How do we define the perfect meatball recipe? There are so many different ways you can prepare this dish, and almost every country has their rendition of a meatball recipe. The Japanese chop meat into a paste, while Europeans use ground meats to form the meatball.
Ingredients also vary wildly from recipe to recipe depending on where you are in the world. The combinations of spices and herbs, fillers and vegetables used in meatball recipes differ depending on the availability of local produce. One thing is for sure, whether you choose to fry, bake, or steam your meatball recipe, they all taste terrific.
If there’s a common theme across almost every meatball recipe – it’s that the dish has blue-collar roots, as a dish that’s cheap to make, while providing the nutrition we need after a hard day at work. We decided to bring you our 14 favorite meatball recipes. Try one, or try them all; they taste delicious!
1. Kofta
This recipe for kofta originates from the middle-east and Mediterranean. Its popular in Turkey, Morocco, and Greece, and most methods incorporate the use of lamb, beef, or fish.
INGREDIENTS
1-pound ground lamb.
4-cloves minced garlic.
3-tablespoons grated onion.
3-tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
1-teaspoon ground cumin.
1-tablespoon ground coriander.
½-tablespoon ground cinnamon.
¼-teaspoon cayenne pepper.
½-teaspoon ground allspice.
¼-teaspoon ground ginger.
1-teaspoon kosher salt.
¼-teaspoon cracked black pepper.
Bamboo skewers.
METHOD
In a medium mixing bowl, add the minced garlic, onion, coriander, parsley, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, allspice, ginger, and cayenne – whisk to combine.
Season the lamb with the spices and roll into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Press 5-meatballs onto each skewer and flatten into an oval shape using the back of a wooden spoon. Place the skewers onto a lined baking tray and place them in the fridge for 2-hours to firm up.
Heat the grill and add the skewers to the heat, turning as they cook. Grill for 6 to 8-minutes until done. Serve with tzatziki on the side.