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This Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs bowl recipe is easy to make and bursting with incredible flavors. It's made with lamb meatballs, roasted vegetables, and a simple yogurt sauce over a bed of fluffy quinoa, this hearty grain bowl guarantees to please.
Here are some incredible flavor-packed recipes: White Wine Chicken Pasta, Creamy Chicken Artichoke Pasta, Grilled Lamb Chops, and Braised Lamb Shanks.
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Are you looking for the Mediterranean lamb meatball bowl of your dreams? You've come to the right place. This mouth-watering recipe is made with perfectly baked lamb meatballs, roasted vegetables, and flavorful yogurt sauce, and all served over a bowl of fluffy quinoa.
Ready in around 30 minutes from start to finish, this Mediterranean quinoa bowl is perfect for meal prep lunches and family dinners alike. I have yet to meet a single person who didn't fall in love with this recipe, so I'd say that's a good sign!
I don't know about you, but I'm a huge lover of some good Mediterranean food. If you're constantly hitting up chains like Panera and Cava to get your Mediterranean grain bowl fix, then you need this recipe in your life.
All you have to do is cook your meatballs, veggies, and quinoa. Then, you'll whip up the delicious yogurt herb sauce and put it all together. Garnish your bowl with a few teaspoons of fresh herbs and serve alongside some warm pita bread for a crave-worthy meal you'll find yourself making every week.
Bowl VERZUZ Battle: How It Works:
Welcome to week three of the first annual BOWL VERZUZ! In this head-to-head competition, I'll be competing against my wife, Meiko Temple (Meiko and the Dish), to see who created the finest bowl. The finale highlighted ingredient is meatballs.
Every Friday in January we will share our submissions and we need you to vote by leaving a message in the comments below.
Meiko's bowl can be found here. If you like mine, leave a message below.
If her bowl is your favorite, leave a comment on her page.
Mediterranean Bowl Ingredients
To make this Mediterranean bowl with lamb meatballs, you'll need the following key ingredients.
- Ground Lamb: If you don't like lamb or it's out of your price range, ground beef or turkey would both work great too. Alternatively, you could mix it up and use equal parts beef and lamb.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I prefer using Panko breadcrumbs vs. traditional breadcrumbs because they allow me to use less, and panko also keeps the meatballs nice and moist.
- Italian Parsley: This adds a ton of fresh flavor to brighten up the lamb meatballs. Make sure to use Italian parsley, as this variation is better for cooking, while curly parsley is better when used as a garnish.
- Vine-Ripe Tomatoes: These juicy, flavorful tomatoes pair beautifully with the other ingredients in the bowl and help cut through the richness of the lamb. Make sure to use vine-ripe tomatoes for the best flavor!
- Tri-color Quinoa: This type of quinoa has a higher nutritional value than white quinoa, but you can use any kind you prefer. Brown rice, couscous, and cauliflower rice would also work as alternatives to quinoa.
- Greek Yogurt: Low-fat Greek yogurt has more flavor than nonfat Greek yogurt, but either one will work fine. Use whichever you like better!
- Olive Oil: When using olive oil in condiments like sauces and dressings, always make sure to use high-quality olive oil like Colavita. Unlike when you're simply cooking your food in olive oil, you'll really be able to taste the difference here depending on the quality you choose.
How to Make the Best Mediterranean Lamb Meatball Bowl:
To make this delicious Mediterranean quinoa bowl, all you have to do is follow the simple steps below.
Lamb Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, combine lamb, onion, worcestershire, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme, and parsley.
In a medium bowl, mix panko and half and half together; the mixture should be soggy. Add to the meatball mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
Use a 2 oz. cookie scoop or dry ¼ cup to measure meatballs. Roll meatballs and place on a plate or small baking sheet, then pop in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Roasted Vegetables: While meatballs are in the fridge, add tomatoes, red onions, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and oil to a large bowl. Toss to coat vegetables with oil and seasonings evenly.
Place on a foiled lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Add meatballs to the baking sheet bake for 15 minutes, until meatballs are browned and vegetables tender.
Quinoa: While the meatballs cook, heat a medium pot over medium heat and add quinoa, chicken stock, bay leaf, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir with a fork, remove the bay leaf, and cover until ready to assemble.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce: Add the yogurt, garlic, dill, mint, cayenne, lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor. Blitz on high until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the extra parsley, dill and mint.
Bowl Assembly: In a bowl, add ¼ cup of quinoa, 3 lamb meatballs, ¼ cup of roasted vegetables, and a drizzle (1 tablespoon) of yogurt dipping sauce. Garnish with 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers Lamb Meatballs
This meal works great as a healthy meal prep option for lunch or dinner, so don't be afraid to make extras. I recommend storing each component separately for the best results, but you can store the quinoa and meatballs together to make things easier.
To store food for later, you always need to allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight storage bag or container. You can store different types of food for different lengths of time—there's no 'one size fits all' approach here.
Here's the best way to store each of the components in this Mediterranean bowl:
Lamb Meatballs – Store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Roasted Vegetables – Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. I don't recommend storing roasted tomatoes in the freezer for best results.
Quinoa – Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce – Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. I don't recommend storing dairy-based sauces like this in the freezer, as dairy tends to separate when frozen.
Pro Recipe Tips and Substitutions:
Want to make the best Mediterranean lamb meatball bowl? Here are some of my top recipe tips and substitutions to help you do just that:
- Make sure to let the meatballs chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before cooking them. This gives the panko time to bind everything and allows the flavors time to develop so that the end results will be even more delicious.
- Wherever the recipe calls for fresh herbs (like in the meatballs and yogurt sauce), make sure to use them. Fresh herbs, as opposed to dried ones, are the key to taking the flavors of this dish to the next level.
- If you have leftovers of the yogurt herb sauce, make sure to save it! This delicious sauce works great as a dip for veggies and chips, a spread on wraps, and (of course) a topping on grain bowls.
- Don't feel like lamb? Try swapping it out for beef, turkey, or chicken instead. You could also try using a plant-based ground meat alternative like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat for a vegetarian option.
- If you don't have tomatoes or want to use something else, feel free to use any fresh vegetables you have laying around. Some good options include zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this Mediterranean quinoa bowl:
If you're not a big fan of lamb or can't find any at the store, that's totally fine. Swap it out for another ground meat like chicken, beef, or turkey. You can still prepare the meatballs the same way with any of these types of meat and I guarantee they'll turn out great.
Yes! To freeze cooked meatballs, allow them to cool to room temperature and then transfer them to an airtight storage bag or container. Once you've done this, you can store cooked meatballs in the freezer for up to 2 months.
You can swap quinoa out for another grain like brown rice, white rice, or farro. To ditch the grains altogether, try using cauliflower rice. You could also turn it into a Mediterranean salad bowl by serving your meatballs and veggies over a bed of lettuce.
More Delicious Healthy Dinner Recipes
Looking for more crave-worthy dinner recipes? Check these out:
- Fajita Bowl
- Egg & Rice Breakfast Bowl
- Vegan Chipotle Bowl with Jackfruit
- Yassa Chicken Bowl
- Chicken Enchilada Bowl
I hope you make my recipe for lamb meatballs with quinoa and roasted vegetables. Let me know how it turns out! If you try this dish, please leave a 5-star review in the comments below or on social media so that others can find your lovely recipes too.
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Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs Bowl
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs:
- 2 lbs. ground lamb
- ½ medium onion grated
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon dry thyme
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley plus more for garnish
- 1 cup panko
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Roasted Vegetables:
- 4 vine-ripe tomatoes quartered
- 2 medium red onions sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 carrots peeled, sliced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Quinoa:
- 2 cups tri-color quinoa rinsed
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Yogurt Sauce:
- 7 oz. 2% Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove smashed
- 2 teaspoons chopped dill plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons chopped mint plus more for garnish
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Lamb Meatballs: Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl combine lamb, onion, worcestershire, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme, and parsley. In a medium bowl, mix panko and half and half together, mixture should be soggy. Add to meatball mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Use a 2 oz. cookie scoop or dry ¼ cup to measure meatballs. Roll meatballs and place on a plate or small baking sheet, pop in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Roasted Vegetables: While meatballs are in the fridge, in a large bowl add tomatoes, red onions, carrots, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and oil, toss to evenly coat vegetables with oil and seasonings. Place on a foiled lined baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Add the meatballs to the baking sheet, bake for 18-20 minutes, until meatballs are browned and vegetables tender.
- Quinoa: While meatballs cook, turn the heat to medium, in a medium pot add quinoa, chicken stock, bay leaf, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir with a fork, remove bay leaf and cover until ready to assemble.
- Yogurt Dipping Sauce: Add the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, mint, and cayenne in a food processor, blitz on high until smooth. In a small bowl combine the extra parsley, dill and mint.
- To assemble: In a bowl add ¼ cup of quinoa, 3 lamb meatballs, ¼ cup of roasted vegetables, drizzle 1 tablespoon of yogurt dipping sauce, garnish with 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs.
Notes
• Wherever the recipe calls for fresh herbs (like in the meatballs and yogurt sauce), make sure to use them. Fresh herbs, as opposed to dried ones, are the key to taking the flavors of this dish to the next level.
• If you have leftovers of the yogurt herb sauce, make sure to save it! This delicious sauce works great as a dip for veggies and chips, a spread on wraps, and (of course) a topping on grain bowls.
• Don't feel like lamb? Try swapping it out for beef, turkey, or chicken instead. You could also try using a plant-based ground meat alternative like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat for a vegetarian option.
• If you don't have tomatoes or want to use something else, feel free to use any fresh vegetables you have laying around. Some good options include zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Storage: Lamb Meatballs – Store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Roasted Vegetables – Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. I don't recommend storing roasted tomatoes in the freezer for best results. Quinoa – Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Yogurt Dipping Sauce – Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. I don't recommend storing dairy-based sauces like this in the freezer, as dairy tends to separate when frozen.
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