Lemon Zest Beef Meatballs, Oven-Baked
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Yield
- 24 servings
- Level
- medium
- Cuisine
- Italian-American
Citrus-forward beef meatballs made with fresh lemon zest and juice, garlic, and parsley bound with soaked bread. Seasoned with roasted beef and garlic bases, then oven-baked at 400°F for 20 minutes. Bright, herbaceous flavor with subtle heat from crushed red pepper.
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Ingredients
- 4 slices (1-inch) French bread
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cloves garlic2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic1:1umamisavory
adds fresh note but reduces depth of roasted flavor
Full guide → - 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Organic Roasted Beef Base1 tablespoon beef bouillon cube or paste1:1umamisavory
standard bouillon works but may alter sodium levels
- 2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic1:1umamisavory
adds fresh note but reduces depth of roasted flavor
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red peppercayenne pepper or black pepper0.5:0.25heatspice
cayenne more potent
- ½ cup parsley, freshly chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef, organic
Method
8 steps- 1
Preheat oven to 400°F.
- 2
Soak bread and milk in a bowl for 10 minutes.
- 3
Add garlic, roasted beef base, and roasted garlic base to food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse for 20-30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
- 4
Squeeze milk from bread and add bread to processor. Add eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and parsley. Pulse for 20-30 seconds more.
- 5
Transfer bread mixture and ground beef to large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until combined.
- 6
Roll meat into 2-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
- 7
Bake for 20 minutes.
- 8
Remove from oven and serve with your favorite sauce.
Tips
Do not overmix the bread and beef mixture to avoid dense, tough meatballs.
Squeeze excess milk from bread thoroughly before adding to processor for proper texture.
Good to Know
Refrigerate cooked meatballs up to 3 days in airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months.
Mix and shape meatballs up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Serve hot with marinara, lemon butter sauce, or yogurt-based sauce.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip squeezing milk from bread to avoid wet, falling-apart meatballs.
Do not overfill food processor to avoid uneven pulsing and inconsistent texture.
Do not overbake past 20 minutes to avoid dry meatballs.
Substitutions
standard bouillon works but may alter sodium levels
cayenne more potent
adds fresh note but reduces depth of roasted flavor