Go Back
The Softest and Juiciest Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce
Flona

The Softest and Juiciest Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce

These Greek meatballs, known as Youvarlakia Avgolemono, are impossibly tender thanks to rice cooked inside the meat mixture. Simmered gently in broth then finished with a silky egg-lemon sauce, they represent Mediterranean comfort food at its finest. The technique is traditional, the flavors are bright and satisfying, and the texture is unlike any other meatball you've tried.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Chilling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef or beef/pork mix
  • 1 small onion finely grated
  • 0.25 cup arborio rice uncooked, rinsed
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 0.5 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and black pepper to taste
For the Broth and Sauce
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 eggs for avgolemono
  • 2 lemons juiced (about 1/4 cup)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh dill for garnish, optional

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Wide sauté pan or shallow pot with lid
  • Whisk
  • Grater
  • Ladle

Method
 

  1. Rinse arborio rice under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, rinsed rice, parsley, dill, 1 egg, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with hands just until combined. Shape into golf ball-sized meatballs. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
  2. In a wide sauté pan or shallow pot, bring chicken broth and olive oil to a gentle simmer. Carefully add chilled meatballs in a single layer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 30 minutes until rice is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and lemon juice until frothy. Slowly add 2-3 ladles of hot broth to egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Pour tempered egg mixture back into pot with meatballs, gently stirring to combine.
  4. Keep heat very low and stir gently for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and becomes creamy. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat immediately once sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Serve warm, garnished with fresh dill and lemon wedges if desired. Spoon extra sauce over meatballs when plating.

Notes

Always rinse rice to remove excess starch. Never boil after adding egg-lemon sauce or it will curdle. Chill meatballs before cooking to help them hold shape. A wide pan works best for even cooking. Leftover sauce thickens when refrigerated; thin with broth when reheating.