These flavorful Greek Turkey Meatballs are juicy, tender, and paired with our amazing Greek orzo pasta and fresh vegetables! Top with some creamy tzatziki sauce or whipped feta for the perfect weeknight dinner!
Juicy Greek Turkey Meatballs
One of our family’s favorite recipes is Greek Chicken Meatballs and we love the traditional Greek flavors so much that we knew we needed a spin on this easy meatball recipe! And this one definitely does not disappoint. This Mediterranean turkey meatballs recipe has everything you would expect, fresh olives, cucumbers, and a ton of classic fresh herbs. You can even meal prep the meatballs to make your busy weeknights even easier!
What You Will Need
- ground turkey – we love using this lean ground meat for the best greek turkey meatballs, but we have also made them with ground chicken and they are amazing!
- egg – used as a binding agent to keep everything together.
- breadcrumbs – you can either pick some up at the local grocery store or make your own!
- garlic – a classic flavorful ingredient that is always a must.
- kosher salt, dried oregano, dried basil, dried dill, onion powder, garlic powder, & ground black pepper – a delicious seasoning mixture that adds so much flavor!
- fresh mint – traditional to use when making most Greek-inspired recipes.
- Greek orzo – this delicious pasta side dish, plus fresh veggies really make this bowl!
- toppings: tzatziki sauce, whipped feta, crumbled feta cheese, fresh mint or parsley
How To Make Greek Turkey Meatballs
To start making this easy meatball recipe, place all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl.
Mix to fully combine the meatball ingredients and then scoop out approximately 1.5 tablespoons of the meatball mixture and roll into meatballs.
Pro tip: we like to use a cookie dough scoop or ice cream scoop to keep the meatballs as uniform as possible for even cooking.
Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, and sear the meatballs for about 3 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F.
Now for the Greek orzo, prep all the fresh ingredients while the orzo pasta cooks according to the box instructions.
After the fully cooked orzo has been drained and rinsed you can toss it in a large bowl with all the fresh ingredients and Greek vinaigrette. Taste and make any adjustments as needed.
Next, grab your store-bought tzatziki sauce or quickly whip up your own for serving.
Finally, assemble the bowl and top it any way you want!
How To Serve Greek Turkey Meatballs
As stated in the recipe card, we love serving these easy Greek turkey meatballs with a flavorful Greek orzo pasta! On top of that we love adding some tzatziki sauce or whipped feta, extra crumbled feta cheese, and some fresh mint or parsley. You could also serve with a Greek Cucumber Salad instead, if pasta isn’t your thing.
Can I Meal Prep Greek Turkey Meatballs
Absolutely! These are great for meal prep. You can easily cook up the turkey meatballs on the stovetop or in the oven and then either store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The orzo pasta can also be made ahead of time and stored for up to 3 days in the fridge. It might need an extra drizzle of olive oil or Greek vinaigrette when it is time to serve because the orzo pasta will soak some of it up.
Recipe FAQ
- dairy-free: simply use a dairy-free feta cheese and top with a dairy-free tzatziki sauce!
- gluten-free: use almond flour, instead of breadcrumbs and serve with a gluten-free orzo or sub for the Greek Cucumber Salad.
- freezing uncooked meatballs: easily roll the meat mixture into meatballs and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the sheet in the freezer and once they are frozen you can move them to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months.
- freezing cooked meatballs: after the meatballs are fully cooked, place them on a baking sheet, put in the freezer until frozen through, and then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat when ready to eat.
- can I bake turkey meatballs: absolutely! It only takes about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F!
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Other Meatball Recipes You Might Like
Greek Turkey Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Meatballs
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: Greek-Inspired
Description
Greek Turkey Meatballs – a delicious greek turkey meatball recipe served with greek orzo and some tzatziki sauce (or choose whipped feta)!
Ingredients
Greek Turkey Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or almond flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried dill leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Greek Orzo:
- 1 cups uncooked orzo
- 4 cups water or broth
- 1/4 cup Greek vinaigrette*
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 2–4oz feta cheese, crumbled (use dairy-free or regular feta)
- 1 cups cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, minced
Toppings:
- Tzatziki Sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Whipped Feta (you can use this instead of tzatziki if you want)
- fresh mint or parsley, chopped
- extra crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Greek Turkey Meatballs:
- Combine: Combine ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. (If you feel the mixture is super sticky, feel free to place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before scooping).
- Scoop: Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out approx. 1 1/2 tablespoons of meatball mixture, forming a ball, and place on a large plate. Continue until all of the meatball mixture is used.
- Sear: Take large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and use a spatula to spread evenly to coat the pan. Add turkey meatballs and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes.
- Cover: Turn down heat to medium and cover the pan.
- Cook: Allow meatballs to cook about 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked (165 degree F. internal temperature – I recommend using a meat thermometer). If you feel the pan is too dry feel free to add a splash of water and then cover again.
- Remove meatballs from pan and serve
Greek Orzo:
- Add water to a small/medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add orzo and let cook 8-12 minutes or until cooked al dente. Drain. Rinse with cold water.
- Place rinsed/drained orzo into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Taste and add additional vinaigrette, salt, lemon zest or other ingredients – as desired.
Build Your Bowl:
- Divide Greek Orzo between bowls and add some Greek Turkey Meatballs. Top with some Tzatziki Sauce or Whipped Feta and sprinkle with fresh chopped mint or parsley as well as some extra crumbled feta.
Notes
- *Greek vinaigrette: you can use homemade Greek vinaigrette or store-bought – either will work! Feel free to add more or less, as desired. If you make this ahead of time or the salad sits out for a bit, just note that the you may need to add more as the orzo soaks up the liquid! You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil in there too if it starts to get a bit dry.
- Making Orzo Ahead: you can definitely make the Greek Orzo ahead of time, but as noted above, you may need to add quite a bit more vinaigrette as the orzo will soak up the liquid as it sits.
- To Bake Meatballs: line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place an oven-safe cooling rack on top – spray the rack with olive oil. Place meatballs on top of the rack and place in the oven, middle rack, at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes or until they are fully cooked (165 degree F. internal temp).
- Freeze Meatballs: place uncooked meatballs on a cookie sheet, ensuring they are not touching. Place in the freezer for approx. 1 hour or until meatballs are frozen. Then place in a labeled, freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storage: Store leftover meatballs and orzo in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Dairy-Free: to make this dairy-free use a dairy-free feta and a dairy-free tzatziki sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 487
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 939.6 mg
- Fat: 26.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
- Protein: 31.2 g
- Cholesterol: 137.4 mg
Brittany says
These were SO good. I used ground chicken instead for personal preference but my gosh we loved this meal. Definitely adding it to the weekly rotation.
Erin says
So glad to hear that, Brittany! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I appreciate it!