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Traditional Youvarlakia (Greek Meatballs in Egg-Lemon Sauce)

Tender herb-and-rice meatballs gently simmered in broth until pillowy soft and finished with a silky traditional Greek egg-lemon avgolemono sauce for a complete Mediterranean comfort dinner in 55 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb lean ground beef or beef/pork/lamb mix a mix produces more tender, flavorful meatballs than pure lean beef
  • 0.5 cup uncooked white rice Arborio or medium-grain; do not substitute pre-cooked rice
  • 1 medium onion grated on a box grater, not diced
  • 1 large egg for the meatball mixture
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill or mint chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for the meatball mixture
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken or beef broth increase to 8 cups for a soupier version
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for the cooking broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature, for the avgolemono
  • 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice from about 2 lemons; never bottled
  • 1 tsp cornstarch optional, for a thicker sauce

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven with lid
  • large mixing bowl
  • Medium bowl for avgolemono
  • whisk
  • Ladle

Method
 

  1. Combine the ground meat, uncooked rice, grated onion, egg, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes with your hands until the mixture feels slightly tacky and cohesive.
  2. With damp hands, form the mixture into uniform walnut-sized balls. Set aside on a plate.
  3. Bring the broth, olive oil, and bay leaf to a gentle boil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  4. Carefully lower the meatballs into the broth one at a time. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the rice has fully expanded and the meatballs are firm and tender.
  5. Turn off the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs for 2 minutes until very frothy and pale. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice and cornstarch if using.
  6. Tempering: While whisking the egg-lemon mixture constantly, slowly ladle 1 to 2 cups of hot broth from the pot into the bowl in a thin, steady stream. The mixture should feel warm but the eggs should not look cooked.
  7. Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture back into the pot in a slow, steady stream. Gently swirl or shake the pot to distribute. Do not stir with a spoon.
  8. Return to very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, swirling gently, until the sauce thickens slightly and turns opaque. Do not allow the pot to boil.
  9. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Ladle immediately into deep bowls with plenty of the avgolemono sauce.

Notes

Tempering Critical Step: Add hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture slowly and in a thin stream while whisking without stopping. Never pour the raw egg mixture directly into the hot pot. Never Boil After Avgolemono: Once the egg-lemon sauce is in the pot, keep heat at the absolute lowest setting. Boiling will curdle the eggs. Curdled Sauce Fix: Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve immediately, return meatballs to the strained broth, and make a fresh avgolemono. Grated Onion: Grate the onion rather than dicing to distribute moisture evenly and prevent meatballs from breaking apart during the long simmer. Uncooked Rice Only: Do not substitute pre-cooked rice. The raw rice expands in the broth and creates the characteristic tender texture. Storage: Reheat gently on the stovetop over lowest heat with a splash of broth. Does not freeze well. Soupier Version: Increase broth to 8 cups and add one extra egg to the avgolemono.