Lamb meatballs with the most epic chimichurri.
The perfect fully loaded Pitas for the start of spring!
The perfect weeknight meal and done in 30 minutes? SOLD. These pita wraps are so hearty and bright, bursting with fresh herbs and flavors. This recipe came about because there are a few things I always have in my fridge.
My homemade chimichurri, which Chris will put on every meal no matter the flavor profile and white basmati rice. Chris is a rice with every meal kind of guy. Its become so easy to prep a few cups on Sundays to pair with dinners or lunches throughout the week.
So, one day I was strolling the aisles of the grocery store when I found pita wraps, thinking oh maybe we can switch up the rice! Then I found some lamb and I KNEW what I needed to make. Okay, so let me just say that I truly love lamb. It is one of my all time favorite proteins, that we never really eat at home.
When I was about 15, I decided to stop eating red meat for 'health' and that lasted a solid two years. UNTIL, one day I was working in my parents restaurant and there was a wedding we were working. One of the passed Hors d'oeuvre were roasted lamb lollipops with a grainy mustard pan sauce.
Once Hors d'oeuvre hour was over there were maybe 3 lamb lollipops left....I couldn't help myself, I just shoved it down my throat. It was so damn delicious and I regret nothing. If you for some reason have an aversion to lamb or don't have access to it, feel free to use ground beef or turkey. I feel the lamb lends a really beautiful umami flavor and the chimichurri really brightens up the entire dish.
If you don't want to pull out your blender or food processor, just chop all of your chimichurri ingredients really finely, add to a lidded jar and shake well! I love biting into pieces of shallots and herbs and jalapeños, so this method works great if you love texture!
My favorite part about these epic pita wraps is how customizable they are. Add ANYTHING you'd like to go along with the meatballs and chimichurri. Sliced shallots, arugula and feta are my personal favorites! Another delicious and creamy addition to these pitas is my mega creamy two-bean hummus! A schmear of that on the bottom of the pita....YES PLEASE
If you make these Chimichurri Lamb Meatballs recipe please let me know by leaving a rating/review below! And make sure to sign up for emails so you never miss a new recipe and follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more About to Sprout goodness!
Chimichurri Lamb Meatball Pitas
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs
- 1 Lb. Ground Lamb
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 larger garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt + more if needed after meatballs come out
- Big crack of black pepper
- 4 pita wraps or wraps of choice
- Fillings: basmati rice sliced shallots/red onions, mega chimichurri, feta cheese, greens or what you have on hand!
Epic Chimichurri
- 1 medium shallot chopped finely
- 1 medium-large jalapeño chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley , chopped
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- ¾ cup Olive Oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt + more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized bowl, add your lamb, chopped herbs and garlic and all spices.
- Combine well with your hands until throughly mixed and using a medium sized scoop, scoop meatballs onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs for 20 minutes until slightly pink on the inside!
- While the meatballs cook, add all chimichurri ingredients into a blender or food processor and JUST blitz it. You still want some bite and pieces of shallots and jalapeños or blitz to desired consistency.
- Put chimichurri into a lidded jar and keep in fridge and just shake up when ready to use! Olive oil may make it congeal a bit, but that is normal just give it a good shake and stir!
- Toast up your pitas, add your rice, shallots, lamb meatballs, lots of chimichurri and feta cheese!
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