Gyro Bowls (Meatballs with Tzatziki, Lemon Rice, and Cucumber Salad)

Serving Size: 10

Delicious lamb or beef meatballs, cucumber salad, lemony rice, and creamy tzatziki sauce combine incredible Greek flavors into one delectable bowl.

Recipe by: Cheryl Malik

Cook Times

Active Prep55

Hands-On Cook15

Hands-Off Cook0

Passive0

Total Time1 10

Recipe Serving Size10

Cooking Tools Required

Baking sheet, Cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowls, Oven, parchment paper, Sharp Knives, small spoon

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

3 pound ground lamb beef, or pork/lamb preferred
1/2 cup onion minced
9 clove garlic minced
2 egg large
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 teaspoon Greek seasoning
1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Tzatziki

4 clove garlic minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt more or less to taste, or dietary preference
1/2 English cucumber peeled, grated, and drained (see Notes)
2 cup plain yogurt drained
2 tablespoon fresh mint chopped, plus more to taste, see Notes
2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, see Notes
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Lemon Rice

2 cup long grain white rice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt more or less to taste, or dietary preference

For the Cucumber & Tomato Salad

3 cup cherry tomato halved
3 cup cucumber diced drained, see Notes
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt more or less to taste, or dietary preference

Recommended Garnishes (All Optional)

hummus
extra virgin olive oil
crumbled feta cheese
pitted Kalamata olives
fresh dill chopped
Italian parsley chopped
sumac

Instructions

Cook rice according to package directions.

For the Meatballs

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray foil or parchment paper lightly with cooking spray and set baking sheet aside.
Add all meatball ingredients to large mixing bowl. Using your hands, gently mix together ingredients until uniformly combined.
Divide mixture into even portions using scoop with release handle. Roll each scoop between palms of hands to form meatball, then place on lined baking sheet. Repeat until all mixture has been formed into meatballs.
Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until meatballs are nicely browned and cooked through. Prepare remaining components of gyro bowl while meatballs bake.

For the Tzatziki

Place garlic on cutting board. Sprinkle salt over garlic then use back of fork to mash garlic into paste.
Add garlic paste, drained cucumber (see Notes), drained yogurt, mint and/or dill, black pepper, and olive oil to medium bowl. Stir well to combine all ingredients, then taste and adjust salt as needed. Set aside.

For the Lemon Rice

Add cooked rice, lemon juice, and salt to medium mixing bowl. Stir well to thoroughly incorporate ingredients, then taste and adjust lemon juice and salt as needed. Set aside.

For the Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Add all components to small mixing bowl. Gently stir to distribute ingredients, then taste and adjust salt as needed. Set aside.

To Assemble the Bowls

Divide rice evenly into serving bowls. Top rice with meatballs, tzatziki, cucumber & tomato salad, and any other desired garnishes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tzatziki: You can use fresh mint AND fresh dill, or choose just one.

To Drain Water from Cucumbers
Peel and grate/dice cucumbers.
With paper towels, squeeze as much water as possible out of cucumber.
Place cucumber in colander. Set colander over bowl to catch liquid. Liberally sprinkle salt over cucumbers, tossing or moving cucumbers as needed to salt entirely.
Let cucumbers rest 20 minutes.
Transfer drained cucumbers to fresh paper towels. Press or blot to remove any remaining liquid. If desired, you can quickly rinse the drained cucumbers in cold water to remove excess salt, then press or blot with paper towels.

Reheating Instructions

Heat rice and meatballs in the microwave on medium high heat until heated through.

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