These juicy Greek Meatballs rock! A traditional recipe, beautifully flavoured with red onion, fresh parsley, a touch of mint and hint of dried oregano. These meatballs are slightly crisp on the outside and are brilliant served as an appetiser with tzatiki and pita bread as part of a mezze spread (very Greek!), or as a meal with a salad.
Monday Meatball Mania is here! The rules are simple and the logic powerful: my friend Jo from Jo Cooks and I both agree that meatballs are the King of all Ball Shaped Foods. There cannot be too many meatballs in this world. So at the beginning of this year, we embarked upon a mission to make this world a better place by contributing even more meatballs.
So on the last Monday of every month, we each publish a meatball recipe. And that, my friends, is the only rule. Giant meatballs, mini meatballs, stuffed meatballs…..ahh, the possibilities are endless!
Today, I’ve kept it respectably “normal” with these Greek Meatballs. One day I’m going to shock you with an outrageous meatball creation…. just you wait!
These Greek Meatballs are a step up from the basic meatball recipe. Grated red onion provides a fabulous flavour base as well as making these meatballs gorgeously juicy. And the flavourings are from herbs – fresh parsley, a hint of mint (I really love this touch), and some dried oregano. Oh, and garlic of course. Wouldn’t be Greek if there wasn’t garlic in it! 🙂
Just pop all this in a bowl, then squidge away with your hands to mix it all together. To make them easier to roll and to maintain a nice round shape while pan frying, just pop the mixture in the fridge for an hour before rolling into balls.
Greek Meatballs are dusted lightly with flour before pan frying. This creates a lovely light crust, sort of like when you dust fish / chicken etc with flour before pan frying. I really love this touch, but it’s not essential, you could actually skip it.
Greek Meatballs are not made with a sauce, so I like to serve this with tzatziki so I’ve provided my recipe for that as well. But even if you don’t have cucumber, plain yoghurt will work well too. The meatballs are certainly juicy and flavoured enough to eat plain, but having a sauce definitely adds that extra something-something. 🙂
Serve a big bowl of these as a starter with pita bread to tear up and make “mini” wraps, like I do in the video. Or make a big Greek Meatballs dinner plate with a side of Greek Salad and pita bread – mmmmm!!! – Nagi xx
PS If you really want to go all out, serve this with Easy Soft No-Yeast Flatbreads!
PPS This past weekend I went camping and made Greek “Burritos” with these meatballs using Lemon Rice Pilaf, baby spinach and cheese. Rolled them up in foil and pan fried them to warm up and melt the cheese, then we dunked them in tzatziki. No washing up and lip smackingly delish – even the kids went nuts over them!
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Greek Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 red onion, grated
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef) (or lamb!)
- 200g / 6.5oz pork mince (ground pork), or more beef
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup / 60g panko breadcrumbs (or use normal)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 6 large mint leaves, finely chopped (spearmint if you can, it's authentic)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Cooking / Serving:
- 1/2 cup flour any white
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Finely chopped parsley optional, for garnish
- Tzatziki (Note 5) or Greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Grate the onion straight into a large bowl, then add remaining Meatball ingredients. Use your hands to mix well for a few minutes until the mixture is quite smooth and very well combined.
- Optional: Refrigerate for 1 hour - makes them easier to roll + retains round shape when cooking.
- Measure out heaped tablespoons and dollop onto a work surface - should make around 32 - 35. Then roll into balls.
- Heat most of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat (medium if you have a strong gas stove). Use enough oil to cover the surface of the skillet.
- Cook in 2 to 3 batches: Dredge meatballs lightly in flour, shaking off excess, then place in the skillet. Roll them around and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, until nicely browned all over. Remove onto plate, cover to keep warm and repeat with remaining meatballs.
- BAKING: Alternatively, spray generously with oil (preferably olive oil) then bake at 180C/350F for 20 minutes or until browned. The pan frying method is the traditional way and the meatballs are slightly juicier.
- Serve as a starter as part of a mezze platter with pita bread and tzatziki, or make dinner plates by adding a salad like a Greek Salad!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Greek Meatballs recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Took Dozer camping the weekend! He really needs to learn camping etiquette – i.e. no running around the campsite like a lunatic, shoving his furry face and breathing his stinky breath into every tent at 6 am in the morning. 😣 Lucky it was a private campsite so it was just my friends and I. ❤️
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Can I bake the meatballs in the oven instead of frying them?
Hi Grace, you can! Use this method here: https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-italian-meatballs/ N x
Great taste, great texture. Made as rice bowls and it was wonderful!
Great idea Theresa, ad perfect to store a batch in the freezer for later too! N x
These were so lovely!! Tasted just like my Yaiyia used to make – thank you for posting this recipe – I can’t wait to make them again 🙂
Hi there! Is there anyway to make this gluten free?
I’m planning to make these soon, but I have a question about the serving size. Is it 513 for one meatball or all 5 servings?
Hi Ashley, the whole recipe makes 5 servings – about 35 meatballs in total. The calories is per serve so about 7 meatballs in a serve. N x
Oh wow thanks for the quick reply! Thank you for the information. I actually made them tonight and they were absolutely wonderful! I loved all the spices and it was super easy to make! I am fat full right now……lol! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!!!!
these are delicious! I grew up eating my greek grandma’s cooking and these are the real deal.
I made them two ways: with tzatziki, and then I simmered some in a simple tomato sauce, just to try something different. Both were yummy!
Nagi, these are so good! Just wanted to ask, could you one day (soon!) Please do a Camping Recipes category?
I’ve made these many many times. We like it fully with ground lamb. This recipe is a big favorite. Thank you for sharing it.
The meatballs are so juicy goes really well with tabbouleh and your Greek yogurt.
Thank you so much for the lovely recipe.
Perfect Bonnie!! N x
Made these into small patties to stuff into mini-pitas with tzatziki and Greek veggies. So delicious. Nagi has done it again!
Such a great idea Ana!!! Yum! N x
Truly delicious. Found your site 4 days ago and have cooked 3 of your recipes since then. All beautiful. Thanks Nagi
I was lazy and made this as meatloaf instead of forming meatballs. 350 for 45-60 minutes. We made it with lamb and pork and my boys sliced it and made gyros. Also made the lemon rice pilaf to accompany. A huge hit! Thank you!!
These meatballs are delicious. I baked them because I didn’t want the mess of frying and they were perfect. Served with a side of your lemon rice, added chopped tomatoes and cucumbers on the side with a simple tzatziki and ate it for dinner all week. Never got tired of it!
OMG. I never comment on recipe posts but I have been moved by these meatballs. This was my first time making keftedes and—at the risk of sounding blasphemous—I think they may have turned out better than my Yiaya’s 😯? This recipe is amazing. Definitely use fresh mint if you can!
question about FREEZING! would you freeze these RAW or cook them and THEN freeze? looking to make these ahead of time but want to know what you do to freeze them. thank you!
Hi Tiffany, better to freeze raw in my opinion! N x
Would you cook from frozen or should we let fully thaw first?
OMG!!!! Just made these with turkey and they are FREAKING OUTSTANDING!!! I ate on pita bread with my homemade hummus and homemade tzatzki. THANK YOU for this DELISH recipe! I am going to make these all the time! Big kiss! Much love, xo Jennifer
That’s so great to hear Jennifer – thanks so much for letting me know!! N x
These meatballs are judt delicious. Easy to make and brilliant to have some in the freezer for hungry teenagers to make their own pittas by popping a few balls in the microwave. They only take a few minutes then add tomato/cucumber and ready made garlic sauce… I know the shame of it 😔 but they still find it delicious and definitely healthier than frozen pizza! Thx Nagi
What are the white cubes in the picture? Tofu? Feta? Potato? Just wondering if I want to include it.
Hi Judy, that’s feta – it’s a greek salad which is linked in the post 🙂 N x
GREAT Recipe. My First easter not with my family ( Divorce) and now this COVID!!! So I Am Made these!! Bravo! Well Done
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Chris!! N x