When I thought of making Greek meatballs, I thought I’d stumbled on a completely new, genius idea – it would be delicious! Spiced with mint, served with tzatziki, maybe in a homemade pita…but of course, when I googled it I found out there are practically as many Greek meatball recipes as there are Italian ones.
Nevertheless, these are worth a try. They come together more quickly than Italian ones do (no careful simmering of a red sauce to go with them) and taste great over some lettuce for a healthy dinner.
Greek meatball salad
For meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (we’d also like to try this with ground turkey for an even healthier option)
1 tiny onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 egg, beaten
1/2-3/4 cups breadcrumbs
Heat a well seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine ground meat, onion, garlic, and spices. Mix well to distribute spices evenly. Add feta, egg and breadcrumbs, stir to combine. Roll into balls roughly the size of golf balls. Place in hot pan and cook until browned on each side, about 20 minutes total. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
For tzatziki
Slice one cucumber in half, then cut each half in quarters, lengthwise. Slice off row of seeds, then roughly chop fleshy part of cucumber. Place in bowl and mix in about 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, salt and pepper.
For salad (makes two)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
Greek meatballs
Tzatziki
Feta
In a large salad bowl, add garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk well to make a vinaigrette. Add romaine and toss well. Portion out onto plates. Top with meatballs, a drizzle of tzatziki and a sprinkle of feta.
