very dissapointed when there wasn't any left for me to take home and have for later. ;o) I ended up using greek olives instead of the green olives, simply because I prefer the greek... And since I didn't have any lamb in the house I used ground turkey. But they were still very moist and just delicious! They turned out much better than I had been hoping!!! AND SUCH AN EASY RECIPE!!!! I LOVE IT! I'm a little ashamed to say this, being almost fully Italian, and having my Grandmothers' (on both sides) recipes for meatballs... but I don't think I'll ever make a different meatball recipe again!!!
Wonderful flavor. I made them into patties and grilled them. I served them in grilled pitas with cucumber yogurt sauce. Quick, easy and delicious!!
This was lovely. I only made enough for 2 people. And I added a tbs of tomato puree and garlic puree and blitzed them in the blender to mix then better. I used 250g of extra lean beef mince and fresh basil, parsley, and oregano. It was nice. I served it on a bed of baby spinach,rocket, and watercress. Very healthy meal. Loved it. Even my 3 y.o loved them.
I didn't think much to these. The olives made them salty, and the cheese was very out of place with the flavours.
I made hamburgers out of this recipe (I used beef instead of lamb) and they turned out awesome! Feta cheese is the best; what DOESN'T taste good with it?
They were pretty good! But, they needed just a little something else. I added a clove of garlic, used ground beef, and baked them in a broiler pan so the juices could drain. Maybe next time I will add some sauce after they are done cooking.
Just made these with a yogurt dipping sauce and they are so good! I was out of egg so I didn't put any in and they binded just fine. I also substituted oregano for the italian seasoning.
If having to substitute dried parsley For fresh only use a tablespoon. I have made these a great many times and we enjoy them hot or cold. I have never used lamb meat though.
Mmmm, these are good! I used ground turkey, chopped black olives, only one egg and added artichoke. I baked them at 350 for about 30 minutes. Dipped meatballs in simple Greek dressing (sour cream, Greek yogurt, dash of lemon juice, garlic and Greek seasoning). Turned out really, really tasty!
Delicious and easy! Next time I am going to take some of all yall's advices and use kalamata olives and a little garlic next time. Didn't have Italian seasoning but oregano and rosemary and a little thyme worked well.
This was awesome and the meatballs did not break up. Needs some sauce though so we made some BBQ sauce to go over them.
This was awesome and very easy! I used ground turkey and kalamata olives and whew! DELICIOUS. I paired these with an easy marinara recipe and threw them on top of some hoagie buns for meatball sandwiches.
Very good recipe! I'm slower, so the prep time took longer. But, that's a guy in the kitchen for ya! ;)
I love these meatballs! I usually double the recipe and freeze the extras. I once made them with black olives, but the green are much better. Anyone who's tried these meatballs have loved them!
This is an excellent and simple recipe. I didn't have any lamb on hand when I made mine, so used ground turkey meat instead, and it worked out well. I don't care much for green olives, so I substituted them for black olives. The only down side is it came out slightly more bland than desired, so I may throw in a little minced garlic, dash of cumin, or maybe a little rubbed sage next time.
I made this substituting chopped spinach for parsley and black olives and some minced garlic. Outstanding! Also made with ground lean pork with a couple shakes of Pickapeppa Sauce and garlic in patties on the grill with neighbors...they were the first to disappear. Delicious!
These are some of the best meatballs I've ever had in my life, I'm not even really much of a fan of a hunk of beef(never been a heavy beef person though), but wow. I used Tomato & Basil Feta, a small can of chopped black olives, the onions of course, I used some fresh parsely and basil from my "garden"(4 flower pots on the front porch of my apartment). I also used a premade; McCormick I think, Italian Meatball seasoning envelope, some extra dried oregano and basil, and then I tossed in some bread crumbs, I did use 2 eggs. I don't have a broiler on my oven so I set my oven to 300 and baked the meatballs for 10 minutes, took them out, flipped them, baked them 15 minutes, took them out, checked them, then baked them another 10 minutes, so 35 minutes total, and they came out great. I put them over some wheat shells and covered it all w/ alfredo sauce, AMAZING. One of the best dinners I've had in a long time. I'd HIGHLY recommend these, I think I may even make them for Thanksgiving as an appetizer!
Best meatballs I've ever had! I normally can't eat green olives, but now I understand this must be how they were meant to be eaten.
These were really good. I used kalamata olives like some reviewers suggested. I found a feta cheese that had garlic, lemon and oregano mixed in-it added tons of flavor. I made them appetizer size and had a tzatziki sauce from the website as a dip. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful Meatballs! I serve them with Pita bread and Tatziki sauce. I have made them several times and have cut the recipe down to one egg. I also use Green olive tapenade instead of chopping up olives myself. Very good.
I thought these were really good. I had to use dried parsley and I used tomato basil flavored feta. My kids and I really like them. I will make them again, but I think I will use the fresh parsley and a broiler pan next time!
This was a great recipe. It was so easy to make and everybody loved it. The only think I changed was I toasted some pine nuts and put them in too. I will definitely make these again.
Followed recipe directions with exception of rolling into 'fingers' instead of balls and putting them into pita bread along with Ranch dressing. Very, very nice. Lamb did not have that 'unique' lamb flavor which normally puts me off.
I really liked these meatballs. I think the lamb is fantastic with feta and olives! I only used the equivalent to one egg with beaters instead. To avoid the inevitable broiler tragedy, I baked these in the oven at 400 for like 25 minutes until they were browned. They stuck a little to the pan. Served with penne and some artichoke marinara that I found at the store. Excellent!
I made a half recipe b/c thats all the ground lamb I had left after making some burgers with it. My hubby said that these were pretty good. But he's not a big lamb fan.
I thought that these were quite good - I used fat free feta cheese and couldn't tell the difference. The only problem was that lamb is very fatty, and a lot of oil accumulated. Just be careful to drain it all out and place on paper towels... Otherwise, good and different recipe. thank you.
I a pinch I made a variation of this recipes using 1/2 goat cheese and 1/2 bleu cheese. Either way the recipes is excellent.
I was a little dubious about making meatballs without any kind of bread/breadcrumb, but these turned out all right. Good flavor, just very moist. I think I may cut back to one egg next time, as many have suggested. I used ground turkey instead of lamb. I'm wondering what kind of sauce would work well here... I'm almost thinking next time I'll sear the meatballs stovetop, and make a sourcream/chicken broth/feta gravy.
I used only 1 egg and added 2 Tsp of olive oil and 2Tsp of bread crumb. They turned out juicy and right consistency. I used Kalamata olives instead and also added fresh basil because I had it in hand. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but I think I will stick to my version. Broiled for 12 mins one side and 5 minutes on the other. They weren't undercooked or overlooked. Thank you for the recipe idea. Delicious!
Very good!! I used ground turkey in place of the lamb since it was more readily available. Served with zucchini "noodles" also found on this site. Will make again, for certain!
This recipe was awesome, my husbund and family loved it it was deffirent. I use ground beef but next time i'm going to use ground lamb
I made these per the recipe an they were excellent. My husband said they were one of the best meat dishes he has had. The combination of the acidic olives and the creamy feta is perfect and neither ingredient overpowers the meat. There are only two things I would try to do differently next time. Instea of raw onions, I think I would cook them in a skillet first to take away some of their bite, but this is personal taste. I also thing I would try to somehow improve the visual aspect of them because while they are delicious the physical presentation of them leaves something to be desired.
These were moist and exceptionally good. I used 93/7 ground beef instead of the lamb and added two cloves garlic. I made 12 meatballs out of the 1 lb. and broiled four inches from the broiler for 10 minutes on each side. Also agree that one egg is plenty (at least for the ground beef). Love that this is a low carb meatball recipe that is great with no added carbs from bread crumbs!
These were really good even dry without sauce! I used 96/4 ground beef, 20 green pimiento-stuffed olives, 6 oz feta, 4 egg whites, 1/2 c diced onion, and dried parsley. I got 44 small meatballs. Using the 96/4 ground beef cut down on the grease that I think the lamb might have produced.
so simple with a wonderfully slight olive & feta zip. I paired with pesto & farfalle for what my husband praised as a restaurant quality meal!
Only thing I changed was adding 2 cloves fresh minced garlic. Best lamb meatballs I've had! thank you for the recipe
So easy to put together for a delicious and quick meal. Followed directions exactly and even my picky eater liked and asked that I make them again. Next time I will only use one egg and try the kalamata olives instead of green, but these were excellent!
FIRST THING I TRIPLED THE RECIPE, GOT TO HAVE ENOUGH FOR LATER. THIS RECIPE WAS SO EASY & THE FLAVOR WAS SPOT ON. I USED SOME IN MY SPAGHETTI, HOMEMADE SAUCE, HOMEMADE PASTA. THE WHOLE FAMILY LOVED IT. I MIGHT NOT MAKE MY ITALIAN MEATBALLS FOR AWHILE...LOL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A GREAT RECIPE.
I took these for a potluck & it was a hit! I was asked for the recipe repeatedly. Used turkey in a double batch with just 1 egg. It was so moist it wouldn't hold the meatball shape, so I flattened them into mini patties. I thought maybe leave out the egg next time but the finished product would likely be too dry. I used Greek rather than Italian seasoning because it just seemed right. I also provided tzatziki for dip. Next time I might add a little chopped spinach.
I made this into a meatloaf and it was awesome! The little bit that was left over from dinner made a great sandwich. Will definitely make this again!
