An enormous heartfelt thanks for the messages of support following the news of Dozer’s condition. I don’t have the words to properly express how much it meant to me and never imagined I would find myself in a position where I felt such overwhelming support from all corners of this big wide world. I will continue to provide updates on his progress in the Life of Dozer section, and hope to have good news in the coming weeks. ~ Nagi x
This tray bake dinner combines beautifully spiced lamb kofta meatballs with colourful roast vegetables for a Middle Eastern dinner that’s as versatile as it is delicious. Stuff into warm flatbreads, make couscous or rice bowls, or serve with roasted cauliflower for a substantial low-carb salad meal!
Lamb kofta meatballs tray bake
There’s a lot less sheet pan dinner recipes on my website than one would expect for someone who tells “everyone” that she mostly shares dinner recipes. It’s because I’m a little fussy about them. I find that if you toss everything – meat and vegetables – in the same seasonings, everything comes out tasting the same-same.
Which is fine every now and then. But I get bored quickly.
But this meatball tray bake? Anything but boring!! Think – your favourite boldly spiced lamb koftas, in meatball form, with a pile of colourful capsicum and red onion. All baked on the same tray. The smell when this is in the oven is incredible!! It’s the cinnamon. Signature Middle Eastern spice.
Stuff in warm pita breads, make rice or couscous bowls or a big low-carb warm salad!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this tray bake dinner.
Kofta meatballs
These are the same ingredients used in skewered lamb koftas.
Lamb mince (ground lamb) – While lamb is a favourite in Middle Eastern cuisine and just goes so well with the spice mix, these meatballs are also terrific made with beef. Chicken and turkey would also be good but you’ll need to add a little extra breadcrumbs else the mixture is too loose.
Onion – Use a box grater to shred it so you don’t need to cook the onion separately before adding into the mixture. Also, the onion juices just make the meatballs tastier!
Panko breadcrumbs – Adds bulk and absorbs moisture so the mixture isn’t too wet to form meatballs. Panko breadcrumbs are easy to find these days in the Asian and breadcrumb aisle of grocery stores. Ordinary breadcrumbs (smaller and finer, like sand) can also be used but the meatballs will not be quite as tender.
Garlic – Very rare to find savoury dishes on my website that don’t involve garlic!
Spices – Classic Middle Eastern spices: cumin, coriander, paprika (I use regular but smoked would be lovely), cinnamon (Middle Eastern secret ingredient!) and cayenne pepper. These meatballs are mildly spicy so feel free to reduce or omit the cayenne pepper.
Coriander/cilantro – For a hint of freshness and for visual purposes too. Substitute with parsley.
The vegetables
For the vegetables, you could really use any roast-able vegetables you want. I opted for capsicum / bell peppers for a splash of colour and also because I like that they are easy to cut into strips for easy of stuffing into flatbreads.
Sauce options
The meatballs are pictured in post drizzled with Tahini Sauce which is a widely used sauce in Middle Easter cuisine. The nutty flavour and creamy texture goes so well with the spice flavour of the meatballs and just adds that extra touch to take this from tasty to OMG gawd this is soooo gooood!! (Which is the bar to which I aim!)
Being a sauce I use quite regularly in Middle Eastern recipes, I finally got around to writing it up as a separate recipe, so find the Tahini Sauce recipe here. The other sauce option is Lemon Yogurt Sauce which is also on-point for Middle Eastern food – use the sauce in this recipe.
For the simplest option (and we all have those days), just a dollop of plain yogurt will work fine, or even a squeeze of lemon juice.
How to make Lamb Kofta Meatball Tray Bake
The only difference between making normal Moroccan meatballs and this one is that you don’t need to deal with cleaning up the stove splatter. I know which one I’m making tonight! 🙂
Toss the vegetables with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Mix the lamb kofta meatball mixture in a bowl with your hands. Mix well to ensure the spices are dispersed evenly throughout.
Roll 16 meatballs. They are slightly on the large side to ensure they don’t dry out when cooked in the oven.
PRO TIP: I use an ice cream scoop with a lever to portion out the mixture. Then I roll the balls. This is the most efficient way I have come up with to make meatballs – without resorting to $5,000 meatball making machines (oh yes, they exist!)
Spray the meatballs generously with oil so they will brown in the oven.
Scatter the vegetables around the meatballs.
Bake for 15 minutes, then finish with 5 minutes under the grill/broiler to get a bit of colour on the meatballs. 20 minutes is all the cook time we need for meatballs to cook them through without overcooking them which will make them dismally dry on the inside.
You’ll also get some nice charring on the edges of the capsicum, reminiscent of the flavour we would’ve achieved if we had cooked these over charcoal which does not happen midweek around these parts!
How to serve baked lamb kofta meatballs
I promised you versatile, and here’s proof!
Wraps / pita pockets (pictured at top of post) – Stuff the meatballs and vegetables into warm wraps or pita pockets and drizzle with Tahini Sauce or Lemon Yogurt Sauce (use the one in this recipe). Shredded lettuce and tomato slices are great extras to bulk it out and (happily) cram extra vegetables into your meal.
Bowls (pictured above) – Make bowls with a mound of steaming basmati rice or couscous (very on-theme!).
Warm salad – Make roasted cauliflower (without the parmesan) and pile onto a plate. Top with the meatballs and all the vegetables, finish with a dramatic, generous drizzle of the tahini sauce and a shower of toasted pinenuts or almond flakes and fresh coriander/cilantro. Stand back and admire the glittering pile that is your dinner that happens to be low-carb and nutrition packed!
And as I describe that cauliflower salad to you, I’m kicking myself for not having shot it! It was so, so good. Next time! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Tray bake dinner: lamb kofta meatballs
Ingredients
KOFTAS
- 1/2 onion , grated using a box grater
- 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb), or beef
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub regular breadcrumbs)
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro , finely chopped
KOFTA SPICES
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp paprika (plain, sub smoked)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (a bit spicy, reduce to taste or leave out)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 black pepper
VEGETABLES
- 1 large red capsicum , deseeded, sliced into 1 cm thick slices
- 1 large yellow capsicum , deseeded, sliced into 1 cm thick slices
- 1 red onion , cut into thin wedges
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each cooking/kosher salt and pepper
SERVING (wraps option)
- Olive oil spray (for the meatballs)
- 4 flatbreads or rice, couscous or cauliflower rice
- 1 quantity Tahini sauce or lemon yogurt sauce (or even just plain yogurt)
- 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (or other leafy greens)
- 2 tomatoes , halved, cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped, optional (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Kofta meatballs – Place the Kofta ingredients and spices in a bowl. Use your hands to combine thoroughly then roll 16 large-ish meatballs (I scoop all mixture onto a tray, then roll into balls). Spread them out on a large tray.
- Vegetables – Toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper. Scatter around the meatballs.
- Bake – Spray the meatballs with oil. Bake for 15 minutes then switch the oven to the grill/broiler on high. Cook for a further 5 minutes to get some colour on the surface.
- Serve – Sprinkle with the chopped coriander then serve! To make wraps, stuff with lettuce, tomato, meatballs, and the cook capsicum and onion. Drizzle with lots of tahini sauce then tuck in! Other ideas: rice or couscous bowls or big salads – see below.
Recipe Notes:
- Wraps – Stuffed in pita bread or flatbreads with lettuce, tomato, drizzled with tahini or yogurt sauce.
- Bowls – Make bowls with couscous, rice, cauliflower rice or grains/beans (eg lentils – cook using this method).
- Warm salad – a substantial low-carb dinner with a side of roasted cauliflower (bake prior to meatballs).
NOTES
- Meat – Lamb is a natural choice for Middle Eastern food but the spice mix is really good with beef too. Chicken will also work but you’ll need to increase the panko else the mixture is a little loose.
Life of Dozer
Unsurprisingly, after telling you about Dozer’s laryngeal paralysis condition and surgery, I expect the Life of Dozer section will be focussed on his recovery for the next little while. I want to share the facts but I also want to add a sprinkle of fun. Because even in the fog of worry, there have been moments of laughter!
The serious stuff
So, I’m not going to lie. Dozer’s post surgery recovery has been a little slower and more worrying than expected. For 2 days after his operation, he was very wobbly on his feet and needed help to get up, walk and pee. He would collapse after walking a metre or two, and get very agitated when he couldn’t get up himself when he wanted to – which mean breathing heavily and straining his throat.
What did really scare me though was that his hoarse breathing sounded (to me) worse than it was pre-operation. That combined with his lack of mobility prompted a dash to the emergency vet.
Thankfully they gave him the all clear and just reminded me again that his airways are swollen from the surgery so his breathing and panting will sound laboured and painful. I was told it will take about 2 weeks for the swelling to go down to see if the surgery was effective – if it was, he should breath quietly and in time, go back to some level of exercise. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I had hoped to avoid using the chill-pills the vet prescribed for Dozer but I gave up. Since starting him on those, he is definitely more relaxed. Basically, peaceful sleeping Dozer means no hoarse panting which should help with the speed of recovery. I think when he’s awake, he is conscious of the fact that he’s short of breath which makes him agitated and breath frantically (like right now, at my feet).
I’m worried, but thinking positively. It’s only day 3 after surgery. 11 days to go.
on the lighter side….
The little things we celebrate – so happy when he was able to weight bear himself and pee without assistance!! (Just in case you are conjuring up visions of paper cups – no, it was nothing like that!! I was using a towel sling under his belly to help support his weight. )
Check out his excellent squatting action. Well done Dozer. Well done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
David says
This recipe is great. I added zucchini and eggplant to the vege mix and it tasted great with brown rice. But the Tahiti +/- yoghurt makes it even more yummy. The store minced lamb was 20% fat, which probably made it moist. Had to work a bit to make sure all the spices were even lying mixed through. Another great recipe. Thank you
Sarah Gullotta says
Made this tonight, ticks all the boxes: easy, fast, delicious!! I can see it will be on high rotation in our house. Love the tahini dressing!
Best wishes to Dozer – I bet he’d enjoy this too!
Lyndsay says
Made this receipt mid week for a quick dinner and it did not disappoint, it was absolutely scrumptious! I only wish I’d made more!
Kerrey Menton says
Wow-what flavor!!!
Anytime I see a recipe with an amazing combo of spices Like this one I know it will be amazing and it was!
Only twist for me- I didn’t want too much bread or rice so I Served a salad (using toppings suggested) with a small amount of rice combined in a bowl, topped that with the lamb/sauce (I added in some garlic sauce with the Tahini sauce) and then put 2 small pieces of Naan in the side.
My family destroyed this one and they asked for it again this week!!!
Bob says
This dish is just great. We prefer Tzatziki sauce so used that instead. Everything else followed the recipe. It was so easy, and the meatballs, peppers and onions came out perfectly. Loved the flavor of the lamb. So good, it will be a repeat.
Filomena Alves says
So happy to see Dozer is recovering!
The photo shows you are both healing….
Renee says
Another incredible tray bake from Nagi – she can do no wrong
Rhonda Dowie says
Nagi, I have made so many of your delicious recipes, enjoying each one. But this one is my favorite and my husband loves the lamb. The recipes were so easy to follow and even easier to eat. We opted for the pitas this time. Next will be a bowl over couscous. I will continue to pray for Dozer and hope he improves every day. Thank you and him for the great efforts you go through to make foodies happy. You two truly do!
Rachel says
Easy and Amazing! Made the easy flatbreads too. 5 stars!
Suzy Charto says
this was really good and easy. Didn’t bother putting oil on the meatballs and they seemed fine to me. I used beef and it was very delicious not dry at all
Wendy LENTON says
What a wonderful photo of Dozer doing what dogs do. So happy he seems to be a little stronger Nagi. Thinking of you both and sending warm hugs.
Patti Hachten says
We love, love, love your lamb koftas and am excited for a midweek version. Quick question; has anyone added cherry tomatoes to the pan or would that create too much moisture? Thanks, in advance.
Sending you and Dozer so much love and healing prayers.
Grace says
Trying your recipes always makes me happy! Cos it’s simple, delicious, and I can feel like a great chef 😁 I’ve been a fan of you and Dozer for many years. Sending love and wishing Dozer a speedy recovery
Gai Forrest says
Easy and super tasty …
Nagi delivers once again ….thank you for consistently providing such amazing recipes
Victoria B. says
Made this earlier this week with ground turkey, because it was what I had on hand. It was wonderful the first night and even better as “reruns” tonight!
I put the last three meatballs, the remaining peppers and onions and the tahini sauce in a flour tortilla, topped it feta cheese and cilantro and enjoyed a wonderful Greek meatball taco!
Jo says
I needed to make these out of beef instead of lamb, and they came out a bit dry inside. The butcher only has ‘premium’ beef mince (no lamb and no ‘higher fat’ beef) – could the low fat content of the mince be a reason for the dryness? If so, is there anything I could add to the meatballs to help regain a bit of juiciness inside? They also stuck really badly to the bottom of the baking tray, probably for the same reason.
Otherwise they were really tasty, the tahini sauce going with them was completely perfect (and the leftover sauce went really well on a Mediterranean couscous salad later in the week), and I loved the minimal clean up needed afterwards!
Carol says
Made this to take to my sons for lunch. So easy , so tasty 🙂. Definitely will make again.
Bridget McCormick says
We love our four-legged fury baby so much, don’t we? Dozer is such a sweetheart and the love you share is obvious. I hope he will recover quickly and I hope he will be around for a very long time.
Our Patches (between 7-8) and Vader (somewhat 2) told me to tell you “Hi.”
I am glad you shared Dozer’s update with your readers. Life is not just rainbows and sprinkles -sadly, there are cloudy days too.
krisby says
Made this for dinner Sunday evening. OMG! was soooooo gooooood. Had it again on Monday. Used beef, instead of lamb, because that’s what I had on hand. Will be making it with lamb this weekend! (Love lamb!) So glad Dozer is feeling some better. Praying for continued healing.
krisby says
Forgot to add that the Yoghurt/Lemon sauce was perfect. So tasty. Also noticed that I get to rate the recipe again, so I’ve actually given it 10 stars! Yey!
Victoria says
Hi we have a coriander allergy in our house, please could you suggest an alternative? Many thanks