These lamb meatballs are great for any day of the week as they come together in 30 minutes and are incredibly tasty. The meatballs from a homemade lamb rub seasoning mix are tender, juicy, and flavorful. Plus, they can easily be made in advance or frozen for later, so you can have them ready whenever you like.
Serve with a side of tzatziki sauce for dipping, or serve them over pasta. Look at my post on what to serve with lamb for some more ideas. Enjoy!
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I enjoy lamb and find it a nice change from the more standard protein choices of beef or chicken. The secret to this recipe is the wonderful herbs and spices (from my homemade lamb rub).
These meatballs are just as easy to make as my Italian-baked meatballs, but lamb gives them a unique flavor that can be enjoyed in so many different ways. You're going to love this new way to prepare lamb!
If you're a huge fan of lamb, take a look at my ultimate guide to cooking lamb for tons of tips and tricks (and recipes)!
🥘 Ingredients
You can easily find any ingredients you may be missing at your local supermarket! Make sure you are using fresh herbs for the best flavor!
Lamb Meatballs
- Ground Lamb - 2 pounds of ground lamb. I used a combination of one pound of 80/20 and one pound of 90/10 ground lamb.
- Cubed Bread - ½ cup of cubed bread.
- Egg - 1 large egg.
- Goat Milk - 3 tablespoons of goat milk. You can swap this out for your preferred variety of milk if needed.
- Garlic - 2 teaspoons (or 2-3 cloves) of minced garlic.
Lamb Rub
- Kosher Salt - 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt.
- Parsley - ½ tablespoon of dried parsley.
- Rosemary - 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.
- Sage - 1 teaspoon of ground sage.
- Onion Powder - 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
- Oregano - ½ teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Orange Peel - ½ teaspoon of dried orange peel.
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- Pepper - ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Lamb Meatballs
I always find baking meatballs to be easier (and less messy) when compared to making them on the stovetop.
All you need to get started is a mixing bowl, a meat thermometer, and a broiler pan (or a baking dish with a wire rack placed inside).
This recipe will make roughly 24 meatballs, depending on how large you make them!
- Mix. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 pounds of ground lamb, ½ cup of cubed bread, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons of goat milk, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, and lamb rub (1 tablespoon of Kosher salt, ½ tablespoon of parsley, 1 teaspoon each of rosemary, sage, and onion powder, and ½ teaspoon each of oregano, orange peel, paprika, and pepper). Use your hands to mix everything until just combined, avoiding over-mixing the lamb meat.
- Roll. Use your hands to portion and roll the lamb mixture into balls that are about 1½-2 inches in size (about 24 meatballs in total).
- Place. Once formed, place the lamb meatballs into either a broiler pan or a baking dish with a wire rack placed inside that has been coated with oil or nonstick spray, making sure to leave some space in between them.
- Bake. Bake in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 18-22 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°F (71°C) when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Serve. Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve immediately.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Avoid Overmixing: To prevent the meat from becoming tough, mix the ingredients until they're just combined, without overworking the mixture.
- Tempering the Lamb: Remove your ground lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to use, allowing it to reach room temperature for more uniform and quicker cooking.
- Hand-Mixing Meatballs: Although it might get a bit messy, using your hands is the most effective method for thoroughly mixing and shaping the meatballs.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep your leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze, place the meatballs into a storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Uncooked meatballs can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat your meatballs in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until heated through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! These meatballs are actually a fantastic make-ahead dish. Simply prepare the meatball mixture, cover it, and pop it in the fridge for up to a day ahead of time. If you need longer than a day, you can form the meatballs and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nope! If you're going to sear your meatballs, you might as well finish them off on the stovetop since they don't take too long to cook. What makes this recipe so fantastic is that you simply just form the balls and put them in the oven! No need to sear them first.
These are both great ways to cook meatballs, so it really just comes down to which one you like better. I enjoy baking my meatballs because it is less messy and easier, and you can make a larger amount of meatballs at once.
🥩 More Tasty Lamb Recipes
- Sous Vide Lamb Chops - These delicious lamb chops are perfectly cooked using a sous vide machine.
- Instant Pot Leg Of Lamb - Get ready for a delectable lamb dinner in a fraction of the time.
- Grilled Lamb Shanks - Go ahead and fire up the grill for this super easy lamb recipe.
- Irish Lamb Stew - A hearty stew that is packed with lamb and tender veggies.
- Pan-Seared Lamb Chops - All you need for this quick recipe is some lamb, herbs, and butter.
- Leftover Lamb Curry - A flavorful and bold dish that is perfect for using up some leftover lamb.
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📖 Recipe Card
Baked Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground lamb (combination of 80/20 and 90/10 ground lamb)
- ½ cup cubed bread
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoon goat milk
- 2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
Lamb Rub
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried orange peel
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 lbs ground lamb, ½ cup cubed bread, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoon goat milk, minced 2 teaspoon garlic, and lamb rub (1 tablespoon Kosher salt, ½ tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon ground sage, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried orange peel, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper). Use your hands to mix everything until just combined, avoiding overmixing the meat.
- Use your hands to portion and roll the lamb mixture into balls that are about 1½-2 inches in size (about 24 meatballs in total).
- Once formed, place the lamb meatballs into either a broiler pan or a baking dish with a wire rack placed inside that has been coated with oil or nonstick spray, making sure to leave some space in between them.
- Bake in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 18-22 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°F (71°C) when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Meat can become tough if overworked, so you'll want to only mix the ingredients together until just combined.
- Bring your ground lamb out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it. This will allow it to come up to room temperature so that the meatballs cook evenly and quickly.
- While it may be messy, the easiest and best way to mix and form meatballs is by using your hands!
- To store: Keep your leftover lamb meatballs in a container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Place the meatballs into a storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Uncooked meatballs can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Reheat your meatballs in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until heated through.
Ali says
Delicious recipe! I didn't have dried orange peel, so I left it out. Since we are dairy-free (boohoo), I subbed in oat milk for the dairy milk. This is definitely a winner and will be in our regular meal rotation from now on. Thank you!!