Lamb Meatballs with Caramelized Onions

Name: Lamb Meatballs with Caramelized Onions
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 24 meatballs
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 medium yellow onions; 1 small yellow onion; kosher salt; 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb; 1/3 cup breadcrumbs; 1/2 bunch fresh parsley; 1 egg; 2 garlic cloves; 1 1/2 teaspoons baharat; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; black pepper

User Reviews

4.9

54 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings
24 meatballs
Calories
1127 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Middle Eastern

Lamb Meatballs with Caramelized Onions

Frida Fisher

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This sweet and savory flavor combination will have your family coming back for seconds every time. The lamb meatballs are seasoned with baharat, a Middle Eastern spice blend then finished in a caramelized onion sauce. Serve over rice, hummus or vermicelli.

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Ingredients

Servings

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
1 small yellow onion, grated
kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons baharat
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
black pepper

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Instructions

Heat your oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Caramelize the sliced onions: In a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once it shimmers. Add the sliced onion rings and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have fully softened and turned a deep golden brown, 20-30 minutes.
Make the meatballs: While the onions are cooking, combine the grated onion, lamb, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, garlic, Baharat, and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Add a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Take handfuls of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) and form them into meatballs. You should end up with about 18-20 meatballs.
Make the onion sauce: When the onions are ready, turn off the heat and carefully stir in 1 cup of water. The water should turn brown immediately. Nestle the lamb meatballs into the onion sauce, and using a spoon, scoop some of the onions on top.
Bake the meatballs: Transfer the pan to the oven to bake on the center rack until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 25 to 30 minutes. I like to occasionally baste the meatballs with the onion sauce while they bake.
Serve: Spoon the meatballs, onions, and sauce over Basmati Rice or Rice with Vermicelli. Enjoy!

Notes

Gently caramelizing onions is very important for the flavor of your sauce: keep a close eye, stir, and, if needed, adjust the heat to ensure they don’t burn.
If you’d like to test the salt level of your meat before forming and cooking all of the meatballs, you can quickly pan-fry a mini meatball in a small amount of olive oil until cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
The egg does the trick here to ensure the meatballs hold well, but if you’d like some extra security you can knead the meatball mixture with your hands for a few minutes to further develop the proteins and make the mixture more cohesive.
Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 112.7kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 5.4g (11%) Fat 8.7g (13%) Saturated Fat 3.2g (16%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g Monounsaturated Fat 4.1g Trans Fat 0.001g Cholesterol 27.5mg (9%) Sodium 31.9mg (1%) Potassium 103mg (3%) Fiber 0.5g (2%) Sugar 0.9g (2%) Vitamin A 110.3IU (2%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 14.7mg (1%) Iron 0.7mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1127 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	112.7kcal	6%
Carbohydrates	3g	1%
Protein	5.4g	11%
Fat	8.7g	13%
Saturated Fat	3.2g	16%
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.8g	5%
Monounsaturated Fat	4.1g	21%
Trans Fat	0.001g	0%
Cholesterol	27.5mg	9%
Sodium	31.9mg	1%
Potassium	103mg	2%
Fiber	0.5g	2%
Sugar	0.9g	2%
Vitamin A	110.3IU	2%
Vitamin C	3mg	3%
Calcium	14.7mg	1%
Iron	0.7mg	4%