Description
These Greek meatballs in lemon sauce, known as Youvarlakia Avgolemono, are incredibly soft and juicy, simmered gently in a velvety lemon-egg sauce that imparts a bright, comforting Mediterranean flavor. Perfect as a hearty main dish, these meatballs combine tender ground beef, aromatic herbs, and rice, cooked low and slow in a flavorful chicken broth, then finished with a luscious, creamy lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 1/4 cup arborio rice, uncooked and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 egg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Broth and Sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 eggs
- Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, finely grated onion, rinsed arborio rice, chopped parsley, chopped dill, egg, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently just until everything is combined without overworking the meat.
- Form and chill meatballs: Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and place them in the refrigerator to chill and firm up for 15 to 20 minutes. This step helps the meatballs hold together during cooking.
- Simmer meatballs in broth: Heat the chicken broth and olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, gently add the meatballs. Cover the pot with a lid and let the meatballs cook for 30 minutes on low heat, allowing them to become tender and absorb the broth’s flavor.
- Make the avgolemono sauce: While the meatballs cook, whisk the two eggs and lemon juice together in a separate bowl until smooth. Temper this mixture by slowly whisking in some of the hot broth from the pot to gently raise the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them.
- Incorporate sauce and thicken: Slowly pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot with the meatballs. Stir gently over very low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes velvety, careful to avoid boiling which can cause curdling.
- Serve warm: Ladle the meatballs and lemon sauce into bowls. Garnish with additional fresh dill or lemon wedges if desired, and enjoy this comforting Mediterranean main dish.
Notes
- Use uncooked but rinsed arborio rice to prevent a gummy texture in the meatballs.
- Always temper the egg and lemon sauce carefully to avoid curdling and maintain a smooth texture.
- A wide-bottomed stainless steel pan is recommended for even simmering and gentle cooking.
