Burgers are a summertime staple and pretty quick to make happen on the grill, even on busy nights. However, when I really want to put dinner together quickly, I aim for meatballs. They are smaller than the patties I make for burgers and they grill up in less than 10 minutes! What's more, the meatball mixture, yogurt sauce, and even prepping the veggies for the grill can all be done in advance so that dinner can really be fast. It's perfect, tastes great, and gets cheers from my family. What's not to love?
I love this recipe so much that I often double or triple the meatball part of this meal and form and freeze the extra meatballs for even quicker meals later on. I've also been known to grill or bake the meatballs and tuck them into pita bread or sub rolls. Sandwiches never had it so good!
While the recipe as written is an entire meal on its own, I also love tossing a little halloumi - also known as grilling cheese - on the hot cast iron griddle plate after I've taken everything off the grill and turned off the gas. A minute or so on each side gives us a creamy, squeaky bit of delicious to have alongside this beautiful meal. Enjoy!
Grilled Mediterranean Meatball Dinner
- 1 c. plain Greek yogurt (do not use non-fat)
- 2 T. fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1 T. chopped fresh dill
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 large egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T. finely diced green pepper
- 2 T. finely diced onion
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- ⅓ c. panko crumbs
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into slices
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced into wedges
To make the yogurt sauce, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Prepare the grill for cooking over medium heat (about 400°F).
Mix together the egg, garlic, green pepper, onion, cumin, allspice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the ground beef and panko and mix with your hands until well combined.
Form 9 disc-shaped meatballs.
Grill the meatballs, red bell pepper, and onion, all covered, for about 4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely browned on the exterior and no longer pink in the center. I like to use a cast iron griddle plate for cooking small pieces like this on the grill. Transfer the meatballs and vegetables to a serving plate and let rest for 3 minutes before serving with the yogurt sauce.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes