This dish is the perfect all-in-one meal for the beginning of summer. The orzo is warm and lemony mixed with sweet cherry tomatoes. The meatballs are spiced perfectly and have some slight heat which goes great with the cooling cucumber salad. Add the crispy zucchini and you have a great, quick dinner.
As you may have noticed from our other recipes on our blog, we tend to eat mainly seafood, but lately we’ve been trying to mix in other sources of protein in our diet. This recipe came about as we were experimenting with what we could make with lamb. A couple years ago, we visited Greece and had these amazing ground lamb kebabs that just melted in your mouth so we tried to recreate them here with this recipe.
We spiced the meatballs with basic pantry spices and also added oregano and lemon zest for some freshness. Of course, we wanted some heat to these, because why not, so we added a generous amount of cayenne pepper. You can definitely adjust the amount of cayenne pepper per your taste.
The zucchini reminds us of grilled vegetables and the promise of summer that’s right around the corner. The best part is that the zucchini and the meatballs are all cooked in one baking tray. And while they bake, you can prepare the orzo and the cucumber salad. This is a super simple, but flavorful meal that comes together in minutes.
If you make this Greek Meatballs with Orzo & Cucumber Salad, drop a comment and/or give it a rating! We’d love to hear how it turns out. Also, if you make this recipe, make sure to tag us on Instagram!
Greek Meatballs with Orzo & Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchinis sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 lb ground lamb (or chicken, beef, or turkey)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 4 tbsp fresh oregano minced
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- zest of one lemon
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half length-wise
- juice of one lemon divided
- 1 large English cucumber diced
- 1 shallot diced
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Toss the zucchini slices with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the zucchini cooks, mix the lamb with the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, minced oregano, cayenne powder, lemon zest, and a large pinch of salt. Coat your hands with some olive oil and roll the meat mixture into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls (about 1 ½ tbsp of meat). You should have about 12-15 meatballs.
- Remove the baking tray with the zucchini from the oven. Flip the zucchini slices over and move the zucchini towards the edges of the tray to make space for the meatballs. Place the meatballs on the tray leaving about an inch or two between each ball. Place the tray with the zucchini and meatballs back into the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through on the inside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the orzo according to the package instructions. Once cooked and drained well, mix well with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the cherry tomatoes, the juice of half a lemon, salt to taste, and a large pinch of ground pepper. Set aside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the cucumber salad by mixing the diced cucumbers, diced shallot, 1 tbsp of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- To serve, add some orzo to a bowl and top with the meatballs, zucchini, and the cucumber salad. Enjoy!
