Serve these Spicy Lamb Meatballs at your next party. They’re baked in the oven for easy, no mess prep, and when used as the centerpiece of a crudites platter, they’re a perfect party treat. And a great partner for a Spanish red wine.
The Holiday season offers plenty of opportunities to create some festive appetizers. It is celebration season after all. And if you’re looking for lamb appetizer recipes, I hope you consider these meatballs.
These spicy lamb meatballs are easy to make and grabbing some crudite items at the supermarket will provide you with a colorful appetizer platter that you’ll be proud to present.
These spicy lamb meatballs carry just enough spicy heat to get your attention and with unlikely partners of thyme and Dijon, a savory meatball with jazzy flavor.
We found this recipe Wine Spectator Magazine, who showcased these lamb meatballs as Tapas Spanish Meatballs lamb appetizer.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Lamb
- Full Fat Milk
- Bread Crumbs: Fresh bread crumbs, Panko, or a mix of Italian Bread Crumbs and Panko.
- One Egg
- Seasonings: New Mexico Red Chile Powder (or Cayenne) Dijon Mustard, Garlic Powder, Dried Thyme.
Substitution idea: Substitute red chile powder with spicy smoked paprika for a more Mediterranean feel.
Step by Step Instructions, How To Make Lamb Meatballs
- Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients until well blended.
- Step 3: Using the palms of your hands, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls, and place them on a greased baking sheet one inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Then bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Common Questions About Lamb Meatballs
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
In a low-heat oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake about 15 minutes or until warm. Remember, you only want to warm them, not cook them longer.
Absolutely yes. To keep them as individual meatballs, place them on a sheet pan and freeze them for about an hour. Them you can place them in a zip-loc style freezer bag. Unthaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve With Spicy Lamb Meatballs
- You can make these spicy lamb meatballs any time of the year as a light dinner. Serve them with a tossed salad or a simple side dish like this recipe for Mixed Green Vegetables. Or serve them over Baked Rice.
- If serving them as part of a Holiday celebration of party appetizers, consider building a crudite platter as shown above. Or make things easy and serve them alongside a platter of mixed fruit, (grapes are always easy), you can’t go wrong with Shrimp Cocktail, or Spicy Deviled Eggs.
- Serve these meatballs with a dipping sauce such as Tzatziki Sauce or a Lemon Greek Yogurt Sauce.
Tips for Success:
- Hands are always the best tool for mixing meatballs or meatloaf. Using a large spoon will crush everything together, creating a tighter mix, which can cause the mix to be dry and too dense in texture.
- If you don’t want the present these as Spanish Tapas Meatballs, place the cooked meatballs on a bed of arugula that’s been tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
- If the meatball mixture is too soft and won’t hold a meatballs shape, add a sprinkle more of bread crumbs. If too dense add a teaspoon of milk. A good meatball texture should easily roll into a perfect little round ball.
More Meatball Recipes
- Mexican Meatballs with Queso Blanco
- Meatballs in BBQ Sauce
- Honey Sriracha Meatballs
- Authentic Swedish Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Albondigas en Chipotle (Mexican Meatballs)
I hope you give this lamb appetizer idea a try. And if you’re looking for more appetizer recipes, don’t miss my appetizer category. You’ll find lots of good ideas including the most popular on my site for Campechana, Mexican Shrimp Appetizer.
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Spicy Lamb Meatballs Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne or New Mexico Red Chile Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Cup Panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix until ingredients are well blended.
- Using the palms of your hands, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place them on a greased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Or you can use parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are no longer pink in the center. Remove, and serve immediately. Makes 30 meatballs.
Notes
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- Hands are always the best tool for mixing meatballs or meatloaf. Using a large spoon will crush everything together, creating a tighter mix, which can cause the mix to be dry and too dense in texture.
-
- If you don’t want the present these as Spanish Tapas Meatballs, place the cooked meatballs on a bed of arugula that’s been tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
-
- If the meatball mixture is too soft and won’t hold a meatballs shape, add a sprinkle more of bread crumbs. If too dense add a teaspoon of milk. A good meatball texture should easily roll into a perfect little round ball.
Nutrition
Spicy Lamb Meatballs …It’s What’s for an Appetizer.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
These were not bahahahahad 😉
What a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day. Good food, good wine and good friends…way better than going to a restaurant.
Love lamb balls, wait that doesn’t sound right. I love lamb anything. Looks like a great way to spend Valentine’s Day. Again those pickles! I gotta make those too.
Sounds like an absolutely fabulous evening… and I’m loving that you always have Cheetos with your wine time 🙂
What a great party, and all that food is making my mouth water. Lamb meatballs are so so good! I love your recipe and that you added cayenne. Thanks for sharing:)
Well this post just made my mouth water – loved the wine description (tell Bob I said good job). I want to taste one of those beautiful kabobs and take a big bite of those gorgeous cupcakes. And then I’d probably stand around the Cheeto bowl. Because, hey, they’re Cheetos. 🙂
My husband grew up eating lamb but I didn’t and I don’t choose to cook it at home. I think I could try this recipe, the lamb meatballs wouldn’t be too far out of my comfort zone and they sound great! Glad you had such a nice evening with friends!
Good looking spread and the wine sounds excellent – Bob knows how to do it. You guys know how to have fun and the pups look cute with their bows.
I’m tellin’ ya, it was all the real deal. By the way, those cool tall-boy skewers for the meatballs made a nice presentation.