Easy Oven Roasted Lamb Meatballs

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place the oven rack in the upper middle rack.

Add all the lamb and spices to a large mixing bowl. In a food processor, pulse the onion and garlic to a fine mince and add to lamb mixture.  Be sure to include any rendered liquid, as this is the moisture for the meatballs.

Wipe the inside of the processor to dry it out, add the two pieces of bread and pulse to a fine bread crumb, then add to the lamb bowl.

Add the egg and mix until combined. Be sure all items are evenly spread, but do not over mix as this will make the meatballs overly dense.

Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. Roll twelve meatballs by hand and place evenly in the sheet pan.

Place in the oven, of the upper middle rack. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until you begin to see the fat rendering in the pan. The fat may begin to pool, there is no need to drain this as it cooks.

Once the fat begins to pool, begin turning the meatballs every 5 to 7 minutes, allowing every side to contact the pan and time to brown. This will take some time to get an even dark color on all sides. One may also need to rotate the pan if the element isn’t heating evenly and one side of the pan is cooking quicker than the other. Once an even dark brown is around the meatball, remove from the heat.

Serve over rice pilaf or in a pita with tzatziki sauce and your favorite toppings, gyro style. For a more Greek-style meatball, add dried mint or fried minced mint to the mixture.