This easy Greek Lamb Meatball Traybake is a delicious new way to enjoy meatballs. Succulent Greek lamb meatballs baked with peppers and potatoes in a zesty oregano dressing and then sprinkled with feta and mint before serving. Great for serving up to a hungry family with a few delicious sides.
I am a big fan of anything that all gets mixed together in one tray and goes in to the oven and cooks for the same length of time. The meatballs do need to be browned first, but it's honestly worth it.
Meatballs always go down well in our house, but instead of the regular meatballs in a tomato sauce, we like making these Greek meatballs with crispy vegetables. It's easy to adapt, great for batch cooking and an easy way to introduce new flavours to kids.
If you love meatballs, why not try our Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs) or Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
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What you will need
- Lamb - This is the star of the dish. We have used lamb mince and it makes really moist and flavour packed meatballs.
- Lemon - We used juice and zest and it adds some lovely freshness to the meatballs. You can leave the zest out if you don't want the lemon flavour to be too strong.
- Garlic - Just a little crushed garlic adds lots of flavour to the lamb meatballs. You can save time and use crushed garlic from a jar,
- Mint - This adds so much freshness and just add to the Green flavours. If you don't like mint, then you could swap it for parsley or dill. We recommend using fresh herbs rather than dried.
- Egg - This is what helps to bind the meatballs. We used a medium egg - a large one would make the meatballs too moist.
- Breadcrumbs - This also helps to bind the meatballs. We used wholewheat breadcrumbs, but you could swap them for panko, which would give the meatballs some crunch.
- Potatoes - This dish has everything in it, including the sides. We cut potatoes in to wedges and baked them with the meatballs to get them nice and crispy.
- Peppers - Slices of bell pepper add lots of colour and crunch. We used red bell peppers, but any colour will work.
- Onion - We used red onion, but you could use a brown onion of even halves shallots which would add some sweetness.
- Courgette - These add lots of chunkiness to the traybake. You could use aubergines instead, or even a mixture of the two.
- Tomatoes - We used red and yellow cherry tomatoes and they add a lovely burst of flavour once roasted.
- Oil - We used a really good quality Greek olive oil, to keep with the Greek vibe of this dish. Try to use the best quality olive oil you can, as you will be able to taste the difference.
- Seasoning - To give these meatballs the Greek flavour, we added dried oregano and garlic granules to the vegetables. You could add dried thyme too.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Put all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl.
Two: Mix well. Roll in to 16 meatballs and set aside.
Three: Heat a little oil in a pan and brown the meatballs for 3-4 minutes.
Four: In a separate large bowl, add all the ingredients for the vegetables and mix well.
Five: Pour the vegetable mixture in to a large baking tray and then place the meatballs in any gaps.
Six: Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 40 minutes, stirring the vegetables and turning the meatballs over half way through.
Seven: Sprinkle the feta and mint on top before serving with tzatziki and pita breads.
Why should you try it?
- One pan dish - Once the meatballs have been browned, just put everything in to a big baking tray and put it in the oven. Less effort and less washing up.
- Family friendly - Most families struggle to find meals that everyone will eat and this is a family favourite in our house. Comforting meatballs and potatoes and some added vegetables for a nutrient boost.
- Freezes well - This is a great meal to batch cook and then store in the freezer for busy days.
- Easy way to try lamb - If you haven't cooked with lamb before and are unsure what to do with it, then this is a great recipe to start with as it's super easy.
Health benefits of lamb
Lamb can get a reputation of being unhealthy, but it really doesn't have to be! Use the leanest mince that you can find and bake the meatballs instead of frying them and you have already saved yourself some calories, but you still have all that flavour. It's all about pairing it with fresh vegetables and that sprinkle of mint on top at the end is everything.
Lamb is not only a rich source of protein, but it is also a great source of many vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.
Variations
There are lots of different ways that you can adapt this recipe. Firstly you can change the meatballs that are using. Beef and pork will both work well, or you could use your favourite vegetarian meatballs. To make the meatballs themselves taste different, play around with the spice mix. Why not try a Mexican seasoning.
We cut the potatoes in the wedges, but you could also half the new potatoes or cube a larger potatoes. Cooking times may vary.
There are loads of options when it comes to the vegetables too. We added peppers, courgettes and tomatoes. But you could also use mushrooms, aubergine, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. It's a great way to use up what you have.
For an extra protein boost, you can stir in some cooked chick peas to the pan. You could finish it off with some rocket (arugula) on top before serving for a bit of a green boost.
What to serve with Lamb Meatballs
This dish has everything in it already. It has the meatballs, potatoes and vegetables all in one pan. However, if you wanted to serve this up to a few people, then some extra side dishes is a good idea. Don't forget to sprinkle the whole dish with some feta and fresh mint.
We like serving it with our Easy Homemade Flatbreads, Tzatziki and Hummus.
If you wanted some extra vegetables on the side, then why not try our Grilled Corn with Herb Butter, Broccoli Slaw, Garlic Spring Greens, Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli.
Storage
Store: If you have leftovers of this, then you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze: You can freeze this dish in portions, but the meatballs can get a little dry once reheated. Therefore, we would suggest that this dish is eaten straight after cooking.
Reheat: Add a little oil to a pan and then add the meatballs and vegetables until heated through.
FAQs
You can make all the meatballs up, and have all the vegetables pre-chopped, and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to mix together in a dish and put them in the oven.
As long as you use gluten free meatballs, this is a delicious gluten free dish. Just be careful with cross-contamination.
You don't have to, and you could just put them in the oven at the same time as the vegetables, but you would need to add about 15 minutes extra cooking time. But we would recommend browning them first as it adds lots of flavour and a nice crispy texture.
Yes, by all means save yourself some time and use ready made meatballs. Try to buy the best quality ones you can, as they are the star flavour in this meatball traybake.
You need to make sure that you are using a big enough pan for all the ingredients and that everything can lots of space and is in a single layer. If it is all piled on top of each other, then it will steam rather than roast. You want the potato wedges and vegetables to get nice and crispy.
The cooked internal temperature of the lamb meatballs is 70°C (160°F). The best way to check this is to use a meat thermometer.
You firstly want to make sure that you don't overhandle the meatballs when you are rolling them. Only handle them just enough to make them, and handle them lightly. You then need to make sure that you don't over cook them.
If you wanted to make this more like a stew, then once the meatballs and vegetables have cooked, add a mixture of canned chopped tomatoes, passata and Greek seasoning to the tray and mix everything together and put it bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Extra tips
- You could make this with beef or pork if you don't have/like lamb.
- Change up the flavours by using different seasonings. Put a Mexican twist on things by mixing some Mexican spice in to the meatballs.
- Use this dish as an opportunity to use up any leftover vegetables. Add some broccoli or cauliflower in, as it gets nice and crispy when roasting.
- A little drizzle of chilli sauce before serving add a nice bit of heat to this dish.
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Recipe
Lamb Meatball Traybake
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 500 g Lean lamb mince
- 0.5 Lemon (juice and zest only)
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 10 g Fresh mint chopped
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 Egg whisked
- 50 g Breadcrumbs
For the vegetables:
- 250 g Charlotte new potatoes cut in to wedges
- 2 Bell peppers cut in to chunks
- 1 Red onion cut in to chunks
- 1 Courgette sliced
- 10 Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 0.5 Lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic granules
- 2 tablespoon Dried oregano
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
For serving:
- 80 g Feta crumbled
- 45 g Fresh mint finely chopped
- Tzatziki
- Pitta breads
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl and mix well with your hands. Roll in to 16 meatballs.500 g Lean lamb mince, 0.5 Lemon, 2 Garlic cloves, 10 g Fresh mint, 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper, 1 Egg, 50 g Breadcrumbs
- Heat a little oil in a pan and brown the meatballs for 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate large bowl, add all the ingredients for the vegetables and mix well. Pour the vegetable mixture in to a large baking tray and then place the meatballs in any gaps.250 g Charlotte new potatoes, 2 Bell peppers, 1 Courgette, 10 Cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Olive oil, 0.5 Lemon, 1 tablespoon Garlic granules, 2 tablespoon Dried oregano, 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper, 1 Red onion
- Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 40 minutes, stirring the vegetables and turning the meatballs over half way through.
- Sprinkle the feta and mint on top before serving with tzatziki and pita breads.80 g Feta, 45 g Fresh mint, Tzatziki, Pitta breads
Notes
- You could make this with beef or pork if you don't have/like lamb.
- Change up the flavours by using different seasonings. Put a Mexican twist on things by mixing some Mexican spice in to the meatballs.
- Use this dish as an opportunity to use up any leftover vegetables. Add some broccoli or cauliflower in, as it gets nice and crispy when roasting.
- A little drizzle of chilli sauce before serving add a nice bit of heat to this dish.
Heidy
This Greek Lamb Meatball Traybake was so fantastic tasting! I enjoyed every last bite. My husband loved them as well, and they were easy to make. Have a great day!
Tara
Oh wow! Such incredible flavors packed into this meal. I love all the color too and different options for variations.
Jamie
I love these meatballs! My family finished it with no leftovers. So delicious!
Maria San Juan
This looks so yummy! Would love to make this for my family! Thanks for sharing!
Stacey
This tray bake looks fabulous! I love how colorful it is and a one pot meal is always a win in my opinion. I definitely need to try you tzatziki sauce, too!
Kristen
My family loved this! Thank you! :)
Heather Perine
Loved the meatballs...easy and delicious dinner! Definitely will make again!
Hayley Warren
This looks really tasty, I haven't had lamb in a while.
Lubka Henry
This roast dinner looks so good and just made me hungry.
Julie Plagens
Oh, wow. This looks fabulous. I love lamb!
Tanya
This looks amazing, my favourite meat is lamb. I could happily give up the others if I got to keep lamb. I haven't been to Greece in a few years but boy do they know how to give a meal some flavour