Most meatball recipes use too many binders and not enough meat. This one uses none. Ground beef and ground lamb, grated onion (drained), grated garlic, sweet paprika, and salt. That is it. No breadcrumbs, no egg, no milk. The meat holds itself together because you mix it well and chill the meatballs for at least two hours before grilling.
Lamb and beef together is traditional in Mediterranean kebabs. The combination is richer than beef alone and less gamey than all lamb. Sweet paprika stains the meat a warm red-orange and you taste it as a mild, smoky warmth without any heat. Grilled ten to twelve minutes, turning occasionally, until charred on the outside. These don’t last long here.
Tips for Making Meatball Kebabs
Drain the grated onion
Grate the onion into a bowl and let it sit in a fine-mesh sieve for fifteen minutes until most of the liquid drains out. Wet onion makes the meatballs fall apart. 
The drained onion adds moisture and sweetness without making the mixture soggy.
Chill for at least two hours
Form the meatballs and place them on a tray in the fridge. Two hours minimum. Overnight is better. Cold meatballs hold their shape on the grill.
Thread onto skewers just before grilling. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for thirty minutes first.
Grilled Meatball Kebabs and Roasted Pepper Salad
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Large, juicy meatballs inspired by Balkan cuisine, served with a vibrant roasted pepper salad.
Ingredients
For the Meatball Kebabs
- 3/4 lb ground beef, preferably 80/20 (340 g)
1/2 lb ground lamb (227 g)
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled, grated, and drained
6 garlic cloves, peeled and grated, green center discarded if present
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
For the Roasted Pepper Salad
- 3 large bell peppers, preferably a mix of red, yellow, and orange
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for rubbing the peppers
1/3 cup mixed olives, such as Kalamata and Castelvetrano, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Drain the onion
Grate the onion into a bowl, then transfer it to a fine-mesh sieve set over the bowl. Let it drain for 15 minutes, pressing out excess liquid with the back of a spoon. Wet onion can make the meatball mixture loose and harder to grill.
2. Make the meatball mixture
Add the ground beef, ground lamb, drained grated onion, grated garlic, sweet paprika, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until the meat looks cohesive and slightly sticky. This matters because there are no breadcrumbs or eggs holding the kebabs together.
3. Shape and chill
Form the mixture into 12 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball. Place them on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cold meatballs hold better on skewers and are less likely to break apart on the grill.
4. Roast or grill the peppers
For the grill: Heat the grill to high. Rub the peppers with a little olive oil and place them on the hottest part of the grill. Turn with tongs until the skins are blackened in spots and the peppers have softened.
For the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Rub the peppers with a little olive oil, place them on a baking sheet, and roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until softened.
5. Steam, peel, and slice the peppers
Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate. Let them sit until cool enough to handle. Peel off most of the skin, then remove the stems and seeds. Slice the peppers into strips. A few bits of charred skin are fine; rinsing the peppers washes away too much of their flavor.
6. Make the roasted pepper salad
Place the sliced roasted peppers in a bowl with the chopped olives, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stir and let the salad sit while the kebabs grill. Taste before serving and adjust with more salt or lemon if needed.
7. Skewer the meatballs
Thread the chilled meatballs onto metal skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first. Leave a little space between the meatballs so heat can circulate.
8. Grill the kebabs
Heat the grill to medium-high. Grill the kebabs for 10 to 12 minutes, turning now and then, until browned on the outside and cooked through. The center should reach 160°F (71°C) for a beef-and-lamb mixture.
9. Serve
Serve the grilled meatball kebabs with the roasted pepper salad alongside. Spoon some of the pepper juices and olives over the plate if you like a little mess, which this recipe can handle.
Notes
The grated onion needs to be drained. Too much onion liquid makes the meatball mixture soft and more likely to fall apart.
The two-hour chill is part of the recipe, not an optional flourish. It helps the meatballs keep their shape without binders.
Kalamata olives bring salt and depth; Castelvetrano olives are milder and meatier. A mix gives the salad more range, but either one works on its own.
The peppers can be roasted a day ahead. Store them peeled and sliced in the refrigerator, then dress them before serving.
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 25
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 25
Frequently Asked Questions
Why no breadcrumbs or egg?
The meat mixture, well-mixed and chilled, holds together on its own. Breadcrumbs and egg add filler. Without them, the meatball tastes like pure meat and spice.
Can I use only one type of meat?
All beef is leaner and drier. All lamb is richer and fattier. The combination is balanced. If you use only one, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture for moisture.
What is the roasted pepper salad mentioned?
The recipe suggests serving with a roasted pepper salad. Char whole peppers on the grill or in the oven, peel, seed, and slice into strips. Dress with olive oil, salt, and a squeeze of lemon.
Curious about a lamb-only version of these. Wondering how much heavier they’d taste without the beef to balance. Anyone tried?
Depends on the lamb, Lucas, to be honest. You should be able to just swap 1:1 and it will be delicious!!
Made these for last night’s dinner with friends, beef-and-lamb together is heavier than expected but absolutely heavenly!
Wonderful new way to use ground lamb, sweet paprika gave the meatballs that warm color I’d been missing!
I drained the grated onion in a fine-mesh sieve for fifteen minutes and the meatball mix held together without breadcrumbs. Two-hour chill was the step I almost skipped, glad I didn’t. Ten minutes on a hot grill, charred outside, juicy through. Genuinely delicious with the warm color from sweet paprika.
The notes mention olives. Are they supposed to go in the meatballs or the salad?
Thank you so much for catching that Thomas, we have been working on the recipe to update it to make it better, but in that process, the actual pepper salad fell out. It is back in and the recipe should be much easier to follow. Appreciate you taking the time to point that out!!
My grandfather grilled lamb-and-beef kefta exactly this way at our family asados in northern Mexico. No breadcrumbs, no eggs, just the meat, drained onion, garlic, paprika. Two-hour chill holds them together on the grill, my abuelo always said overnight is best. Made these last night with a roasted pepper salad on the side and a cold lager, the char on the kebabs was exactly the way he did it. Bringing this back to my parents next weekend.