Description
These baked Greek lentil meatballs are packed with flavor and paired with a refreshing tzatziki sauce, perfect for quick dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup green or brown lentils (cooked)
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (for tzatziki)
- 1/2 medium cucumber (grated)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse lentils under cold water, then cook in boiling water for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain excess water.
- Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Combine cooked lentils, sautéed onions and garlic, parsley, oregano, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
- Form the mixture into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Mix Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined for tzatziki.
Notes
Cooking lentils until just tender prevents a mushy mix. Sautéing onions first brings out sweetness and cuts raw bite. Letting the mixture rest a few minutes helps the breadcrumbs soak and bind better. Baking on parchment makes cleanup easy and keeps bottoms from sticking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 30mg