Tender Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs made with lots of flavor served over pasta, like zucchini orzo make for a delicious and healthy weeknight dinner.
I would not be surprised if all of you have a meatball recipe that you can make at any time, even if I would wake you up in the middle of the night. Certainly, I have one. Having a go-to back-up is great, but it should not mean that you’re not trying other recipes.
Break out of your comfort zone and try another combination of spices and ingredients and who knows what you will find. Change is good, change may inspire you to do more, and/or better.
My Mediterranean Meatballs recipe contains ingredients like mint, cardamom and wine you may not think about; it’s a spicy alternative and no sauce involved, nor any spicy peppers. Read on and try …
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Ground beef – my standard mix is a 80:20, 80% lean ground beef with 20% fat.
- Onion – Use a yellow or a sweet onion, these have some sweetness to their taste.
- Breadcrumbs – to keep the meatballs juicy.
- Egg – functions as a binder.
- White wine – add flavor.
- Mint
- Spices – cumin, cardamom
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic
How to Make Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs
Mix all the ingredients and form the meatballs with your hands. You can get 6-8 meatballs out of this recipe. The size is about slightly larger than a golf ball (1.5-2 inches).
Heat oil in a oven-safe skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides. This will take a few minutes. Then place the skillet in an oven (350 degrees F.) and cook for another 10 minutes. This depends on the size of your meatballs.
While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, make your Zucchini Orzo, by following this recipe.
Alternative Serving Suggestions
Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs
Ingredients
- 10 ounces ground beef (NOTE 1)
- 1/4 onion finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons cardamom
- salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons mint finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs unflavored
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 1/2 egg
- oil for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Transfer all ingredients into a bowl and, and mix well, using your hands. Don't 'overmix' as that could result in dense, tough meatballs.
- Form the meatballs, the size is slightly bigger than a golf ball. You should be able to make 3-4 meatballs.
- Heat oil on an oven-safe skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides.
- Move the skillet into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes. (NOTE 2)
- Make your other dish (like my suggested Zucchini Orzo) to complete your meal.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- My preferred ground beef mixture is 80:20 (80% lean and 20% fat). Other mixture can work as well. In general, the leaner the meat, the quicker it dries out, so you need to pay more attention to your cooking time.
- The cooking time in the oven is something that very much depends on the size of your meatballs and your final decision on the lean meat: fat ratio.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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