Baked Lamb Meatballs with Bok Choy
These Baked Lamb Meatballs are tender and juicy seasoned with dried thyme, oregano and hint of lemon zest served with tender and crisp bok choy. It’s a quick and easy meal ready in 25 minutes so good to serve with steamed rice for a filling meal.
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Why This Recipe is So Good
Baked lamb meatballs are a delicious switch up from traditional meatballs made with ground beef. Ground lamb is naturally gamey and earthy tasting and its taste is complemented in this recipe with dried herbs and fresh lemon zest.
Cooking the meatballs at a high heat in the oven ensures that the meat stays juicy and tender on the inside and golden brown on the outside. Cooking in 10 minutes these lamb meatballs cannot be easier to prep during busy work weeks.
Baked Lamb Meatballs Recipe Ingredients
Bread crumbs. You can use bread crumbs or crumbled dry bread. I have made this recipe with dry whole wheat bread and fresh torn focaccia bread. Both work great in this recipe. (The bread is optional. It creates a softer meatball but can you skip the bread and egg if you want.)
Spices. This recipe features minced garlic, dried thyme, dried oregano, all-purpose seasoning, and lemon zest. The lemon zest adds a citrus brightness to these meatballs that helps to bring out all the other flavors.
Bok Choy. Bok choy or Chinese white cabbage is cooked over the stove while the meatballs bake. It’s crisp, crunchy and juicy, similar to a mix of cabbage and spinach. Don’t overcook it or it will be mushy.
How To Make Lamb Meatballs with Bok Choy
Make Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl add the ground lamb, bread crumbs, seasonings and the egg. Mix everything together very well, with gloved hands or a spoon.
Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to form meatballs. Roll each one in your hands until it’s a smooth ball then place on the prepared sheet pan leaving 1 – 2 inches of space all around. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown.
Make Sautéed Bok Choy
While the meatballs are baking, sauté bok choy in a large skillet over medium high heat with butter or olive oil and salt until the bok choy has released most of it’s water and it’s soft but still has some crunch to it. About 5 – 7 minutes.
Serve baked lamb meatballs and bok choy with brown rice. Enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- Use plastic gloves to mix the meat if you don’t like to touch raw meat.
- Meal prep the meatballs in advance by making a big batch, and once they have cooled portion them into freezer safe bags or containers then reheat covered in the oven.
- Ground lamb with a high fat percentage like 80/20 or even 85/15 is best to use for meatballs to ensure they don’t become dry and crumbly once baked.
- When rolling meatballs into smooth balls, add a little bit of oil to your hands to keep the meat from sticking.
- If you are new to lamb recipes, try using half ground lamb and half ground beef to give a lighter gamey taste.
- Don’t overcook the bok choy or it will be really soft and mushy. Just cook until it’s tender but will crunchy. This just takes about 5 minutes.
Looking For More Lamb Recipes?
- How to Make Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Air Fryer Lamb Chops
- Lamb Breakfast Sausage
- Braised Leg of Lamb in a Dutch Oven
- Chicken Fried Rice with Cabbage
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Baked Lamb Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- Plastic gloves if you don't like touching raw meat
- Sheet pan lined with aluminum foil
- Cookie scoop 1 tablespoon size
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs
- 1 lb ground lamb
- ½ cup dry bread crumbled or 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning salt free, optional
- 1 egg whisked
Sauteed Bok Choy
- 2 – 3 bundles of bok choy 3 – 4 cups rinsed and chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- steamed white or brown rice for serving
Instructions
Make meatballs
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, then set it aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl add the ground lamb, bread crumbs, salt, lemon zest, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, all-purpose seasoning, and egg. Mix everything together very well, with gloved hands or a spoon.1 lb ground lamb, ½ cup dry bread, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 2 garlic cloves, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning, 1 egg
- Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to form meatballs. Roll each one in your hands until it's a smooth ball then place on the prepared sheet pan leaving 1 – 2 inches of space all around. You should have about 20 meatballs total.
- Place the cookie sheet on the top rack in your oven. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Optionally: broil for 1 – 2 minutes to brown them even more.
Make Sautéed bok choy
- While the meatballs are baking, sauté your bok choy in a large skillet over medium high heat with butter or olive oil and salt until the bok choy has released most of it's water and it's soft but still has some crunch to it. About 5 – 7 minutes.2 – 3 bundles of bok choy, 2 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Serve baked lamb meatballs and bok choy with brown rice. Enjoy.
Notes
Make ahead and storage instructions
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days store in an air tight container.
- Reheat in the over the stove or in the oven covered so the meat doesn’t dry out. Add a splash of water or chicken broth to ensure the meat stays moist as it reheats.
- Freeze in freezer safe containers for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen covered in the oven or in a sauce pot over the stove.
Tips and Tricks
- Use plastic gloves to mix the meat if you don’t like to touch raw meat.
- Meal prep the meatballs in advance by making a big batch, and once they have cooled portion them into freezer safe bags or containers then reheat covered in the oven.
- Ground lamb with a high fat percentage like 80/20 or even 85/15 is best to use for meatballs to ensure they don’t become dry and crumbly once baked.
- When rolling meatballs into smooth balls, add a little bit of oil to your hands to keep the meat from sticking.
- If you are new to lamb recipes, try using half ground lamb and half ground beef to give a lighter gamey taste.
- Don’t overcook the bok choy or it will be really soft and mushy. Just cook until it’s tender but will crunchy. This just takes about 5 minutes.
