Scotch Lamb Meatballs

Scotch Lamb Meatballs are a testament to my Scottish roots. I’m actually related to the Mary Queen of Scotts – a totally true story that I’ll have to save for another day. I can’t say for sure that she’d ever eaten Lamb Meatballs, but I’m pretty sure she would have made me a Lady in the royal circles if she’d eaten this recipe. LOL.

This recipe for meatballs is one of my favorites. Not only are these meatballs gluten-free, but they are also dairy-free. If you’re looking for a fun recipe to celebrate a Scottish holiday, such as St. Andrew’s Day (aka Feast Day of Saint Andrew), or just a great meatball recipe, you will love and savor every bite of these tender and flavorful meatballs. 

 

Before I go on any more, I want to make sure I take a second to share a bit of fact with you. I mentioned above this dish was perfect for St. Andrew’s Day, which is coming up soon! But what exactly IS St. Andrew’s Day you may wonder, especially if you do not have Scottish roots.

St Andrew’s Day is a major holiday that is still celebrated to this day in Scotland. It is celebrated on the 30th of November. Also called the feast of Saint Andrew, or Andermas, it is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. 

For those who do not know, Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and St Andrew’s Day is celebrated to mark Scotland’s victory and new nationhood. St Andrew’s Day is celebrated and marked with a huge celebration of Scottish culture and tradition in many places and countries with Scottish Connections. It has been celebrated in Romania since 2015. 

The day is marked full of traditional Scottish culture, food, and music. The day also seems to mark the start of the winter festival season which encompasses several large Sottish Holidays such as St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay, and Burns Night.

Check out my Instant Pot Salisbury Steak Meatballs for a different take on meatballs that are fast and easy to make! 

What I love about making meatballs is their versatility. They can be paired with other recipes or eat them as stand-alone. It’s no secret in my family that I like a few options with my food and meatballs make it just about as simple as can be. 

You can eat these meatballs by themselves, pair them up with a nice side dish, or put them on a bun and top them off with cheese. However, the cheese option would remove the gluten-free and dairy-free aspects, but if that’s not part of your diet, no worries. My husband occasionally eats a meatball sandwich on hoagie bread. To each their own. 

I think that once you make this simple meatball recipe, you’re going to find out very soon that meatballs need to be on your meal planning radar way more often than they have been! 

Ingredients needed to make Scottish Lamb Meatballs

The following ingredients are all you need to make this delicious meatball recipe. The ingredients in this recipe made the parsnips so tender and taste like carrots! 

Meatballs:

• 1 lb minced lamb
• 1 slice gluten-free bread
• 4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• 1 medium onion finely chopped (1/2 large onion)
• salt and pepper (9-10 grinds)
• 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped into large pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 16 oz beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups curly kale, chopped

 

How To Make Scotch Lamb Meatballs

1) Soak your bread in the almond milk in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes. The bread will soak up all the almond milk.

2) Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined well. Form the meat into 1-inch balls.

3) Turn the Instant Pot to “Saute”. Add the oil to the bottom of your Instant Pot liner. When it is hot, brown your meatballs in the Instant Pot, turning with tongs a few at a time. When your meatballs are all browned, remove them from the Instant Pot and set them aside.

4) Add your sliced onions to the hot Instant Pot while still on “Saute” mode. Let your onions caramelize for about 10 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the ban to loosen any burned bits from the bottom.

5) Next, sprinkle the cornstarch over the onions and mix so that they are coated. Stir in the beef broth and tomato paste. Turn off the Instant Pot.

6) Add the parsnips and meatballs to the Instant Pot. Gently stir to coat the meatballs.

7) Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes using the “soup” function. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.

8) Remove the lid and stir in the kale. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to soften the kale. Serve and enjoy!

What side dishes go well with meatballs?

This dish is really quite a meal all on its own with the added parsnips and kale. But if you want even more side dish options, I’d go with some of the following food choices:

• Instant Pot Loaded Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Country Style Green Beans
• Instant Pot Creamy Pepperoni Pasta Salad
• One of our favorite side dishes is Jasmine Rice 

Can you freeze meatballs?

You can! The best part about making meatballs is that they’re great for meal planning! You can easily freeze them before you cook them, or freeze them after, too. 

I’ve done both and really don’t have a preference either way. I’ve found that freezing raw meatballs makes for a fast and simple dinner the next time I’m ready to eat them – which is never very long at all! 

Freezing meatballs that are already cooked is also a simple process. You might find that they’re dried out a tad bit once you unthaw them, but you can just soak them in with a fun soup or other liquid to add back in that moisture. 

Can I use something besides bread in meatballs? 

Bread is the most popular ingredient to add to a meatball recipe because it’s such a good binding agent. However, you can easily use something else such as panko crumbs instead. 

Just be certain that whatever you’re using sticks to your dietary needs because when you change up the ingredients, it potentially changes up whether it’s gluten-free or dairy-free as well. 

The next time you’re ready for hearty comfort food, these easy meatballs need to be at the top of your list! They’re a family favorite in my household for a reason!

More Lamb Recipes

• Delicious Instant Pot Irish Lamb Stew
• Air Fryer or Crisp Lid Keto Shepherd’s Pie