Lamb Meatballs with Mint Gremolata – Keto

Flavorful and tender, these lamb meatballs with mint gremolata are a great way to lighten up your low carb meals in celebration of Spring!  These awesome meatballs are not only low carb and keto, they are also dairy free, Paleo and even Whole 30 compliant!

I don’t always eat lamb.  But when I do it’s in the Spring – when it’s on sale everywhere.

I wasn’t a huge fan of lamb growing up, but I’ve come to appreciate it’s distinctive flavor over time. That being said, I still think it needs bold flavors to accentuate it and make it shine.  This lamb meatballs with mint gremolata recipe definitely delivers those strong flavors – but not in an overpowering way.

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Because I like Middle Eastern flavors with lamb, I seasoned this meatball mix with Za’atar that I was able to get here in Belize.  Za’atar is typically a combination of oregano, thyme, cumin, coriander, sumac, and sesame seeds.  There are other variations as well, depending on the region your Za’atar is from.

You can purchase Za’atar from good grocery stores or even World Market, online through sites like Amazon (here’s a good one,) or even make your own Za’atar at home.

It’s worth making or buying some Za’atar, not only for this lamb meatballs with mint gremolata recipe, but for all of your summer grilling needs – it adds fantastic flavors to chicken and fish especially!

I made this recipe dairy free on purpose, because I realized that SO. MANY. of my keto recipes are cheese and dairy heavy lately.  In fact, if you search how many of my recipes actually have the word “Cheesy” in the title, it’s almost embarrassing!!! 😂

Now don’t get me wrong, adding feta or parmesan to these meatballs would be UH-MAZING, but believe it or not, they don’t really need it.

I know – I can’t believe I just typed that sentence either…

But it’s true – these dairy free low carb meatballs get all of their flavor from the lamb itself, the spices, and that incredible herby gremolata.

Speaking of the gremolata – if you’ve never heard of it before it’s a simple, yet flavorful mince of fresh parsley, garlic and lemon zest that is generously sprinkled over stewed meats like Osso Bucco traditionally.

My version adds a generous portion of fresh mint that pairs beautifully with the lamb and the Za’atar spices.  I substituted lime zest, because as I have gone on and on about before, lemons are almost impossible to get here in Belize.

To my delight, the lime zest actually went great with the mint and spices in the lamb, creating a perfect harmony in the overall flavor profile of this recipe.

While I know this isn’t the kind of recipe that all of you will find appealing, those of you that do branch out will enjoy it very much I’m sure!

I chose to serve it with spaghetti squash because it was a nice break from the cauliflower mash that I usually enjoy with keto meatballs – and it didn’t need dairy (or much of anything) to make it delicious.  The garlicky gremolata and a splash of olive oil made spaghetti squash the perfect keto side dish to these lamb meatballs.

That being said, you can pair these with whatever veggie you prefer – or even serve them on skewers appetizer style if you like!

Lamb Meatballs with Mint Gremolata – Keto

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Flavorful and tender, these lamb meatballs with mint gremolata are the perfect way to lighten up your meals for Spring! Dairy free, Paleo, Whole 30, Atkins, THM, Banting

• Author: Mellissa Sevigny
• Yield: 24 meatballs
• Category: Low Carb Meatball Recipe
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup superfine almond flour **
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Za’atar seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil for frying

For the gremolata:

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp lime zest
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

For the meatballs:

1. Combine the meatball ingredients (except olive oil) in a medium bowl and mix well.
2. Form into 24 one and a half inch (approximately) meatballs.
3. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat.
4. Cook the meatballs in batches until brown on both sides and cooked through – about 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Remove cooked meatballs and place on a paper towel lined plate until ready to serve.
6. Serve warm, sprinkled generously with gremolata.

For the gremolata:

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

Notes

** To see what products and brands I recommend for best results in my recipes, check out the IBIH Pantry Recommendations page!

Spaghetti squash is optional but recommended – it is not included in the nutrition information however.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 meatballs
• Calories: 306
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 2g net
• Protein: 35g

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