Grilled Mediterranean Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 60 minutes
Directions
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high.
- Pulse onion and parsley together in a food processor; drain liquid from the mixture and transfer to a bowl.
- Mix ground beef, chili paste, sumac, salt, and pepper with the onion-parsley mixture; roll into 1-inch balls.
- Thread meatballs, red pepper pieces, and red onion wedges onto the skewers.
- Grill kabobs until meatballs are cooked in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Instead of (or in addition to) bell peppers and onions, chunks of eggplant and zucchini would be delicious on these skewers. Try ground lamb instead of the ground beef for a different Mediterranean twist and serve with a tzatziki sauce. You can find sumac at spice stores or on Amazon.com. It is a nice tangy spice that goes well in meat dishes like these meatballs or sprinkled on top of hummus.
Reviews
What others are saying
Jeremy Hughes says:
Made a double batch of these skewers for a house party. I had no idea I was supposed to soak the wooden skewers in water first, but I've learned that it prevents the wood from cooking along with the food. Smart and useful tip!
Sarah Gray says:
I made my skewers with eggplant and zucchini, great suggestion! I served them with rice and a tabouli salad, so good.
Sheila Long says:
I made these meatballs with ground turkey instead of beef and they were amazing... I used both sumac and za'atar (my favorites). Super awesome and tasty recipe.
Laura Griffin says:
These are my favorite! Sumac is such an underrated spice, I am so glad that I was able to try it out in these meatballs. They were so easy to make, and perfect on skewers. These are also fantastic for casual gatherings.
Jen the Mighty says:
As soon as I saw grilled meatballs and sumac I was sold on this recipe. For some reason, even though I make burgers on the grill, it never occurred to me to grill meatballs. What a revelation! Don't forget to soak those bamboo skewers so that they don't catch on fire!