3clovesfresh garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1teaspooncoarse, kosher salt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
1 ½poundslean ground beef or ground turkey (see note)
¼cupminced onion, or grated on a box grater
¼cupmilk
¼cuppanko or regular bread crumbs
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Tzatziki Sauce:
1cupplain yogurt
½cupgrated cucumber, seedless variety
½cupcrumbled feta cheese
1clovegarlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2teaspoonsfresh lemon juice
¼teaspooncoarse, kosher salt
Pinchof black pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
For the Wraps:
Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves
Diced tomatoes
Naan or flatbread, optional, homemade, or storebought (see note)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
For the meatballs, combine the chickpeas, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the ground beef or turkey, grated onion, milk, panko or bread crumbs and lemon juice. Mix until combined (I find it's easiest to mix with my hands).
Shape the mixture into about 16-18 meatballs (a little smaller than golf ball size). Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
For the tzatziki sauce, in a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumber, feta cheese, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper until combined. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve, place 2-3 meatballs on a lettuce leaf, dollop with tzatziki and top with chopped tomatoes. The lettuce wrap can also be served inside naan bread (or serve the naan on the side), if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Facts:the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the falafel meatballs and tzatziki (but do not include the optional toppings or wraps as those are added based on personal preference). Ground Turkey: not all ground turkey is created equal. I've found the kind in the tubes is pretty icky (super mushy - I know, gross), and the meatballs might have a tendency to fall apart. If using ground turkey, mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT milk and only add the milk if the mixture is really thick and stiff. I usually use the butterball brand (at Costco) or Jennie-O, but mostly I use lean ground beef because I like the flavor a bit better. Naan: here is my favorite homemade naan.