These Spicy Lamb Meatballs are made with chili powder and smoked paprika and are a deliciously flavorful recipe the whole family will love. They're baked in the oven, and ready in just 30 minutes!
Your new favorite meatballs recipe is here: spicy lamb meatballs! If you've been around here for awhile, you know I love batch-prepping meatballs for the week ahead for lunch or dinner.
My Paleo chicken meatballs are my most popular, but my teriyaki pork meatballs are my personal favorite. And, if you're looking for a vegan-friendly recipe (hellooooo meatless Monday!) you have to try my lentil meatballs. Just saying!
Recipe features
- Incredibly flavorful with a bit of spice thanks to the chili powder and smoked paprika
- Easy to prep ahead so you have lunch or dinner ready for the week
- Even more delicious when paired with sriracha mayo + feta cheese
Ingredient notes:
This list is simply to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. The full ingredient list is provided below in the recipe card.
Egg - Need a substitution? Try a flax egg (combine 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoon water, stir, then wait 5 minutes before using).
Breadcrumbs - Preferably Panko, either regular or gluten free.
Spices - Don't want the meatballs to be spicy? Simply reduce both the chili powder and smoked paprika down to ¼ tsp.
Mayo - I think the sriracha mayo pairs well with these, but it's completely optional.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Mix ingredients together. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl, then use your hands to mix them together, being careful not to over-mix (otherwise, the meatballs could turn out dry).
Step 2: Form meatballs. Use your hands to form the mixture into 15-20 meatballs (depending on size), placing them directly onto a greased or lined baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake. Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked.
FAQs and tips
- If the meatballs mixture keeps sticking to your hands, simply wet your hands every so often, which should help it to not stick as much.
- Storage: store meatballs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze: you can freeze these meatballs for up to 2 months in a sealed container or bag.
Can these be made gluten free?
Yup. Simply use gluten free breadcrumbs and you're good to go.
What should I serve these with?
Up to you! I think they're delicious with a side of naan or a simple side salad. If you don't want to make the sriracha mayo, you could try serving them some of my paleo tzatziki sauce.
More lamb recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Spicy Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon yellow onion minced
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs regular or gluten free
- feta cheese for topping optional
for the mayo:
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 teaspoon sriracha
- Juice ½ lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together, being careful not to over-mix.
- Next, roll the lamb mixture into balls and place them directly onto a greased baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet into the oven and bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sriracha mayo: whisk mayo, sriracha and lime together and set aside.
- Top the meatballs with the sriracha mayo and some feta cheese (optional) and serve with a side salad or some naan and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in September 2020.
Rachel says
These are so simple to make and they are SO good! My husband already asked me to make them again.
Erin says
Thanks Rachel 🙂 These are Miguel's favorite, too!
Katy says
These.Are.Amazing, Erin! Holy cow. Made them last night and knew they'd be delicious just based on the smells from cooking. Husband had the meatballs with garlic naan while I had them atop a bed of arugula with some roasted carrots, too. These are so unlike anything I've ever made before and will become a repeat on our menu. Thank you for creating and sharing! 🙂
Erin says
Woohoo--I'm so glad you both enjoyed them!!
2pots2cook says
Perfect combination of flavours ! Thank you so much !
Ellen says
Oooh these look so good! I tried lamb for the first time a couple months ago, but I've never cooked it! This looks like a great way to ease into it.