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Middle Eastern meatballs on a large white plate with hummus and tabbouleh.

Middle Eastern Meatballs

Author: Touria Abada
Easy baked Middle Eastern meatballs, delicious and perfect for your week night dinner, we are sure the whole family will love this recipe!
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 766kcal

Ingredients 

Meatballs

  • 500 g Ground lamb mince
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • ¼ cup Bread crumbs
  • 4 cloves Garlic grated/minced
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon Ground coriander
  • A pinch Allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ Chilli flakes
  • Salt and pepper To season

To pan fry

  • A little cooking oil

Tabbouleh (Make at home or buy in store)

  • 1 clove Garlic grated
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground coriander
  • 1 Lemon juice only
  • ¼ c Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ c Bulgur wheat
  • 1 bunch Parsley finely chopped
  • 2 stalks Spring onions / scallions finely chopped
  • ½ Red onion diced
  • 2 Tomatoes diced
  • ½ Cucumber diced
  • ½ cup Mint leaves finely chopped

To serve

  • 1 cup Hummus
  • 60 g Feta
  • Pinenuts (optional)
  • Flatbread To serve (optional)
  • A drizzle of olive oil

Instructions 

Make the meatballs

  • Place all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
    500 g Ground lamb mince, 1 tsp Ground cumin, 2 tsp Ground coriander, A pinch Allspice, ¼ tsp Cinnamon, ½ Chilli flakes, 1 Egg yolk, ¼ cup Bread crumbs, 4 cloves Garlic, Salt and pepper
  • Form into meatballs (approx 30g each) then place into the fridge for at least 20 minutes or until ready to bake.
    Prepared lamb meatballs on a white dish.

Bake the meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 180 °C (356 °F)
  • Heat a large oven-proof fry pan with a little canola oil until hot. Add the meatballs and brown on each side.
    Meatballs browned in a frying pan.
  • Place the pan into the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until cooked, remove and allow to rest. The internal temperature of cooked meatballs should reach at least 71 °C (160 °F) (according to the USDA). See note 1

Tabbouleh

  • In a small pan bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling add the bulgur wheat, cover and remove from the heat.
    ½ c Bulgur wheat
    Bulgur wheat in a pan with water.
  • Allow the bulgur wheat to sit in the water for 30 minutes until soft. Then strain off the liquid.
  • Meanwhile, prep the remaining tabbouleh ingredients.
  • Add the garlic, ground coriander, lemon juice and olive oil into a large bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.
    1 clove Garlic, ¼ tsp Ground coriander, 1 Lemon, ¼ c Olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
    Dressing in a metal prep bowl.
  • Add the cooked bulgur wheat, chopped parsley, spring onion, diced red onion, tomato, cucumber and mint leaves to the bowl. Mix and combine well.
    1 bunch Parsley, 2 stalks Spring onions / scallions, ½ Red onion, 2 Tomatoes, ½ Cucumber, ½ cup Mint leaves
  • Let sit for at least 20 minutes or as long as possible (or overnight to really develop flavour).
    Prepared tabbouleh in a metal bowl.

To Plate

  • Smear a generous amount of hummus onto your platter, and pile the tabbouleh into the centre.
    Place the meatballs on the hummus, crumble over the feta and sprinkle with pinenuts.
    Drizzle over a little olive oil, serve with warmed flatbreads and enjoy.
    1 cup Hummus, 60 g Feta, Pinenuts, Flatbread
    Middle Eastern meatballs with hummus and tabbouleh served on a large serving plater.

Notes

Note 1 - bake time will vary depending on how long the meatballs are pan-fried, we recommend using an instant-read food thermometer to check the temperature.  
The internal temperature of cooked ground meat should reach at least 71 °C / 160 ºF (according to the USDA).
Nutritional information does not include flatbreads.

Nutrition

Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 938mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2204IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 7mg
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