I would not be surprised if all of you have a meatball recipe that you can make any time you want, 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 varieties.
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.
This spicy Mediterranean meatballs recipe contains ingredients like mint, cardamom and wine you may not instantly associate with meatballs; it’s a spicy alternative and no sauce involved, nor any spicy peppers. Read on and try …
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Ground beef – my standard mix is a 93:7, 93% lean ground beef with 7% fat or sometimes a little less lean.
- Onion – Use a yellow or a sweet onion, these have some sweetness to their taste.
- Bread crumbs – to keep the meatballs juicy.
- Egg – functions as a binder.
- White wine – adds flavor.
- Mint
- Spices – cumin, cardamom
- Salt & pepper
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
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 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.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook the chopped onion until translucent. Allow to cool.
- 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 in 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 a side dish, like Zucchini Orzo to complete your meal. (NOTE 3)
- 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.
- Link to Zucchini Orzo
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.