Meze Meatballs with Fresh Salad and Dips Recipe
These Meze Meatballs are a delicious Mediterranean-inspired dish featuring tender beef or lamb meatballs infused with oregano, garlic, and fresh parsley. Coated in flour and pan-fried until golden and juicy, they are served alongside a fresh cucumber, cherry tomato, and red onion salad with classic hummus and tzatziki dips, all wrapped up in warm toasted pitta breads. Perfect for a flavorful, communal meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 meatballs (serves 4) 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 50ml milk
- 400g beef or lamb mince
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 onion, coarsely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Salad & Accompaniments
- ½ cucumber, chopped into chunks
- 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- Hummus, for serving
- Tzatziki, for serving
- 4 pittas, toasted
Instructions
- Prepare the breadcrumbs mixture: Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour in the milk. Leave the mixture to soak for about 5 minutes until the milk is fully absorbed by the breadcrumbs.
- Mix the meatball ingredients: Add the beef or lamb mince, egg, dried oregano, chopped parsley, grated onion, and grated garlic into the soaked breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper, then mix everything thoroughly using your hands to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Shape and chill the meatballs: Form the mixture into meatballs roughly the size of a cherry tomato, aiming to make about 24 in total. Cover the meatballs and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld; they can be kept chilled up to 24 hours if prepared ahead.
- Coat meatballs with flour: Before cooking, pour the plain flour into a shallow bowl and roll each chilled meatball in the flour to give them a light, even coating which will help achieve a nice golden crust when fried.
- Fry the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the floured meatballs and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning them regularly to ensure all sides brown evenly and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Prepare the salad: While the meatballs cook, combine the chopped cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, and sliced red onion in a bowl to create a fresh, colorful salad to accompany the meatballs.
- Serve: Arrange the cooked meatballs on a platter alongside the chopped salad and bowls of hummus and tzatziki. Toast the pitta breads and let everyone assemble their own meatball kebabs by stuffing the meatballs, salad, and dips inside the pitta pockets.
Notes
- You can substitute lamb for beef or vice versa depending on your preference.
- For a leaner dish, use lean mince and less oil for frying.
- Chilling the meatballs before frying makes them firmer and easier to handle.
- Make sure the meatballs are evenly cooked by turning regularly and not overcrowding the pan.
- The salad and dips add refreshing contrast and richness; feel free to add other fresh herbs like mint.
- Leftover meatballs taste great cold or reheated and can be used in wraps or salads.
Keywords: Meze, Meatballs, Mediterranean, Beef meatballs, Lamb meatballs, Fried meatballs, Easy dinner, Pitta bread, Hummus dip, Tzatziki sauce
