Our lamb meatballs have a deep, delicious flavor with the help of grated tomato and eggplant. Served with yogurt, pita, and pomegranate seeds, even the most discerning eaters will go back for seconds. These lamb meatballs will serve as a staple for a go-to weeknight meal.

If you’re a fan of our delicious Lamb Meatballs, you’re in for a treat with our Lamb Burger Bowls, Lamb Kleftiko, and Greek Lamb Chops!

Three lamb meatballs on yogurt, garnished with pomegranate seeds, herbs and pita pieces in a yellow plate. At the back another plate with meatballs.

Why this recipe sings

It’s delicious. Adding the eggplant and tomato deepens the flavor and makes the lamb meatballs very tender and juicy.
It’s an easy-to-make dish with maximum results. Serving the lamb meatballs over creamy yogurt, spearmint, and pomegranate is a terrific presentation and could not be easier. Also, the combination of these ingredients is fantastic. Earthy, savory meatball gets a fresh, crunchy, sweet surprise note over tangy yogurt. It’s divine.
It’s a great way to hide vegetables. Many parents have difficulty introducing veggies like eggplant to kids unless they come as a cheese ball. Grating the eggplant and tomato and adding them raw to the ground lamb makes the meatballs extra nutritious. No one will ever suspect they are getting their regular cup of veggies with these!

Here is what you need

An eggplant, a tomato, panko, olive oil, a lemon, garlic, an onion, yogurt, ground lamb and pomegranate seeds for making lamb meatballs.

Ground lamb— you may also use half-ground lamb and half-ground beef.
Panko— or breadcrumbs.
An egg— acts as a binding agent.
A medium size eggplant
One small tomato— the size of a vine tomato.
A small onion— or half a regular onion.
One lemon— for the zest and drizzle juice for serving.
Spearmint leaves— for the meatball mixture and serving.
Extra virgin olive oil— some goes in the meatballs and some for frying.
Flour— not shown above. You will need a little bit of all-purpose flour to roll in the meatballs before frying.
Greek yogurt— for serving the meatballs.
Pomegranate seeds— they are crunchy with a fresh burst of flavor.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

How to make the best lamb meatballs

Prepare the veggies

Remove the stems and cut the eggplant into large cubes. Add a few cubes to a food processor and grate the eggplant.

Do not puree it. Let it keep its texture.
Transfer to a bowl and continue with the rest of the eggplant.

Repeat the same process with the tomato.

Grated tomato pieces in a food processor.

Transfer the grated tomato to a different bowl.

Onion pieces and garlic in a food processor.

Quarter the onion and add it to the food processor with the garlic cloves.

Grated onion and garlic in a food processor.

Pulse to grate.

Grated vegetables, ground lamb and panko in a bowl.

In a mixing bowl, add the ground lamb, ⅔ of a cup of grated eggplant, ⅔ of a cup of grated tomato, the grated onion, and garlic. Add the panko, half of the olive oil, egg, and chopped spearmint. Mix with a clean hand or a spoon until all ingredients are well mixed, but the mixture is still fluffy. Don’t over-mix.

Time permitted: refrigerate the meatball mixture covered for an hour and up to 24 hours.

Shape the mixture into medium size meatballs.
Add half a cup of flour to a plate and roll the meatballs. Shake each meatball between your hands to remove excess.

Three lamb meatballs frying in olive oil.

Add the remaining olive oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the meatballs in batches and cook until browned on all sides, slightly crisp, and cooked through about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer meatballs to paper towels or a wire rack to drain extra oil

Helpful tips & substitutions

If you find the lamb flavor too gamey, you may use half-ground lamb and half-ground beef.
I prefer adding the vegetables raw in the ground lamb mixture because when the meatballs are fried, the veggies are only partially cooked and are even more nutritious. However, sauteing the grated eggplant and tomato with the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes before adding to the mixture can deepen the flavor even more and add a slightly sweet note to the meat. If you do this step, don’t add any other oil to the meatball mixture.