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GREEK MEATBALLS (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)
WITH AVOCADO TZATZIKI SAUCE
This Greek Meatballs with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce recipe is simple enough to make during a weeknight and it’s packed full of flavor. You can always substitute ground beef for the lamb, too. I think you’re especially going to love that avocado tzatziki sauce. It’s so refreshing – we cannot get enough of it!
And the sky is the limit with these Greek meatballs. You can serve them on top of a salad and use the avocado tzatziki for a dressing. You can serve them on top of zucchini noodles and use the avocado tzatziki for a “cream” sauce. Or you can just pop them in your mouth after dipping them in the creamy, refreshing avocado tzatziki which is what we usually like to do.
Let me know if you get a chance to try the Greek Meatballs or the Avocado Tzatziki Sauce 🙂
Greek Meatballs with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (Keto, Paleo, Whole30):
- 1 lb. ground lamb (or ground beef)
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (Find HERE)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado
- 1 small/medium cucumber or ½ large cucumber, cut in half and seeds scraped out with a spoon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon red onion, diced
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill (or mint, depending on your preference)
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (leave out for dairy free option)
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients together and form into approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inch balls.
- Place on a raised edge baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve with avocado tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
- Combine all avocado tzatziki sauce ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
Also view our Top 10 Whole30 Dinner Recipes here!
A few of my other fav meatball recipes:
My wife and I love doing meatballs as a nice change-up, and have several different recipes in our repertoire, but not greek ones until now-I really like the Tzatziki creativity with it-thanks, Kelly 🙂
Hope you both like these Dr. Mike!
Do you peel the cucumber, Kelly?
I do not. But you could if you wanted. And Hi Candy – nice to see your name pop up over here!! 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! I’m a big fan! And I can’t wait to try more of your recipes…I’ve been paleo for over two years. Really on the kombucha kick right now! 🙂
Perfect timing as I’d just bought a pound of ground lamb at the farmer’s market this past week. This recipe was a lot easier than my usual lamb patties. It came together quickly, but I only got 11 – 2″ balls, which I flattened into patties and baked on a rack above all the fat. They shrunk like crazy, but were very good. The Tzatziki sauce I made with half sour cream and half yoghurt and I didn’t blend it, but had small homegrown diced English cucumber and no avocado on hand. I used the juice and zest of just half a lemon and just one large garlic clove. The sauce made the meal as the lamb was a little dry (maybe it needed some of that fat that drained off, or I might add an egg next time). It was all so delicious served on a bed of lettuce with some leftover brown rice underneath. We’re looking forward to the leftovers for tomorrow night. We usually eat these in pocket bread with the sauce spooned inside. The dogs will love the deglazed lamb pan juices (minus the fat) on their kibble tomorrow.
You also inspired a very quick coconut/chocolate/mint ice cream friends made, but I’d never tried myself. One can of full fat coconut milk, 1/4 C good cocoa, splash of peppermint extract, 3 T honey, and a splash of liquor of choice to keep it from refreezing too hard (I had a little creme de cacao and Irish Mist on hand ). So good and ready in the cuisenart in less than 40 minutes! I’ll have to try your recipe next and compare.
Thank you for sharing all your good healthy and delicious ideas! Have a great 4th of July!
Thanks for the comment, Janet! I love all your ideas!!
Going to try this recipe tomorrow for a Greek themed night amongst a non Paleo crowd. I’m sure they’ll love it !!
Oooo! That sounds fun!! Wish I could come 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My Husband and 16 month old Liam Maximus loved it:)
Awesome! It’s always especially gratifying to hear of little ones approving one of my recipes – I think they are the pickiest (but cutest!!) taste testers 🙂 And I love his name!!
Made these amazing meatballs and dip this evening. They were so yummy and extremely easy to prepare! Thank you so much for the recipe, I will be adding it to my list of favorite dinner choices. 🙂
Woo! So happy to hear, Lauren!!
I made these tonight and they were amazing! My daughter and I really love the avocado tzatziki sauce. That is high praise from a Greek girl!
This makes me so happy to hear!!
Kelly, these were AMAZING!!! Not only did my husband and I love every bite, but our 3 y/o and 1 y/o literally licked their plates CLEAN! As a healthy-eating family, we especially loved the avocado twist on the tzatziki! Thanks so much for this recipe!!!
Ohhh! Makes me so happy to hear, Christie!! I especially love hearing that your little ones liked it — they are usually my toughest critics, so it’s always a big compliment to hear that 🙂
My first try with tzatziki sauce was a success, thanks to this recipe! We left out the dairy option and it still turned out wonderfully. I’m keeping this recipe in our meal rotation, for sure. Thank you!
Awesome, Mia! Thanks for the comment!
Just tried this recipe last night – the meatballs are so flavorful and the avocado tzatziki was fantastic!
Awesome, Karen! So glad to hear!
I was looking for some new ideas and just came across this. My grandmother raised sheep when I was growing up, so we ate a lot of lamb. Sadly, it is the one meat that really doesn’t appeal to me, which is a shame, since it is one of the few meats that is almost always grass fed.
Kelly, I tried this this week. My husban and I enjoyed this. I especially love the Avocado Ztatziki Sauce.
We really like that sauce, too, Sylvia! Thank you so much for your comment!
I am on Keto so what are the nutritional facts. Thanks,Marylou
Kelly, when you use ground meat, what portion of fat is best? Also, did you mean I can add feta cheese or avocado tzatziki sauce to meatballs after they are cooked or before?
Hi Pat, I usually use 80/20. Feta cheese before cooking. And then the Avocado Tzatziki to dip in or drizzle over after. Enjoy!
We LOVE this recipe and I make it all the time! I’m wondering — with it being so hot outside, do you think we can grill them instead of oven roasting them?
Hi Sharon, I’m so glad you are liking this recipe! Yes, you could definitely grill them. We often make this recipe into burgers and cook them over the grill, so that is another option (the burgers are a bit easier to grill, in my opinion).