Greek Chicken Meatballs + Homemade Tzatziki
A simple and delicious chicken meatballs recipe that is packed with flavor! The creamy Tzatziki Sauce (which is Paleo/Whole30) just brings this whole dish to the next level!
Ingredients
Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce (see Notes for other options):
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup cucumbers diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Greek Salad:
- 15 cherry tomates halved
- 2 cups English cucumber diced
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons homemade Greek vinaigrette sub store-bought
Greek Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint packed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for cooking only, not mixed into the meatballs
- ⅓ cup Greek vinaigrette note: reserve for after meatballs are cooked
Other Serving Options:
- crumbled feta cheese
- cooked rice of your choice
- lemon orzo pasta
- pita bread
- quick pickled onions
Instructions
Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce
- Combine: In a small food processor or blender, add 1 cup mayonnaise, diced cucumbers, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh mint, ½ teaspoon dried dill, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Pulse to combine until smooth.
- Taste + Adjust: Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.
- Refrigerate: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Greek Salad
- Combine: In a large bowl, add halved tomatoes, diced cucumbers, 1 cup kalamata olives, diced onion, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Pour 2 tablespoons homemade Greek vinaigrette on top.
- Set Aside: Stir to combine and set aside.
Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Mix: Combine ground 1 pound ground chicken, ½ cup almond flour, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon fresh mint, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Stir to fully combine.
- Scoop + Form Meatballs: Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out approx. 1 ½ tablespoons of meatball mixture, forming a ball, and place on a large plate. Continue until all of the meatball mixture is used. (See: Notes for Ground Chicken Meatball Tips)
- Sear Meatballs: Take a large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and use a spatula to spread evenly to coat the pan. Add chicken meatballs and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes.
- Continue Cooking: Turn down heat and continue cooking, about 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked (165℉ internal temperature – I recommend using a meat thermometer).
- Toss: Place cooked chicken meatballs in a large bowl and pour ⅓ cup Greek vinaigrette on top. Toss to coat.
Serving:
- Whole30/Paleo Serving: Place Greek Salad and meatballs on a plate or in a bowl. Drizzle meatballs with Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce.
- Other Serving Options: serve over rice with crumbled feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, in a pita with the greek salad and tzatziki, with some homemade lemon orzo, with Greek quinoa salad or Greek orzo salad!
Video
Notes
- Tzatziki Options: we love the homemade dairy-free version included in the recipe card - of course feel free to grab your favorite store-bought version to make life easier (my local grocery store carries the Esti brand which is good) or we have a greek yogurt tzatziki sauce on the site as well.
- Tzatziki Consistency: if you want a thicker tzatziki feel free to shred the cucumber and squeeze out as much as water as possible. Blend all of the other tzatziki ingredients and then fold in the shredded cucumber.
- Greek Vinaigrette: we highly recommend making our homemade Greek vinaigrette dressing, but we also love Primal Kitchen's Greek Vinaigrette!
- Almond Flour: sub breadcrumbs if want (regular or gluten-free) - one reader also used crushed saltines successfully!
- Ground Chicken Meatball Tips: Ground chicken can be very sticky so it helps to have a little bowl of oil next to you when you are making the chicken meatballs. Get a little oil on your fingers and then rub on the inside of the cookie dough scoop before scooping the meatball mixture. Then place directly on a plate and reform as necessary.
- Meatball Amount: this recipe makes approximately 20-24 meatballs.
- Meal Prep: this meatball recipe is great for meal prep! Just store in separate containers in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1305mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewoodenskillet on Instagram!
