I’m a lamb meatball fanatic, and I love every single thing about these incredibly flavorful keto spicy lamb meatballs. My goodness they’re damn good. You have to make these low-carb lamb meatballs ASAPington! Oh, and that lemon-herb yogurt sauce?? Girl. It’s not a game. If you’re not following a low-carb or keto diet, you can easily swap out the cucumber slices for little cute rounds of naan or pita bread. Trust me, if that were my life right now, I’d be doing that.
My spicy lamb meatballs are loaded with fresh herbs, fresh garlic, two kinds of chiles (you can use any kind you want), and I also added some extra fat as lamb tends to run on the leaner side. I didn’t want dried out keto lamb meatballs, so make sure you add that necessary fat to make these ultra moist and plump. Both the meatballs and lemon-herb yogurt sauce can be made a day in advance. Which may actually be better because those flavors get a chance to meld and marry. Everybody wins.
Not to mention, these cook fast! We pop these under the broiler for a super fast high-roast, then they get a quick brush of balsamic vinegar (typical for lamb meatballs) then another hot ass blast under the broiler until they’re done. Depending on the strength of your broiler, the whole cook time only takes about 8-10 minutes total.
Make sure you season the lemon-herb yogurt sauce to taste. Really get creative with that one, add what you love and as much of it as you want.
It’s football season again, so it’s time to start pumping out some killer low-carb and keto-friendly appetizers to celebrate the festivities. I promise if you make these, they won’t last.
How to make spicy lamb meatballs
Watch this Youtube video for visual instructions on how to make these incredible keto lamb meatballs, and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.
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Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Lemon-Herb Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 meatballs
Description
Intensely-flavored Spicy Lamb Meatballs that are low-carb and keto-friendly. Served with a zesty creamy Lemon-Herb Yogurt Sauce. This keto lamb meatball appetizer will not last long once you make it. It’s so good.
Ingredients
Spicy Lamb Meatballs
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 3 tablespoons super cold or frozen grass-fed butter, grated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon flaky kosher salt
- Zest of an orange
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (not jarred!)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 red fresno chile OR jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds and membrane included)
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, for brushing
Lemon-Herb Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
- 1 1/3 cups mayo
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 4–6 cloves garlic, minced (not jarred!)
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper (or chili powder)
- Sumac, to taste (optional)
- Flaky kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
To build the appetizers
- Cucumber slices
- 1/4 cup full-fat feta, crumbled
- Red onion, finely diced
- Fresh cilantro, to garnish
- Fresh dill, to garnish
Instructions
For the sauce
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in your food processor, and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed, and consistency by adding either more mayo or lemon juice if needed.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. You can do this a day in advance.
For the meatballs
- In a large bowl add the lamb, butter, olive oil, dried oregano, granulated onion, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground ginger, sumac (if using), cinnamon, turmeric, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and kosher salt. Using two forks, gently mix everything together so that the fat and seasonings are well combined with the meat. Then add all of the remaining ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar. Gently toss to combine everything, then cover with plastic and place in your fridge so the flavors marry, about an hour. You can do this a day in advance.
- After an hour at minimum, form the meatballs. They should be able to fit your cucumber slices, so try not to make them too big. Place the shaped meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them in the fridge or freezer so that the butter hardens up, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your broiler and set the oven rack about 6 to 8 inches below the broiler.
- Once your broiler is super hot, place the meatballs in the oven. Let them cook for about 4-6 minutes (this will depend on the strength of your broiler). A visual clue is that they’re starting to sizzle and release their oils. After about 4 to 6 minutes, remove the meatballs from under the broiler and brush them with balsamic vinegar. Place them back under the broiler to continue roasting, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. You’ll know the meatballs are ready when they’re firm (but springy) to the touch. If they’re mushy, they’re not done — so continue broiling. When the meatballs are done, let them rest a couple of minutes, then drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil. Top your cucumber slices with a small dollop of the lemon-herb yogurt sauce, followed by a meatball, then garnish with the feta crumbles, red onion, fresh cilantro and dill. Use toothpicks to keep them together if needed.
- Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: appetizers, keto, low-carb
- Method: Broiling
Keywords: spicy lamb meatballs, keto lamb meatballs, keto appetizers, low carb appetizers, lamb meatballs, lemon herb yogurt sauce
Really good recipe. I had to sub a lot of things but it still turned out amazing. Replaced sumac with coriander,used all dry ingredients and nobody in my house likes mayo so I did yoghurt and put balsamic in to taste to give it that tartness.. We also do not like lamb so i used beef. This should absolutely be in everybody’s rotation. I’m sure it’s even better using fresh ingredients.
★★★★★
Really good recipe. I had to sub a lot of things but it still turned out amazing. Replaced sumac with coriander,used all dry ingredients and nobody in my house likes mayo so I did yoghurt and put balsamic in to taste. This should absolutely be in everybody’s rotation. I’m sure it’s even better using fresh ingredients.
★★★★★
Fantastic! Loved every bite.. omitted the butter & it still was amazing!
★★★★★
The sauce is delish, I was eating it like it was vichyssoise.
★★★★★
Made this tonight and had the meatballs and sauce with feta green beans for dinner. It’s was so good! A lot of ingredients but that’s what makes the flavor so spicy and complex. Personally, I’d skip adding the butter because it all ran out of the meatballs while cooking. Using that butter mixture to cooking something tomorrow – maybe eggs? Fabulous dish and can’t wait to make again!
★★★★★
Chef Resha your recipes ate SO amazing, flavorful and just full of pure love; not-to-mention your sense of humor makes it that much more entertaining! Cant wait for you to produce a cookbook! So I’ve
made these several times and they are soooooo good! Could these be made into burgers using the same recipe?
★★★★★
Chef Resha-
Im in the process of making this and i have a ton of sauce made. Is the sauce able to be frozen?
thx!
It can last in your fridge for up to 5 days, we had lots leftover too. But we used it on everything! Salads, chicken, shrimp, you name it. It’s so good on anything.