Description
Juicy, herb-spiced beef meatballs served over fluffy rice with crisp Mediterranean veggies and cool tzatziki for a vibrant, all-in-one bowl.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
½ cup tzatziki sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; mix gently until just combined.
- Shape into 1–1.5″ meatballs and arrange on the prepared sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil.
- Bake 15–20 minutes, until browned and cooked through; let rest 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rice per package directions. In a bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and olives.
- Assemble bowls by dividing rice among 4 bowls. Top each with the veggie mixture, meatballs, a dollop of tzatziki, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Substitute ground lamb or turkey for beef.
Use brown rice or quinoa for more fiber.
Add a handful of arugula or spinach beneath the meatballs for extra greens.
Stir red pepper flakes into the meatball mix for heat.
Top with crumbled feta for extra tang.
Meatballs can be shaped ahead and refrigerated; bake straight from chilled, adding 2–3 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking & Assembly
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg