Sheet Pan Meatballs with Tomato Salad and Green Herb Sauce Recipe
A vibrant and flavorful sheet pan meal featuring juicy baked meatballs paired with a fresh tomato and cucumber salad, creamy tzatziki, and a zesty green herb sauce. This easy-to-make dinner combines Mediterranean-inspired ingredients for a balanced, crowd-pleasing dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1/4 cup capers or pitted castelvetrano olives
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lb. ground beef (preferably grass-fed, grass-finished)
Tomato Salad
- 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced herbs (parsley recommended)
- salt to taste (approximately 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt)
- 1 cucumber, sliced
To Serve
- 1 small baguette
- 1 cup tzatziki (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C) to prepare for baking the meatballs.
- Prepare Tomato Salad: Combine halved cherry or grape tomatoes with sliced cucumbers. Add finely grated garlic, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, freshly minced herbs, and salt. Toss well and set aside to let flavors meld.
- Make Flavor Base: In a food processor, pulse garlic, parsley, cilantro, capers or olives, and walnuts until finely chopped but not pureed. This mixture serves as a vibrant flavor base.
- Combine Meatball Mixture: Transfer half of the flavor base to a large bowl. Add egg, paprika, salt, panko breadcrumbs, and ground beef. Mix thoroughly with your hands until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Form mixture into meatballs.
- Bake Meatballs: Place the meatballs on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until cooked through and browned.
- Prepare Green Sauce: With the remaining half of the flavor base, add lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add red pepper flakes for heat. Stir to combine until it resembles a loose pesto or chimichurri.
- Serve: Spread a swipe of tzatziki on plates, arrange warm meatballs on top, and add a scoop of the tomato salad alongside. Drizzle the green sauce over the meatballs and salad. Serve with rustic baguette pieces for dipping and soaking up the sauces.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh and high-quality herbs and olives or capers.
- You can substitute walnuts with pine nuts or almonds if desired.
- Adjust the amount of salt and spices according to taste preference.
- The green sauce can be made spicier by adding red pepper flakes.
- This recipe works well with other ground meats like lamb or turkey.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Keywords: sheet pan meatballs, baked meatballs, tomato salad, green herb sauce, Mediterranean meatballs, easy dinner recipe
