Meze Meatballs
Delicious beef or lamb meatballs, with a refreshing cucumber, tomato and red onion salad, houmous and tzatziki dips.
Ingredients
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 50ml milk I use semi-skimmed
- 400g beef or lamb mince
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- small bunch of flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 onion coarsely grated
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
To serve:
- half a cucumber chopped into chunks
- 12 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 red onion finely sliced
- houmous shop bought or try our best basic houmous
- tzatziki
- 4 pittas toasted or kebab breads, grilled (per packet guidelines)
- olives (optional)
Instructions
- Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and add the milk. Leave for 5 minutes, or until the milk has been absorbed. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients, except the flour and oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix everything well with your hands, then shape into meatballs a bit larger than a cherry tomato, and put onto a baking tray or plate (you should have about 24). Cover and chill the meatballs for at least 30 minutes (they will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours).
- When you’re ready to cook, tip the flour into a shallow bowl. Roll the meatballs in the flour to coat, then heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes, rolling them around the pan until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through. To serve, arrange on a platter with some chopped salad made using the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion, and bowls of houmous and tzatziki alongside. Toast the pittas or grill the kebab breads and let everyone make their own meatball kebab, stuffing the meatballs, salad and dips into the pittas/breads.
Notes
- Make ahead - the meatballs will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours.
- This meze meatballs recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people. The first time making it, I halved the recipe to feed 2 of us as a main meal.