Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce are a delicious dinner or appetizer! Loaded with flavorful spices, lemon zest and feta cheese. They’re sure to please anyone who loves Greek food!
If you love these Greek meatballs, then you have to try my popular Greek meatballs and orzo skillet recipe!
This post has been updated since it was originally published on 4/15/2016.
Why you’ll love them
Baked in the oven – These Greek meatballs are baked on a sheet pan in the oven rather than fried in oil in a skillet. You don’t have to worry about oil splattering and if you line your baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, there won’t be any cleanup.
Freezable – Meatballs freeze beautifully. I often make a double batch and stick half of them in the freezer to pull out on a night when I don’t have time to cook or if you meal prep.
Serve as an appetizer or dinner – Greek meatballs also called keftedes, are a delicious appetizer that can be served with the tzatziki sauce as part of a mezze platter for entertaining or you can serve them with this Greek orzo salad as a main dish for dinner.
What is tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a dip or sauce that is found in Southern Europe and the Middle East cuisines. It’s made of strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, or parsley.
The ingredients
- Ground beef – Lean ground beef works great for the meatballs. Alternatively you could use ground turkey, chicken, or lamb.
- Panko – I generally use panko as a binder in my meatballs, but you can use breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- Onion – White, yellow, or red onion can be used. I like to grate the onion so you don’t bite into any big chunks.
- Garlic – Grate the garlic on a microplane zester or finely mince it.
- Flat leaf parsley – If you can’t find fresh parsley substitute with a teaspoon of dried.
- Lemon – Adds a bright fresh flavor to the meatballs and tzatziki. Be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
- Egg – Acts as a binder for the meatballs.
- Oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon – The spice blend for the meatballs.
- Feta – If possible, buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself for the best flavor.
- Cucumber – English or Persian cucumbers are recommended for the the tzatziki.
- Greek yogurt – Plain Greek yogurt is the base of the tzatziki sauce.
- Fresh dill – If you can’t find fresh dill substitute with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried dill depending on your tastes.
- Garlic powder – Personally I don’t like raw garlic so I use garlic powder in the tzatziki. If you want to use fresh use a 1/2 teaspoon grated or minced.
How to make Greek meatballs
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. If using foil, spray it with cooking oil so the meatballs don’t stick to it.
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to mix everything together. Be careful not to over mix or the meatballs will be tough.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the meat mixture. Roll them into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking oil or brush them with olive oil.
You should have between 20-24 meatballs depending on how big you make them. Bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
How to make tzatziki sauce
Shred the cucumber on a box grater with the largest holes. Place the shredded cucumber into a clean dish towel or several paper towels. Gather up the towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can from the cucumber.
In a bowl combine all of the ingredients for the tzatziki and stir them together. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper or lemon juice if needed. Refrigerate until the meatballs are ready to be served.
Greek meatballs FAQ
Yes. Ground turkey, chicken, or lamb can all be used in place of the ground beef. You can also use a 50/50 combination of beef and lamb if you’d like.
Yes. Ground turkey, chicken, or lamb can all be used in place of the ground beef. You can also use a 50/50 combination of beef and lamb if you’d like.
Lightly wet your hands with water or spray them with cooking oil to keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
Lightly wet your hands with water or spray them with cooking oil to keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the meat mixture. This will ensure that they are the same size and bake evenly in the oven.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the meat mixture. This will ensure that they are the same size and bake evenly in the oven.
Plain whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt has the best flavor and consistency for tzatziki. The higher fat content gives it a richer flavor and thicker and creamier texture. You can of course use non-fat if you prefer.
Plain whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt has the best flavor and consistency for tzatziki. The higher fat content gives it a richer flavor and thicker and creamier texture. You can of course use non-fat if you prefer.
Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Greek meatballs with tzatziki sauce are perfect for dinner or an appetizer! They’re full of warm, flavorful spices, lemon zest and feta cheese.
20 minutes
Greek Meatballs
Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
Serving Size:
1
Cuisine:
Greek
/
Category: Beef + Pork
This content was originally published here.
