I’m sharing one of my favorite fun recipes that combines the rich flavor of lamb with the bright, herbal notes of pesto. This pesto lamb meatballs recipe is a delicious spring dish that will breathe new life into your dinner rotation. I truly think this is the best way to make meatballs! And if you want to add these meatballs to pasta, check out my lamb pasta with meatballs and broccoli recipe, where I use these meatballs in a silky, rich pasta.

I first discovered this combination when experimenting with ways to use some pesto I bought from the grocery store. Incorporating pesto into meatballs turned out to be a great way to infuse them with flavor while keeping them moist and tender. The pine nuts in the pesto add a subtle texture that complements the lamb beautifully. A few simple ingredients go a long way in this recipe!

Make impressively delicious lamb meatballs

As the weather warms up, I find myself gravitating toward dishes that feel light yet satisfying, and are a great addition to a variety of dinners. These lamb meatballs hit all the right notes. The combination of aromatic herbs in the pesto pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of lamb, creating a harmonious balance that signals spring has arrived.

So if you’re looking to expand your repertoire with new recipes that are both nutritious and crowd-pleasing, this pesto lamb meatballs recipe could become one of your new favorite dishes. 

What I particularly love about this easy lamb meatballs recipe is that they’re forgiving for beginners yet sophisticated enough for experienced cooks. The natural fat content in lamb means these meatballs stay juicy and flavorful even if you accidentally cook them a minute or two longer than intended, and they reheat really well.

This recipe has become one of those great things I reach for when I want something foolproof but impressive. I’ve been making various versions of meatballs for years, but something about adding pesto to lamb creates pure magic on the plate. My loved ones now ask for these regularly, and it’s perfect for when we have guests over. 

About eating lamb

Depending where you’re from, lamb may either be hard to find, or a culinary staple. It’s commonly eaten in many parts of the world, especially in South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the UK, and many other places. The flavor of the meat is so rich, while still having some healthier properties in comparison to beef. 

It’s commonly eaten in dishes with rice, like Indian Biryani or Moroccan Tagine. In the UK, it’s commonly eaten inside hand pies called pasties, or as main part of an English roast.

Lamb is an excellent source of iron and protein, offering great health benefits while being incredibly flavorful. When you’re looking to try new recipes that feature this wonderful meat, this easy lamb meatballs recipe is one of the things you can make without spending hours in the kitchen.

How to serve these lamb meatballs:

In pita pockets

For a sandwich-like meal, you can serve them inside warm pitas with other toppings like lettuce and tomatoes, a drizzle of pesto, feta cheese, or a yogurt sauce. 

With a Greek yogurt sauce

A Greek yogurt sauce like tzatziki sauce would be a perfect dipping sauce for these meatballs.

Topped with pesto

For a perfect party appetizer, serve the lamb meatballs drizzled with pesto at your next gathering.

In pasta

Serve them in a spring pasta dish, like this lamb pasta with meatballs and broccoli, made with these same meatballs.

What you’ll need to make this lamb meatballs recipe:

Ground lamb

Ground lamb is the perfect meat to use for this recipe. It’s buttery, juicy, and has great natural flavor. It also pairs so beautifully with the pesto and other seasonings in this recipe. I haven’t tried this recipe with another ground meat like ground beef or chicken, and while it might taste okay, this recipe is optimized for ground lamb. Try your best to find some!

Bread crumbs

In meatball recipes, bread crumbs act as a binder to help the meat become the right texture to be rolled into meatballs. For this recipe, I recommend using the 4C brand gluten free seasoned Parmesan bread crumbs. Whether you need to cook gluten-free or not, these breadcrumbs taste absolutely awesome. And the Parmesan cheese and seasonings in them fit perfectly with the pesto flavoring and the lamb. I definitely recommend a seasoned breadcrumb mix over plain panko breadcrumbs.

Red pepper flakes

This will add extra dimension to the meatballs. The final dish isn’t spicy to me, so I don’t recommend omitting the red pepper flakes. They add an extra oomph of flavor that brings out the lamb-pesto combination. You wont need any black pepper in this recipe.

Salt

You can use sea salt, table salt, or kosher salt in this recipe.

Honey

A little bit of honey will balance the red pepper flakes and make the meatballs even juicier. The meatballs wont be sweet since we just use a small amount. I don’t recommend substituting the honey for anything else.

Garlic powder

Garlic will add extra flavor to this lamb meatballs recipe, and few savory dishes are complete without it. Although there’s already garlic in the pesto, it wont hurt to have a little more! Your meatballs will just be even more flavorful. And the best part is that you wont need to peel any fresh garlic cloves for this recipe. You wont need to chop any fresh herbs or vegetables either!

High quality pesto

You can make your own pesto, or you can use my favorite pesto brand, Seggiano. This brand’s pesto is perfect for drizzling, and has a nutty texture that will work for both the meatballs and any pasta you choose to add these meatballs to. I can’t promise the same outcome using another brand of pesto.

How to make pesto lamb meatballs

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients except the meat

Mix the bread crumbs, the red pepper flakes, the salt, the honey, the garlic powder, and the pesto in a large bowl. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it’s evenly mixed and there are no lumps.

Step 2: Add the meat to the bowl

Add the ground lamb to the large bowl and mix it in with the seasoned pesto-bread crumb mixture. Mix until you can’t see any more streaks of seasoning in the lamb mixture, then mix for 1-2 more minutes to ensure everything is evenly mixed in, and each bite of a meatball will be the same as another. Don’t mix far beyond this point to avoid over mixing. 

I use my hands to do this, but you can also add the meatball mixture to a food processor if you prefer to not use your hands. I personally find food processors too messy to clean up when using ground meat, but do whatever works best for you. Just make sure the meat mixture is all evenly mixed with the spices and breadcrumbs.

Step 3: Preheat the pan

Preheat a large skillet over low heat.

Step 4: Shape your meatballs

Roll each meatball into 1 inch diameter balls. Take great care to make sure all the meatballs are about the same size, so they’ll cook at the same speed. I prefer to make small meatballs, but you can also make larger meatballs.

Step 5: Add your meatballs to the pan and start to cook them

Once the pan is hot, add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and start cooking the meatballs. Once they start cooking, the meatballs will release their own oils into the pan, and you shouldn’t need to add any more oil as the meatballs cook. As the meatballs cook, rotate them with tongs to make sure they brown on each side, and cook evenly through.

Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the meatballs in batches. I find it helps to move the meatballs that are nearly done to one side of the pan, that way I can keep my eye on them as they start to cook all the way through. Once they’re done, it’s easy to find them in the pan and remove them from the pan.

Step 6: Remove your meatballs from the pan

The meatballs are done when they’re evenly golden brown on each side, and they’re just cooked through with no more pink inside them, or when an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

You can place the cooked meatballs on a plate or in a bowl once they’re done. If you want, you can also drain any excess oil off of them by lining a plate with paper towels, and placing the meatballs on top of the paper towels. 

Step 7: Serve your meatballs!

Whether you’re cooking meatballs as a party appetizer, or as part of a larger pasta dish, have fun creating something new with them!

Add these meatballs to pasta!

Be sure to check out my Lamb pasta with meatballs and broccoli recipe, where I go into detail about how to turn these meatballs into a delicious pasta dish.

And if you loved this recipe, please leave me a five star rating below. It’s an easy way to help keep these recipes coming.