These healthy Greek Chicken Meatballs are packed with Mediterranean flavor! Made with ground chicken, spinach, herbs, and feta cheese, these flavorful and juicy meatballs are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I love making all types of meatballs. My meatball sliders with whipped ricotta are always a crowd-pleaser and my spaghetti and turkey meatballs is a regular in my dinner rotation. I even make meatless Mediterranean eggplant hummus “meatballs.”
But these delicious Greek chicken meatballs are one of my all-time favorite meatball recipes! These healthy meatballs are made with simple, real ingredients and are full of delicious Mediterranean flavors. Made with lean ground chicken, they’re a nice change from traditional beef meatballs and are a lot lighter.
To keep these Greek meatballs moist and full of flavor, I mix the ground chicken with spinach, spices, and feta cheese. Then I just pop them in the oven- it’s so easy! These meatballs are perfect for busy weeknights.
They’re also perfect for meal prep. I love to double the recipe and enjoy these Greek chicken meatballs throughout the week on top of salads, tucked into pita sandwiches with creamy tzatziki sauce or tossed with pasta and tomato sauce.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Why You’ll Love This Dish
- Packed with Flavor– these meatballs are seasoned with a variety of ingredients which give them a distinct Mediterranean flavor.
- Versatile– these flavorful meatballs can be served in a variety of ways, including on a salad, on top of pasta, or as a sandwich filling.
- Easy– this recipe uses simple, pantry ingredients (like frozen spinach and dried spices) and is so easy to make.
- Perfect for meal prep– double the batch and enjoy these tasty meatballs for lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Doctor’s Tips
I mix chopped spinach into these Greek chicken meatballs. Spinach is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat!
It is packed with a wide variety of compounds that are beneficial for your health including several vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. Spinach is also a rich source of fiber and protein.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list):
- Ground chicken– I like to use a mixture of dark and white meat chicken rather than chicken breast because it’s more flavorful. You can also substitute ground turkey.
- Dried spices– I use a combination of dried spices (onion powder, garlic powder and oregano) to keep this recipe super simple; however, you can use finely chopped onion and garlic cloves, if desired. You can also use fresh herbs like parsley, mint or dill.
- Feta cheese– my secret ingredient that adds a pop or flavor to these meatballs!
- Spinach– I use frozen spinach for convenience but you can use fresh spinach, if desired; if using fresh spinach, cook it first and squeeze out all the water before adding it to the chicken.
How To Make Greek Chicken Meatballs Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions:
- Step 1– Mix the ground chicken, dried spices, egg, feta cheese, and panko breadcrumbs together in a large bowl.
- Step 3– Brush meatballs with a mixture of olive oil and paprika.
- Step 4– Bake in oven at 400°F for 15-16 minutes until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Chef’s Tips
- You can double this recipe and use these Mediterranean chicken meatballs for meal prep throughout the week.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- I use dried spices in this recipe for convenience but you can add fresh herbs for a pop of flavor like fresh mint, parsley or dill.
How To Serve These Meatballs
To make these healthy Greek chicken meatballs into a complete meal, there are so many different ways you can serve them. Here are a few ideas:
- On a Greek salad or Israeli salad for a boost of protein
- Tossed with tomato sauce and served over pasta or spaghetti squash for a healthy and hearty dinner
Recipe FAQs
Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover meatballs to keep on hand for busy weeknights.
When meat is ground, it releases a protein called myosin, which is sticky. To prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hands while you’re making them, you can either wet your hands with a little cold water or a little olive oil.
If your meatballs are tough, it could be because you’re overworking the ground meat. For a tender and light meatballs, mix the meatball ingredients together with your hands until they’re just combined trying not to compact them too much.
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Recipe
Greek Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- ounces (½ package) chopped, frozen spinach
- pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- egg
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Defrost the spinach according to package directions. Squeeze all of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl. Add the ground chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, feta cheese, and breadcrumbs. Mix to combine. Form the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs, about 1-½ inches in diameter.
- Place the meatballs on the baking sheet sprayed or brushed with olive oil. Mix the olive oil and paprika together in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto the tops of the meatballs.
Notes
- You can double this recipe and use these Mediterranean chicken meatballs for meal prep throughout the week.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- This recipe is already low carb/keto, but if you want to cut the carbs even more, you can leave out the breadcrumbs.
- I brush a little olive oil mixed with paprika on top of the meatballs to give the them some golden brown color as they bake in the oven. If desired, you can turn on the broiler at the end of cooking to give them even more color.
- I use dried spices in this recipe for convenience but you can add fresh herbs for a pop of flavor like fresh mint, parsley or dill.
- You can cook these meatballs in the air fryer. Simply place meatballs in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 370°F for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Nutrition
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