Lamb feta meatballs, lemon rice in one pot!

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This one pot family favourite will have you eating delicious lamb and feta meatballs in no time. Luscious lemon rice and meatballs only need a salad to make the perfect meal

Grab a pot and in no time you’ll have this lemony rice with olive, oregano and feta, meatball dish. I love the flavours of lemon rice and feta.

It’s quick cooking once you roll up the meatballs. Just serve it with a salad. A Greek salad would be perfect but I also love grilled zucchinis or broccoli a tomato salad or even mixed leaves.

I can’t resist a big dollop of natural yoghurt or making a cucumber and yoghurt sauce like the one here. The flavours are what I’d call Greek. feta, lemon, oregano and lamb. I love these flavours together, what a treat.

This makes a great make ahead meal for a couple of days

If you are into making life even easier this makes the best one pot make ahead. Pop it into an airtight container in the fridge and snack on it if you are busy. It is perfect reheated for lunch and even tastes extra good mixed into an omlette!

Just reheat and serve for dinner with tomatoes, cucmber and extra feta cheese sprinkled on top

The meatballs are a recipe you’ll want to keep making over and over. They are well seasoned due to the feta in them but they are also light because they have the addition of panko breadcrumbs. Make them with beef too!

What you’ll need:

Lamb mince. Although you can make these meatballs with beef the lamb mince gives these meatballs a Sunday roast flavour.

Oregano: The home flavour of Greece

Lemon: this gives a zesty kick to the meatballs and makes that Lemon rice irresistable

Feta: You need Danish feta this adds salty seasoning and creaminess.

Garlic, smoked paprika and lemon zest all add depth of flavour

Panko Crumbs these make the meatballs lighter. These can be substituted with gluten free crumbs if required

Egg Helps the meatballs stay together and prevents crumbliness

This is such an easy dish all you need to do is this:

• Mix the Lamb mince meatball mix and roll the balls
• Seal and colour the meatballs in an oven pot, baking dish or fry pan that has a lid
• Using the same pot sweat off the onions, herbs and garlic and add the washed rice
• Add the stock, lemon juice and zest and bring up to the boil
• Take off the heat and add all the meatballs. Pop the lid on and bake. take off the lid after 20 minutes and bake a further 10 minutes for colour.

Try these one pot meals too!

• One pot chermoula chicken
• African Chicken with spinach and peanuts in one pot
• Pork belly in black vinegar caramel baked in one pot
• One Pot Mexican chicken

Lamb and Feta Meatballs, lemon rice in one pot

One pot cooking is back with this delicious Lamb meatballs with lemon rice. Everyone loves this one. We serve it with a Greek salad and sometimes with tzatziki or even a tomato salad

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Course dinner, Lamb Maincourses, Maincourse

Cuisine greek

Servings 4 serves

Ingredients

  

Lamb meatballs

• 500 gm lamb mince
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest very finely grated
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 Tablespoon oregano, dried
• 100 gm bread crumbs panko preferred, 1 cup
• 1 whole egg
• 150 gm Danish feta crumbled
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic crushed

Lemon Rice

• 380 gm Jasmin rice 2 cups (Aust)
• 200 gm onion, chopped
• 60 ml olive oil
• 350 ml chicken stock
• 100 ml lemon juice about 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon oregano dried
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped
• 100 gm olives whole or seedless, green or black

Instructions

 

• You will need an oven proof pot for this recipe. A frypan with high sides or a classic baker. You could also use a baking tray that is about 28 x 13cm (12 inches x 7 inches). Cover with a lid or foil.
• In a medium sized bowl mix the lamb mince crushed garlic, egg, spices, breadcrumbs and 3/4 of the crumbled feta and a pinch of salt and mix thourghly with your hands till combined .
• Crumble the remaining feta over the top and gently combine (This is so that some small lumps remain when the balls are rolled)
• Roll the balls into walnut sized balls. You should get about 36 total
• Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the oven pot and add the meatballs about 10 at a time. Turn them over getting some colour on them. They don't need to be cooked through just with some nice colours. Set them aside while you prepare the rice

Lemon rice

• Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic
• Wipe out the pot with some kitchen paper if it has a lot of burnt bits. I tend to keep the bits and pieces because they add flavour. If your mince is particularly fatty though you might want to get rid of some fat.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook till softened then add the herbs, olives and *washed rice rice along with the stock and juice. Stir then bring up to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add all of the meatballs.
• Put the lid on the pot and put into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Open the oven and take off the lid. Cook a further 10 minutes.
• Serve with salad or vegetables. This is also great with Tzatziki

Notes

I use Jasmine rice because that is the rice I usually have in the cupboard.

**Wash the rice before using it to get rid of some of the starch. Put it into a bowl and cover with cold water stir a little then drain in a strainer or put into a colander and run cold water over it. This reduces the stickiness of the rice when cooked

There is no need to stir the rice at all and the meatballs will finish cooking in the steam from the rice

Crumble extra feta over the rice and meatballs when finished if you like.

Use creamy Danish feta as it combines into the meatballs well. Greek style feta will not melt into the meatballs

Find a Tzatziki recipe here

The liquid measurement works perfectly for Jasmine rice. Basmati rice isn’t suitable here as it is a very dry rice

Keyword Feta, Lamb meatballs, One pot

Inspired by Recipe tin eats

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