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If you love dill pickles then you know how nothing else gives quite the same flavor as these savory-sour cucumbers marinated in dill and spices. While I love pickles I won’t say that they belong in every recipe, but they certainly do wonders in this one!
These dill pickle meatballs have a wonderful dill flavor thanks to some chopped pickles right in the meatballs. It might sound overpowering, but actually the dill flavor gives these tender meatballs a Greek vibe that goes beautifully with tzatziki sauce and rice.
Dill pickles, chopped up finely, aren’t the only special ingredients in this recipe. There’s also feta cheese, onions, and fresh herbs for tons of flavor.
To let the flavors come together let the uncooked meat mixture sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. When you take them out and roll them into balls you may notice they’ve turned brown already. That’s because there’s also dill pickle juice in the mix. The acidity and salt content are the cause. This is a normal part of the cooking process, not unlike brining a chicken. It also makes the meatballs super moist and tender!
Unlike other meatball recipes there’s no sauce to cook these in. Rather we’re just placing them on a lined baking sheet to bake. Make sure your pan has sides so they don’t roll around!
The last few minutes of cooking are under the broiler for that perfectly-browned exterior that makes these meatballs even tastier.
Serve these with some tzatziki, veggies, and rice or use them in a salad or over noodles. Or serve these with toothpicks as an appetizer.
The flavor is totally unique and this is a must have recipe for all dill pickle fans.
Dill Pickle Meatballs
Yield(s): 6-8 servings
55m prep time
16m cook time
188 calories
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 3 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Roll mixture into 24-30 balls. Place on lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Leave meatballs in oven and turn oven to broil on low. Broil for 6 minutes or until browned on top and at least 160˚F in center.
- Serve with rice and tzatziki or with buttered noodles or even as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.