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5 from 1 vote

Greek Meatballs with Avgolemono

Tender and flavorful meatballs packed with fresh herbs are drizzled with a bright and creamy yet dairy-free lemon sauce for a delicious Greek-inspired meal. I like to serve this with a chopped Greek salad.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Keyword dairy-free, dill, dinner, eggs, greek, lemon, lunch, main, meatball, mediterranean, nightshade-free, nut-free, protein sparing modified fast, PSMF, turkey
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Calories 342kcal
Author Jenny Ross

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or a mixture of turkey and lamb for higher fat
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cups pork panko
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or nutritional yeast for dairy-free
  • 1/2 red onion minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley minced
  • 1/4 cup mint minced
  • 1/4 cup dill minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried
  • 3/4 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
  • zest of 1/2 lemon

Avgolemono (Lemon Egg Sauce)

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon gelatin
  • 3 eggs
  • 4-6 tablespoons lemon juice 2-3 lemons - if you like a more lemony sauce, use 6 tablespoons
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Combine all meatball ingredients except avocado oil in a large bowl and use your hands to mix until evenly combined. I find that combining the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, and dill in a small blender or food processor is a fast and easy way to chop these fine. Form into about 1 tablespoon size meatballs, about 30 meatballs.
  • Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the avocado oil. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs. Cook until golden, turning occasionally until browned on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Cook in batches if you need to. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
  • To make the sauce, add the chicken stock and gelatin to the uncleaned pan to deglaze it and release any browned bits. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low at this point and do not clean the pan.
  • Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk well or use an immersion blender to combine well. Add the lemon juice and whisk or blend until smooth. Then, whisk or blend while slowly pouring in the boiling stock. Once all the stock is added, return the egg mixture to the pan and heat on low, whisking constantly until hot and thickened. Do not boil or simmer or as the sauce will curdle. If you do get a few lumps, you can blend again with an immersion blender and pass the sauce through a fine mesh strainer before serving.
  • Drizzle sauce over meatballs and sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

Notes

Protein:Energy Quotient [calories]: 2.44

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 229mg | Sodium: 1151mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1312IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3mg