Kefta-Style Meatballs with Grilled Grapes and Yogurt Sauce
Yogurt, ground beef, parsley, cinnamon, egg, lemon zest, mint, and grapes.
With this recipe, it's best to start chopping mint right away -- you need 3/4 cup!
Amanda zesting the lemon on her beloved Microplane zester!
Garlic, mint, lemon zest, salt and pepper get folded into the yogurt and your sauce is made. Onto the meatballs!
roseinparis instructs you to grate the red onion -- a box grater comes in handy for this task.
Isn't the grated onion beautiful! And it's nice and moist, which helps keep the meatballs moist.
In goes parsley, mint and garlic.
Cinnamon is the secret ingredient and salt makes all the flavors come alive.
Amanda browned the grapes in a hot pan greased with a slick of oil.
War torn and tasty looking.
Amanda mixing the meatballs -- she believes in digging in with your hands so you can gently turn and mix the meat without working it too much.
One brave little meatball against the world.
Kristen hops in to help out Amanda.
Browning the meatballs.
Browner. You want to cook them gently enough that they cook through before getting too dark.
Time for assembly: short cocktail skewers work best for threading the grapes and meatballs.
Then you can set them on a bed of yogurt sauce, like good little soldiers.
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Author Notes: This recipe is a combination of a few different restaurant dishes that I have enjoyed over the years. I've gone through a handful of versions, but this one has stuck around. I usually make them with ground beef, but lamb is great too. Also instead of serving as an appetizer, skip the toothpicks and pile it all into a warm pita. I know the grilled grapes sound a little odd, but they really work...trust me. - roseinparis - roseinparis
Food52 Review: You will fall in love with this recipe as you're mixing the meatball mixture, which sends up wafts of cinnamon, mint and garlic. After browning the meatballs, you sandwich them between a grilled (seared, really) grape -- we used red, and loved how their skins blistered and charred -- and a garlicky, lemon yogurt sauce. For parties, you can make everything ahead of time, and assemble the skewers and sauce just before guests arrive. - A&M - A&M
Serves 6
Meatballs
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 small red onion, grated
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bunch small seedless grapes, red or green
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 1 minced garlic clove
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the yogurt sauce: Mix all ingredients. It's best when made at least 30 minutes ahead of time, to allow flavors to meld.
- In a large bowl combine the first 9 ingredients in the meatball list. Don’t over-mix.
- Heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil and toss the grapes, lightly browning on all sides, remove and set aside.
- Shape meat mixture into small meatballs, fry in the pan, adding more oil if needed to make sure they don’t stick. The heat should be fairly high to ensure a good sear. Toss or turn to make sure all sides brown. Drain on some paper towel, allowing to rest for a few minutes.
- Assemble on large cocktail toothpicks: grape first, then meatball on the bottom. Serve with yogurt sauce for dipping.
- Your Best Meatballs Contest Finalist!
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2 months ago Greenbeetlegirl
Loved these! Just made them for dinner-I doubled the recipe & browned the meatballs in batches & finished them in the oven as I cooked off the rest & worked on the sides... I must admit: I wasn't sure about the grapes- but, my whole family loved them with the meatballs- nice sweet contrast!
My side dish suggestions: serve the meatball/ grape skewers on a bed of couscous with a side of sautéed kale! truly was wonderful together...dinner party worthy meal. Thanks for the recipe.
10 months ago Sam1148
I want to say to you these are fantastic...I've made them several time over the past year.
And one of the BEST things from this website ever. Thank you, Thank you, Thank You.
over 1 year ago tota
Did you answer about doing these ahead and re-heating? would love to serve for a drinks party we are hosting, but need to be made beforehand if possible. Also, I am thinking turkey instead of beef, would that work?
over 1 year ago roseinparis
Yes, they can definitely be made ahead and re-heated. Regarding, turkey...I have never made this recipe with ground turkey, but as long as it's not too lean, it should work well.
over 2 years ago Melody
Any ideas on what other dishes would complement this?
over 2 years ago cheese1227
Grilled or sauteed eggplant with Middle Eastern spices would be great. Maybe getting those small pita's and stuffing them with eggplant and serving them warm with the meatball skewars?
over 2 years ago Ruth
I have made these twice so far, once as an appetizer and the second time as a pita filling with shredded lettuce. Both times they were a hit. We moved into the pita arena because everyone wanted to eat them for dinner again! I used lamb as that is what we have in the freezer having recently purchased a locally grown lamb. Delicious.
over 2 years ago ehuschke
Excellent recipe! I doubled the recipe and made half of the batch with ground turkey and the other half with ground pork. Both turned out really well, but my guests preferred the pork because they were obviously more "meaty". I was initially hesitant about the mint/cinnamon/grape combination but they really compliment eachother. The lemon zest was also a nice addition to the yogurt sauce.
Lots of compliments. I will make this one again :)
Thanks for a great recipe!
over 2 years ago Sagegreen
Congrats on coming in second, which is not a bad place to be!
over 2 years ago vharmer
Any suggestions on how to cook this ahead of time and re-heat the meatballs and grapes? Thanks!
over 2 years ago Robert McDiarmid
both me and my hubby were hesitant about "fried grapes" - but it is amazing yummy! :) My recipe for this challenge was also a kefta style meatball - but yours is so easy and delicious. CONGRATS!
over 2 years ago EmilyC
These sound so good -- thanks for sharing!
over 2 years ago Rhonda35
I made these tonight - so, so good! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
over 2 years ago freshparsley
This looked so good that I tried it instead of our usual Swedish meatballs recipe. Perfect for summer and such a refreshing change with the lovely yogurt sauce. You have my vote!
over 2 years ago monkeymom
I just had kefta lamb meatballs with grapes at Aziza in SF. They were delicious. Look forward to trying these!
over 2 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Yum! I LOVE Aziza! I thought of trying this great recipe with lamb too.
over 2 years ago DigNDine
I was really bummed I didn't make the meatballs finals but now I know why. These look great and I am going to try them tonight! Congratulations.
over 2 years ago Sagegreen
I am in such awe of these recipes! Don't feel badly, but I have the same kind of feeling about my recipes after seeing these!
over 2 years ago lapadia
Lovely flavors and the grape to top it off - YUM. Congratulations on the Editors' Pick and good luck in the finals...voted!
over 2 years ago lacerise
this recipe looks scrummy (combo of, well, you know). i'm not a big fan of grapes, but i can tell they'll be perfect in this dish. and i've got them growing like crazy over the arbor on my deck right this very minute! look forward to trying this, stuffed in a pita, this weekend.
over 2 years ago cheese1227
These look AMAZING. On the menu this weekend. Heck, maybe tonight. What do you think about making them with lamb?
over 2 years ago roseinparis
Ground beef is usually easier for me to find, but it works with lamb too as the other flavors are strong enough that they don't get overpowered.
over 2 years ago WinnieAb
Wow! So interesting and completely delicious-looking...I don't really like lamb so I'm glad these are make with beef. The yogurt sauce looks great, too.
over 2 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
This sounds so wonderful!! And I love pan-fried grapes! I've done them a number of times with dishes and they sound perfect with this. Congratulations on being a finalist!!!
over 2 years ago Waverly
Your spiced meatballs with yogurt sauce sounds fabulous! I like the suggestion you made to serve them wrapped in pita bread. I think this sounds like a winner for sure.