Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Juicy, flavorful, and seasoned with a perfect blend of Mediterranean herbs and feta, these Greek meatballs are a must-make for Greek food lovers! They’re easy to make and there are so many different ways to serve them.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large bowl, sheet pan
Servings: 4
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Pin ItOpa! These aren’t your typical meatballs for piling atop a plate of spaghetti, like these air fryer meatballs or Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs. Greek meatballs have a similar base—ground beef, breadcrumbs, and egg—but they’re jazzed up with crumbled feta, spinach, and a medley of Greek herbs. The meatballs boast a fantastic Mediterranean flavor that makes them a little out-of-the-ordinary, while still being easy enough for a weeknight.
What I adore about this recipe is how versatile it is! Greek meatballs can switch seamlessly from a family dinner to a party appetizer depending on how you serve them. We love tucking them into warm pitas with tangy tzatziki sauce, but they’re equally as good served on toothpicks with tzatziki on the side for dipping.
Easy Greek Meatball Recipe
Bright Greek flavor. The combination of herbs, garlic, spinach, and briny feta give these meatballs a bright, fresh flavor that makes them feel special and gives them a bit of high-end appeal.
Easy to make. This is definitely a weeknight recipe! You only need 15 minutes to prepare the meatballs and 20 minutes to bake them—and since they’re baked, that cooking time is all hands-off, freeing you up to make the rest of your meal. I often prep the meatballs in the morning, cover and refrigerate them, and bake them for dinner.
So many serving options. These meatballs are great served as a game day appetizer, for a potluck, over rice or pasta, or in a pita sandwich or wrap, with all the fixings.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: I definitely recommend using lean ground beef, 85/15 or above. Higher fat percentages will give you greasier meatballs. Ground turkey would also be an excellent option.
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach doesn’t just add color and nutrition, it also helps keep these Greek meatballs moist.
- Panko: Panko bread crumbs are much coarser in texture than regular bread crumbs. You can substitute homemade bread crumbs, which have a similar coarse texture as panko.
- Egg: An egg acts as a binder, along with the panko, to hold the meatball mixture together and tenderize it.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled feta adds a tangy, creamy flavor. You’ll love the addition of feta to these meatballs.
- Red onion and garlic: When finely minced, these aromatics practically disappear into the meat mixture, adding lots of flavor without disrupting the texture.
- Seasoning: Oregano, parsley, and dill weed give the meatballs a Greek vibe. I use dried herbs from my pantry to keep things easy. The meatballs are also seasoned with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
- Tzatziki: This is a traditional Greek-style sauce made with creamy yogurt, cucumbers, and dill. It provides a cool, creamy complement to these Greek meatballs. It’s easy to make but there are some great store-bought options, too.
How to Make Greek Meatballs
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425ºF, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the meatball mixture. Mix the ground beef, spinach, feta, panko bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, dill, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. It’s best to use your hands; this helps you make sure everything is evenly mixed without overworking the ground beef.
Form the meatballs. Form the ground beef mixture into balls; I use a scoop for this to make sure every meatball is roughly the same size. Set the meatballs on the baking sheet.
Bake. Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the exterior is browned. Serve with tzatziki sauce.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Cook the meatballs in the air fryer. This is a great option. You’ll love how nicely the meatballs brown in your air fryer. Cook them at 400ºF for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Tuck extra cheese in the middle. A small cube of feta tucked in the middle makes these Greek meatballs extra indulgent. I like doing this if I’m serving them as an appetizer!
- Try making them with lamb. While I haven’t tested it, I’m quite sure these Greek meatballs would work well with ground lamb.
- Make meatballs without spinach. Try my Greek turkey meatballs, which are somewhat similar but do not include spinach, and are gluten-free.
How to Serve Greek Meatballs
With a side: Serve Greek meatballs alongside rice pilaf or on yellow rice, with the tzatziki drizzled over the top. Add a simple Greek salad.
In a sandwich: Stuff the meatballs into a pita wrap or pocket, along with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and a drizzle of tzatziki.
An easy meal bowl: Add protein to your bowl with meatballs, along with cauliflower rice or quinoa, roasted vegetables, pickled turnips or pickled red onions, and cherry tomatoes. Top with the tzatziki sauce or Greek salad dressing.
Make a mezze platter: Include the meatballs as part of a mezze platter with hummus, dolmas, tabbouleh, falafel, and fancy Greek olives.
Refrigerate: Store leftover Greek meatballs in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. If you’re serving them with tzatziki, refrigerate that separately to maintain the texture and freshness of the meatballs and to make reheating easier.
Freeze: You can also freeze Greek meatballs for a future meal. Place cooled meatballs in a freezer bag and press out the excess air; store them for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Warm up leftover meatballs in a skillet set over medium heat, in a 350ºF oven, in the air fryer, or in the microwave. If you’re warming up the meatballs in the oven, I recommend placing them in a baking dish and covering it with foil to keep them from getting dry.
More Meatball Recipes
Greek Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef (see note)
- 1 cup (firmly packed) fresh baby spinach, finely minced
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- tzatziki, for serving (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, minced spinach, panko, eggs, feta cheese, red onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, dill, black pepper, and salt. Mix gently until just combined; avoid overmixing to keep the meatballs tender.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 cup (firmly packed) fresh baby spinach, finely minced, ½ cup panko bread crumbs, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion, 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Use a small scoop (I use a size 40 scoop, which is just under 2 tablespoons) to form balls from the meat mixture. You can roll them in your hands for a tighter, more uniform meatball if desired.
- Place meatballs in prepared pan, close together but not touching.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F and the tops are browned.
Notes
- Beef: We recommend either 85 to 92% lean for these meatballs. Higher fat percentages will be too greasy.
- Turkey: You can also make these meatballs with ground turkey. We recommend 93/7 fat percentage.
- Tzatziki: Greek meatballs are delicious served with this creamy cucumber sauce. Try homemade tzatziki or buy it already made.
- Air fry: Place the meatballs in a single layer on air fryer rack. It’s okay if sides are touching but the meatballs shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other. If necessary, fry them in batches. Air fry at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned and firm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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