These perfectly seared Greek Meatballs have classic flavors like fresh mint, dried oregano, and garlic that are a nice compliment to the ground lamb. Pair them with some lemon garlic quinoa and Mediterranean whipped feta for an amazing meal full of flavor!
Easy & Delicious Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Traditional Greek meatballs (sometimes known as Keftedes) are typically made with ground lamb or ground beef. We went with ground lamb and mixed it with other Greek flavors like mint, garlic, and oregano! Since our, always popular, Greek Chicken Meatballs + Greek Cucumber Salad are blog favorites we decided it was time for a new spin that can be served with some new sides that are also packed with flavor.
Love Meatballs – try our Saucy Italian Meatballs + Parmesan Orzo!
What You Will Need
- whipped feta:
- feta cheese – option to use regular feta cheese or dairy-free.
- plain Greek yogurt – classic flavors that also brings a creamy texture.
- high-quality olive oil – a little bit goes a long way to make it smooth and rich with flavor.
- grated lemon – add lemon to brighten up any recipe with its fresh citrus flavor.
- fresh mint & garlic – traditional flavors for most classic Greek recipes.
- kosher salt & ground pepper – simple seasoning that is always needed when cooking meat.
- lemon garlic quinoa:
- olive oil & garlic – sautéing the garlic in a little olive oil really gets the flavor party started.
- chicken broth – you could also use water, but broth will bring more flavor! And if you feel ambitious you can use homemade chicken broth.
- quinoa – a simple and nutritious side dish!
- lemon zest & lemon juice – some acidity to brighten things up and bring out all the great flavors!
- dried oregano leaves, dried thyme leaves, & kosher salt – a seasoning combination to make your quinoa very flavorful.
- greek meatballs:
- ground lamb – another traditional ingredient for a lot of Greek recipes, but you could use any ground meat like beef, turkey, or chicken.
- egg & almond flour – these work together to help bind the meatballs so that they don’t fall apart.
- kosher salt, dried oregano leaves, dried basil, dried dill, onion powder, garlic powder, & ground pepper – all the great spices that bring amazing flavor to these meatballs. A little cumin would also be a great addition!
- fresh mint – this brings a light and refreshing flavor to the recipe.
- minced garlic – this is also all about adding some great flavor!
What Makes Meatballs Stick Together
In our recipe we used almond flour and an egg to hold the meatballs together. You could also use breadcrumbs in place of the almond flour, if you prefer.
How To Make Greek Meatballs
You can begin by measuring out all of the meatball ingredients and place them in a medium mixing bowl.
Mix to fully combine and then scoop one tablespoon at a time and form into meatballs. Pro tip: we love using a cookie scoop to make all of them around the same size.
Next, preheat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat on the stovetop and sear your meatballs in olive oil until their internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
Can I Bake The Meatballs
Absolutely! If it is easier for you to bake them, you can preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Now you can quickly whip up your feta, if you haven’t already done it ahead of time. Just place all of the whipped feta ingredients in a food processor and blend on high until smooth.
Finally, the lemon garlic quinoa. To do this you can sauté some garlic in olive oil in a medium saucepan, then add the water (or chicken broth), quinoa, lemon juice, and salt. Once it is fully cooked, add the rest of your ingredients and stir to combine.
Option to serve or garnish with some quick pickled vegetables!
Assemble your bowl or plate as you like and enjoy!
How To Serve Greek Meatballs
These Greek meatballs are delicious with the lemon garlic quinoa and whipped feta but if you are looking to change anything up you could also serve with flatbread, a Greek Cucumber Salad, Lamb Sauce, Tzatziki Sauce, or a little Greek Vinaigrette. Or you could use the lamb meatballs to make a Gyro Bowl!
Recipe FAQs
- meal prep: the components of this meal can easily be made ahead of time and stored in separate containers in the refrigerator.
- storage: all of these parts of the meal can be kept in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- freezing: the meatballs are perfect for freezing! Once they have fully cooled, you can place them in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Greek Meatballs Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Greek-Inspired
Description
Greek Meatballs – a delicious Greek meatball recipe served with whipped feta, lemon quinoa and pickled veggies!
Ingredients
Whipped Feta:
- 8oz feta cheese
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 4 teaspoons high-quality olive oil
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves, minced
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon Garlic Quinoa:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 cups quinoa
- 2–3 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Greek Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup fine almond flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Instructions
Whipped Feta:
- Add ingredients to food processor (crumble the feta so it whips more easily).
- Process mixture on high until the consistency is smooth.
- Taste and adjust any salt or other flavor, as necessary.
Lemon Garlic Quinoa:
- Bring a medium saucepan to medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add garlic and move around the pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add water (or chicken broth), quinoa, lemon juice and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook 12-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5-10 minutes.
- Add lemon zest, oregano and thyme. Stir to combine. Taste and add any additional lemon zest, salt or herbs – as desired.
Greek Meatballs:
- Combine ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; mix.
- Taking one tablespoon of lamb mixture at a time, create meatballs with your hand or a small dough scoop. Place on a plate.
- Bring large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add approximately a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan; swirl to coat.
- Sear the meatballs on all sides.
- Turn heat down to medium/medium-low and continue cooking unit internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (about 10-15 minutes).
Serving:
- Divide Lemon Garlic Quinoa, Whipped Feta and Greek meatballs between bowls. Garnish with some Quick Pickled Veggies if you want!
Notes
- Baked Greek Meatballs: if you want to bake the meatballs simply place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, middle rack, at 425 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Dairy-Free: feel free to use a dairy-free feta in the whipped feta.
cindy richman says
This was delicious! I made it just as the recipe detailed, just used ground turkey instead of lamb. My family all loved it. I pickled the veges as well and added Naan bread as a side to the delicious sauce. It was really tasty Greek inspired dish. Thank You!
Erin says
Love it, Cindy! Glad you enjoyed!
Amy says
All of this came together nicely (I even made your gluten-free bread crumbs to use in the meatballs :)), except for the quinoa. I’m not a quinoa aficionado and the only time I ever had good results, was when I cooked it in my Instant Pot. I followed the written instructions to the letter, however my quinoa resembled the consistency of a porridge and not fluffy like your picture. I could be wrong, but was I perhaps suppose to cover the pot once I turned down the heat to let simmer? It’s not written in the instructions as so and even though my gut instinct was telling me to cover the pot, I thought there was just something I was missing. The meatballs were very good and I baked them in the oven as opposed to cooking them on the stove. Also, the cheese sauce was awesome and my son said he could drink it! LOL Overall, my family enjoyed the recipe, but with rice. 😉 🙂
Erin says
Hi Amy! Oh my gosh yes, the recipe should say to cover the quinoa when it is simmering – I am so sorry about that, I will make that correction ASAP! Thanks for bringing it to my attention and so glad you enjoyed the rest of the recipe 🙂 that whipped feta is one of my favorites!!