Xi’an-Inspired Cumin Lamb Meatballs
by Xi’an-Inspired Cumin Lamb Meatballs, paired with Chinese sesame sauce. This rich and delicious meatball dish is quick to make and gorgeous looking. Perfect for your holiday table and everyday meal !
Xi’an-Inspired Cumin Lamb Meatballs
The flavor of this dish is inspired by Xi’an Famous Foods in NYC. A few years back when Nate and I first visited this unassuming little shop in Flushing, Queens we were super impressed by their food. The noodles were hand pulled and boiled per order and the lamb was thin sliced and braised in hot chili oil with tons of spices like cumin, Sichuan flower peppercorns, chili peppers …etc. The flavor is complex, rich, and full of character.
These Xi’an-inspired cumin lamb meatballs are my reinterpretation of the dish, reminiscent of the wonderful spice blend I experienced at Xi’An. I ground whole star anise and whole Sichuan flower peppercorns into fine powder. These two spices add distinct flavor to Xi’an-inspired cumin lamb meatballs. I highly recommend that you have these two spices in the pantry.
If you can’t find them online or in your local Chinese grocery stores, check out teeny tiny spice company’s Xinjiang flavor dry spice (link in recipe below). It has the best (and most fragrant) flavor available on the market.
How to make juicy meatballs
A few tips I’ve found very helpful to make the most juicy meatballs without using dairy, egg(s), or bread:
- Fat content: use a combination of ground meat – for example pork with lamb – for flavor complexity and extra fat. In the recipe below I used ground lamb only (70% lean; 30% fat). A slightly higher fat ratio will help keep the meatballs moist.
- Don’t pack too tight: When forming the meatballs, try not to pack them too tight. Grease your palms with a little olive oil. This will help keep the meat from sticking to your hands.
- Add coconut milk cream: Instead of using buttermilk and egg(s), try coconut milk cream instead. I used only the top cream part of a full fat coconut milk can and it adds extra moisture to the meatballs.
- Baking time: baking time depends on the size of the meatballs. For ground lamb meatballs, it’s best not to overcook them. The baking time in the recipe below is based on a little less than 2-inch diameter meatballs. Please adjust baking time for larger or smaller meatballs. You want the center of the meatballs just cooked (juicy but not dry).
Looking for more meatball recipes ?
Check out this Creamy coconut milk meatball recipe using chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or veal.
For beef meatball lovers, I bake these super soft Paleo Asian Meatballs in muffin tins. 🙂
Pair rich savory meatballs with light and refreshing Triple Green Kale Salad
Finish the meal with healthy sweets…Paleo Blackberry Lemon Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Xi'an-inspired cumin lamb meatballs
Ingredients
Lamb meatballs
- 1.5 lbs ground lamb, 70% lean; 30% fat
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- ½ tbsp Sichuan flower peppercorn powder, grinded from whole peppercorns
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp star anise powder, grinded from whole star anise
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp coconut milk cream
- 1.5 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
Chinese-inspired peanut flavor sauce:
- 2 tbsp sunflower seed butter, sunbutter
- 1 tbsp tahini, sesame paste
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 to 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp water, add more if desired
- Small dash of five spice or clove powder
Other:
- 2-3 bulbs scallions, sliced diagonally
- Mixed green or your choice with dressing, olive oil, rice vinegar, little salt
- Red pepper flakes, optional decoration
Instructions
- Meatballs: Mixed ground lamb with all ingredients under lamb meatballs. Taste test by pan-frying a small bite of seasoned ground lamb. Adjust seasonings to your liking if need be. Slightly grease your hands with olive oil and form approximately 24 meatballs (little less than 2-inch diameter). Try not to pack the meatballs too tight/dense.*
- Bake: For a little less than 2-inch diameter meatball, bake at 400F. First side 8 minutes and flip side 4 minutes. The center of the meatballs should be juicy, just cooked but not dry.
- Sauce: In the meantime combine sauce in a separate bowl. Mix well until creamy smooth. The consistency should be light and smooth not dense. You can also slightly heat up the sauce over stop top if preferred.
- Serve: swirl the sauce over a large serving bowl. Place meatballs on top. Decorate with chopped scallions, mixed leafy greens, and sprinkle with red chili pepper flakes. Serve hot and immediately.
Notes
- Fat content: use a combination of ground meat - for example pork with lamb - for flavor complexity and extra fat. In the recipe below I used ground lamb only (70% lean; 30% fat). A slightly higher fat ratio will help keep the meatballs moist.
- Don’t pack too tight: When forming the meatballs, try not to pack them too tight. Grease your palms with a little olive oil. This will help keep the meat from sticking to your hands.
- Baking time: baking time depends on the size of the meatballs. For ground lamb meatballs, it’s best not to overcook them. Please adjust baking time for larger or smaller sized meatballs. You want the center of the meatballs just cooked (juicy but not dry).
Made these today! First meatballs I’ve ever made and they were perfect! I actually googled ‘ground lamb and cumin‘ because I wanted something reminiscent of Xi’an Famous Foods. When I saw you listed them as an inspiration I knew it would be perfect. Substituted some spices I didn’t have – used a little bit of allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, salt, fish sauce and of course cumin. Still came out great! Will get the proper ingredients next time. I bet it’s even better. Thanks!
That’s great! That’s the beauty of lamb – it really can take on more flavor and spices. Thanks for sharing!
Made these tonight and they were soooo good! Used a pound of ground pork with one pound ground lamb. They were cooked perfectly following the recipe and so flavorful. Loved the sauce too, thinned it out and tossed some miracle noodles in it. Thanks for this one!
These are great!
Thanks so much !!
Wow, these look absolutely delicious!
These look amazing. Making them for dinner soon. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ve never thought to make meatballs with lamb before! What a fun twist!
I love lamb so I’m so excited to have another version to add in the mix. Thank you!
These look so amazing, we love meatballs, and you always have the best recipes!
These look fantastic and love the Asian influence. Yum!!!
Thank you Carrie. We love these meatballs too !
These meatballs look so good … but that sauce!!! That’s my favorite with meatballs, I like them saucy 🙂
LOVE cumin. This sounds so delicious!
I love your meatballs recipes! So delicious!
Wow, these were so quick and easy! I had the teeny tiny spice blend and onions carmellized in tallow (sub for shallot and coconut cream) on hand so they came together so fast. I really appreciate the pointers on getting moist, perfectly cooked meatballs. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Love their spices. They are great!
Looks so good! Such a great weeknight meal
These look so delicious and it sounds like they’re packed with flavor! I love your tips for juicy meatballs- so helpful!
Love meatballs! Cumin just makes everything better!