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Greek Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon-Olive Oil Sauce

Greek Beef and Rice Meatballs with Lemon-Olive Oil Sauce

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    40 minutes
  • Rating

In the Greek dish called youvarlakia avgolemono, beef and rice meatballs dot a lemony soup that’s rich and velvety with egg yolks. To simplify, we pair the meatballs with a quick pan sauce inspired by Greek ladolemono, a simple sauce of lemon, olive oil and sometimes herbs. A generous amount of chopped dill lends the dish fresh herbal notes. Serve with warmed pita bread or a rice or orzo pilaf.

Tip

Don’t use uncooked rice, even though many recipes do. If the rice is raw, the grains won’t cook through in time. Thawed frozen, store-bought shelf-stable or home-cooked leftover long-grain rice all do nicely. Just make sure that it’s at room temperature so that the grains are easy to mash with a fork.

Ingredients
  • 1

    cup cooked long-grain white rice, room temperature

  • 2

    slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces

  • 1

    cup low-sodium beef broth, divided

  • 4

    tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    pound 85 percent lean ground beef

  • 1

    large egg yolk

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 2

    teaspoons dried oregano, divided

  • 5

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2

    tablespoons lemon juice

Step 1

In a large bowl, mash the rice with a fork until smooth and pasty. Add the bread, ¼ cup of broth, 2 tablespoons of dill, 1½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, mix and mash the ingredients to a paste.

Add the beef, egg yolk, half of the garlic and 1 teaspoon of oregano, then mix with your hands until the mixture is homogeneous. Divide into 12 portions, form into smooth balls and place on a plate. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Step 2

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook without disturbing until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 3 minutes.

Carefully turn the meatballs and cook until browned on the second sides, about another 3 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the remaining ¾ cup broth, then scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to medium-low and cook, gently stirring once or twice, until the centers reach 160°F, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 3

Using tongs, transfer the meatballs to a serving dish and tent with foil. Bring the liquid in the pan to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick enough that a spatula drawn through it leaves a trail, 2 to 3 minutes.

Off heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons dill.