Tray bake dinner: lamb kofta meatballs
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Servings
4
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Tray bake dinner: lamb kofta meatballs
Description
This tray bake dinner features lamb minced with onion, garlic, and a blend of cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper, rolled into meatballs and baked alongside sliced red and yellow bell peppers and red onion. The roasting process concentrates the spices on the meatballs and brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
The resulting meatballs are moist and well-seasoned, with a slightly crisp exterior from oven grilling. The tender roasted vegetables add a contrasting texture and mild flavor.
Serving suggestions include stuffing the meatballs and vegetables into flatbreads or pita wraps with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and tahini or yogurt-based sauce for a complete meal. They can also be added to bowls with couscous, rice, or cauliflower rice, or served as a warm salad with a side of roasted cauliflower.
The notes highlight that the spice mix works well with beef or chicken (with adjustments to panko breadcrumbs). This recipe is adaptable to various serving styles and meal preferences.
Ingredients
KOFTAS
- 1/2 onion , grated using a box grater
- 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb), or beef
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub regular breadcrumbs)
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 2 tbsp Coriander finely chopped, or cilantro
KOFTA SPICES
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp Coriander
- 2 tsp paprika (plain, sub smoked)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (a bit spicy, reduce to taste or leave out)
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
- 1/2 black pepper
VEGETABLES
- 1 large red bell pepper deseeded, sliced into 1 cm thick slices, red capsicum
- 1 large yellow capsicum , deseeded, sliced into 1 cm thick slices
- 1 red onion , cut into thin wedges
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt cooking/kosher
- 1/4 tsp black pepper cooking/kosher
SERVING (wraps option)
- olive oil for the meatballs, spray form
- 4 flatbread or rice, couscous or cauliflower rice
- 1 quantity tahini or lemon yogurt sauce (or even just plain yogurt, sauce
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce or other leafy greens, shredded
- 2 tomato halved, cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped, optional (for sprinkling, aka cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Kofta meatballs - Place the Kofta ingredients and spices in a bowl. Use your hands to combine thoroughly then roll 16 large-ish meatballs (I scoop all mixture onto a tray, then roll into balls). Spread them out on a large tray.
- Vegetables - Toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper. Scatter around the meatballs.
- Bake - Spray the meatballs with oil. Bake for 15 minutes then switch the oven to the grill/broiler on high. Cook for a further 5 minutes to get some colour on the surface.
- Serve - Sprinkle with the chopped coriander then serve! To make wraps, stuff with lettuce, tomato, meatballs, and the cook capsicum and onion. Drizzle with lots of tahini sauce then tuck in! Other ideas: rice or couscous bowls or big salads - see below.
Notes
- Serve meatballs in flatbreads or pita with lettuce, tomato, and tahini or yogurt sauce for easy wraps.
- Alternate serving with couscous, rice, cauliflower rice, or grain/bean bowls for variety.
- Lamb is traditional, but beef or chicken can be used; increase panko when using chicken to help bind the mixture.
- Roast cauliflower separately to accompany the meatballs for a low-carb warm salad option.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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