MEDITERRANEAN LAMB MEATBALL WRAP

Mediterranean lamb meatball wrap on garlic naan bread with tzatziki, harissa, couscous, and pickled onions!

Mediterranean lamb meatball wrap: my favorite recipe I’ve created this year. Even more than raspberry oreo truffles with nutella glaze. Even more than chicken tortilla casserole. This honestly might be my favorite recipe I’ve ever created.

So, now that I’ve set your expectations SUPER high 😉 let’s talk about why it’s so freaking awesome. For starters…

Have you ever had lamb? Have you ever cooked it?

A lot of you have probably had lamb in the form of a legitamate gyro, or lamb chops. It’s less likely that you’ve cooked with ground lamb. And that’s okay! It’s not commonly found in local grocery stores, but I’ve found it at every butcher I’ve ever been to. Lamb is one of my favorite meats. It has a stronger, earthier, fattier taste than beef. (A.K.A – better.) The flavor is incredible and this recipe only enhances it. Cumin, tzatziki, harissa, and mint all compliment the lamb and create balance, without overpowering each other. Mint and lamb are a match made in heaven, and I don’t know who first discovered that, but it sure as hell as wasn’t me!

Let’s Break It Down!

This recipe is EASY. I use store bought tzatziki and harissa from Trader Joe’s to keep it under 30 minutes, and pickled onions are a new thing I have in my fridge pretty much at all times.

Step 1- Make the meatballs. Combine the lamb, all the spices and herbs, finely diced onions, and olive oil.
Step 2- While those are cooking you can make your couscous, just follow the package instructions.
Step 3- Make your wrap by warming up one of your garlic naan and topping with couscous, a couple meatballs, and as much tzatziki, harissa, and pickled onions as you’d like!

A couple of notes…

Harissa is a chili pepper paste and it is spicy, but the lamb, bread, and tzatziki, make it much more mild. If you’re unsure, just add a tiny bit then go from there! For the bread, I LOVE the garlic naan wraps from Trader Joe’s, but you by no means have to use them. Regular naan or a pita will work perfectly! Finally, pickled onions are really easy to make, and go well on so many things. (Think eggs, tacos, sandwiches, salads.) They’re also a great way to use leftover red onion. The recipe is right under the first one!

Alright, go change your lives with a mediterranean lamb meatball wrap people. Let the lamb guide you. (That was weird, I should have stopped with the notes.)

MEDITERRANEAN LAMB MEATBALL WRAP

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Alicia

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground lamb
1 tbsp minced garlic
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
⅓ small yellow onion finely diced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp parsley
1 packed tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves (about 15 leaves)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black peper
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil
1½ cup dry couscous
4 garlic naan (or pitas)
FOR SERVING
tzatziki (store bought)
harissa (store bought) (optional)
pickled onions (recipe below)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, grease a baking sheet, and get a pot of water boiling.
In a large bowl combine your lamb, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, diced onion, cumin, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and olive oil. Mix together until well combined.
Use your hands to form into 2 in. meatballs. Should make 12.
Place your meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
While your meatballs are cooking, make your couscous to package instructions.
When your meatballs and couscous are done, serve on warm naan with a spoonfull of couscous and 3 meatballs. Top with as much tzatziki, harissa (spicy), and pickled onions as you'd like.

How to Make Pickled Onions:

Take your remaining red onion (let’s say you have 3/4s of an onion) and slice it in thin strips. Place the sliced onion and a couple cloves of peeled garlic in a mason jar or something with a lid. In a small saucepot, combine 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt, and a few peppercorns. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and then pour into the jar with the sliced onion and garlic. Allow to cool, then put the lid on and place in the fridge. As long as the onions are submerged in the liquid they will keep for a couple weeks!