This chicken meatball with lemon dill rice is a fresh and flavorsome meal that comes together in about 40 minutes. With a mix of juicy chicken, creamy tzatziki, and fragrant rice, this dish is a total winner for an easy weeknight dinner or casual get-together.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 500g chicken mince
- ½ onion, diced
- ¼ cup parsley, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch of ground cloves
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
For the Tzatziki:
- ½ large cucumber, grated
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Lemon Dill Rice:
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups white rice
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
Method:
- Make the tzatziki: in a bowl, mix together the grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Set aside in the fridge to chill while you prepare the rest of the meal.
- Cook the lemon dill rice: in a small pot ad the rice, water, chicken stock, salt, minced garlic and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Once cooked, stir in the lemon zest, fresh dill, and butter.
- Prepare the chicken meatballs: in a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, onion, parsley, mint, garlic, egg, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Cook the meatballs: heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the meatball mixture into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Flip, flatten slightly with a spatula, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, repeat until all the meatballs are cooked.
- Serve and enjoy: plate up the meatballs with a generous serving of lemon dill rice and tzatziki. Dig in!