Sheet Pan Meatballs with Salsa Verde
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 Garlic cloves, divided
- 2 Cups packed mixed herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, basil, and/or dill, divided
- 3 Tablespoons drained capers
- ¼ Cup walnuts
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Tablespoons paprika
- 2 Teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
- 3 Tablespoons plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 Cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 Pound ground beef (20% fat)
- 1 Lemon
- Freshly ground black pepper
Shopping List
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Dill
- Capers
- Walnuts
- Egg
- Paprika
- Panko
- Ground beef
- Lemon
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 425°. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into a medium bowl. Finely grate 1 more garlic clove into a small bowl. The medium bowl is for your meatball mixture, and the small bowl is for your salsa verde.
- Finely chop 2 cups mixed herbs. As we mentioned in the ingredients list, you can use any combo of soft herbs like parsley, dill, basil, and/or cilantro, but if you've only got one that's cool, too—we just love how green and complex they taste when mixed. Transfer half to the same medium bowl, then transfer remaining herbs to the same small bowl.
- Finely chop 3 Tbsp. capers. Transfer 2 Tbsp. capers to medium bowl, then transfer remaining 1 Tbsp. capers to a small bowl. Chop ¼ cup walnuts and add to same medium bowl.
- Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. paprika, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbsp. oil to bowl with walnuts.
- Using clean hands, mix 1 cup panko into egg mixture. Add 1 lb. ground beef and continue to mix gently with your hands until incorporated, but do not overmix. This part is key—if you work the mixture too much, the meat will become tough and springy, almost like sausage, so use a gentle hand. Also: At this point, you can pinch off a little piece of the meatball mixture, crisp it in a skillet, and give it a taste to make sure the seasoning is to your liking. This is your last chance to make any tweaks before they all get cooked!
- Drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll beef mixture into 1½" balls (about the size of golf balls). Arrange 1" apart on a pan. Bake meatballs, shaking pan halfway through, until crispy on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, you can finish that salsa verde. Finely grate lemon zest into bowl with herbs and garlic. Halve the lemon you just zested and squeeze juice into a bowl, using your hand to catch any seeds. Add remaining ½ cup oil and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and add more seasoning if necessary—it should be good and punchy.
- Transfer meatballs to a platter and serve with salsa verde alongside.