Our meal prep leveled up thanks to high protein Greek-inspired gluten free Lamb & Beef Meatballs served with a simple Whipped Feta sauce!
Whether you prep these for lunch or as a high protein weeknight dinner, these gluten free meatballs are quick and full of classic Mediterranean flavor.
Quick Look: Lamb & Beef Meatballs
⏲️Ready In: 50 Minutes
🍽Servings: 5
🥗Nutrition: 552 Calories / 42g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Ground beef, Ground lamb, Eggs, Gluten free breadcrumbs, Red onion, Oregano, Parsley, Feta cheese, Greek yogurt
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: A blend of lamb & beef keeps these meatballs flavorful without being too gamey. The whipped feta sauce adds Greek flavor and protein!
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Gluten free lamb & beef meatballs with iconic Mediterranean flavors make a phenomenal weeknight dinner or meal prep lunches.
Meatballs come together quickly and are often high protein, making this recipe and others like Chicken Meatballs with Feta & Spinach great meal prep options!
To boost the Meditteranean theme, serve this with the included whipped feta sauce, made with Greek yogurt to keep this meal high protein!
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Key Ingredients
Ground beef: While regular lean ground beef is usually the go-to for meatballs to prevent meatballs from getting too tough, you can get away with extra lean ground beef here since lamb generally has a bit more fat!
Ground lamb: I love the flavor that lamb adds to these meatballs. We get our lamb from a local rancher. That said, if lamb isn't accessible for you, feel free to use all ground beef.
Gluten free breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs keep meatballs tender; they are hard to replace! My go-to gluten free brand is Aleia's Gluten Free Plain Breadcrumbs. If you truly need a breadcrumb replacement, you can try using an equal amount of almond meal or flour.
Feta: For the whipped feta, I have best results with a blocked feta cheese and not pre-crumbled feta. While not all brands are the same (some are softer than others), you should be able to use any brand. I like a sheep's milk feta, as it adds more creaminess.
Greek yogurt: This keeps the feta sauce creamy but also boosts the protein in this recipe even further! You can use full fat or low fat Greek yogurt - your choice. Of course, full fat Greek yogurt will taste creamier.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Lamb & Beef Meatballs
Step 1: Combine ground beef, ground lamb, red onion, parsley, eggs, garlic, gluten free breadcrumbs, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until consistent throughout, being careful not to overmix.
Step 2: Use your hands to form 28-30 meatballs, each approximately 2" in diameter.
Step 3: Place meatballs in rows on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, add feta, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth (but don't over-mix!).
Step 3: Once meatballs are done, let cool before handling.
Step 4: Assemble bowls with rice, cucumber, tomato, whipped feta sauce, and 5-6 meatballs. Garnish with extra parsley or a squeeze of lemon.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Oil your hands. To prevent sticking when rolling the meatballs, oil your hands with 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil. Works like a charm!
Freeze the meatballs. You can freeze uncooked or fully cooked meatballs. Freeze them lined up on a baking sheet for an hour before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag.
Bonus points: sear the meatballs. If you'd like, you can sear the meatballs on all sides before finishing in the oven. I skipped this because frankly, it doesn't make a huge difference for me. Plus, when making these for meal prep, I want my prep to be simple!
No lamb? Use all beef. If you can't get your hands on ground lamb, feel free to use all ground beef for these meatballs. They'll still have the Mediterranean flavor you're (probably) after and goes great with the whipped feta!
Lamb & Beef Meatballs with Whipped Feta FAQs
This recipe uses gluten free breadcrumbs, but you can substitute out for almond meal or grated drained zucchini if you'd like!
I love these meatballs with the included whipped feta sauce, but these Mediterranean meatballs also go well with a marinara sauce!
I suggest using block feta, not crumbled feta. If you're worried about the whipped feta sauce being too runny, opt for a drier feta like Organic Valley.
Ideally, this won't be a problem - I tried to make this whipped feta foolproof! Avoid over-processing the mixture and make sure you use Greek yogurt that's very thick.
If you've already made it and find it too thin, you can refrigerate it for 1 hour to try and thicken it in the fridge.
I tried this both ways, same ingredients. Unfortunately, every time I've made blended whipped feta, it's just too runny.
For whatever reason, a food processor does a better job of blending everything together without completely breaking it all down into a runny mess. I highly recommend a food processor here.
More high protein meal prep recipes
Did you try this these gluten free lamb & beef meatballs? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Lamb & Beef Meatballs with Whipped Feta
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
High protein Greek-inspired gluten free Lamb & Beef Meatballs served with a simple Whipped Feta sauce makes an amazing weeknight dinner! Serve with rice, cucumber, and tomatoes, or package up for meal prep for the week.
Ingredients
For the Greek Meatballs:
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten free
- ½ cup grated red onion
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Whipped Feta:
- 2 cups feta cheese
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ¾ tsp. grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For Serving:
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- 3 cups diced cucumber
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or chopped tomatoes)
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prep meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the ground beef, ground lamb, eggs, breadcrumbs, grated red onions, grated garlic, oregano, parsley, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Using your hands, knead all the ingredients together until everything is fully incorporated.
- Form meatballs. Use 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to oil your hands and prevent the meatballs from sticking. Using your hands, form 28-30 meatballs, each about 2" in diameter, and line them up on the prepared baking sheet.
- Cook meatballs. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Make feta sauce. Meanwhile, add feta, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. Process just until smooth. Overprocessing can lead to a runny sauce.
- Assemble bowls. Divide rice, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes between 4 bowls. Add 4-6 meatballs to each bowl and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons whipped feta sauce. Store leftover feta sauce and meatballs separately, in sealed containers, in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- To prevent sticking when rolling the meatballs, oil your hands with 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil. Works like a charm!
- Can't find ground lamb? Use all ground beef, making sure to use at least 1 pound 80/20 beef to prevent the meatballs from being too lean.
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