Juicy, herby lamb meatballs, crunchy salad vibes, and a creamy high-protein tzatziki that honestly shouldn’t taste this good for the macros. I even threw in some quick-pickled onions because they make everything feel fancy.

Click here see more High-Protein Recipes by Victoria Minell.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Under 500 calories
Over 40g protein

Ingredients

• 700 g lean lamb mince
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¼ red onion, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
• olive oil spray
• 250 ml (1 cup) Tzatziki
• 1 good-sized Lebanese (small) cucumber, chopped
• 150 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
• Pickled red onions
• 8 baby cos lettuce leaves
• wholemeal pita, to serve (optional)

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together the lamb, egg, garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, the juice of half the lemon, the breadcrumbs and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roll into 16 meatballs.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat, spray lightly with olive oil and cook the meatballs for 8–10 minutes, turning until browned and cooked through.
3. Build the plate: spread the tzatziki on the plate, then top with the cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onions, baby cos lettuce leaves, meatballs and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with wholemeal pita, if desired.

Leftovers
Refrigerate the meatballs and salad separately for up to 3 days so nothing gets soggy. Reheat the meatballs in the air fryer for 3–4 minutes to crisp them back up. Add the tzatziki just before serving.

High-Protein Recipes by Victoria by Victoria Minell, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP: $44.99, photography by Rob Palmer.

Click here see more High-Protein Recipes by Victoria Minell.

High Protein Recipes by Victoria is available now in-centre at your nearest bookstore.