Greek Meatballs – healthy & gluten-free
Posted: 08/28/2017
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These Greek meatballs are healthy and gluten-free, making them perfect for meal prep, but they’re also great for parties. Pair them with tzatziki sauce and you’re good to go!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Greek meatballs are easy to make and are so versatile.
How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 15 minutes to bake
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, grater, sheet pan, oven
Servings: x
Table of Contents
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One of my biggest struggles with eating healthfully is getting enough lean protein throughout the day. Anyone else with me on this? I’ve found that having turkey meatballs, chicken breasts, or turkey burgers prepped and ready to eat is a huge help in keeping me full and energized throughout the week.
I love making my healthy chicken salad, for example. Then at lunch time, all I do is throw it on a bed of greens and chow down. It doesn’t always have to be meat either; we love this chickpea salad but it does seem like protein from meat keeps me better energized through the afternoon, for some reason.
These Greek meatballs are my new favorite. Paired with store bought or homemade tzatziki, they’re perfect just as they are. I also like to fancy them up in a noodle bowl, Greek Cucumber Noodle Bowl. Stuff them in a wrap or a pita for a handheld lunch or toss them on top of a salad if you’re looking to get in your greens.
About These Meatballs
There’s lots of flavor in these Greek meatballs thanks to feta cheese, dill, oregano, and red onion. As a bonus, don’t the flecks of red onion look pretty?
Cooking Tip
Use a microplane or a cheese grater to grate your onions for meatballs. It’s fast and makes smaller pieces which helps them cook in the short time it takes to cook a meatball. Raw onions in meatballs…not my thing.
Another note about these Greek meatballs: I use extra lean ground turkey breast. Because of the lean meat and its tendency to dry out, I add a bit of olive oil. The bonus is that the olive oil adds some nice flavor too. If you use a less-lean cut of turkey (93/7 or 85/15), you can probably omit the olive oil but I won’t judge if you decide to keep it in there.
PS: 172 calories and 24 grams of protein in 4 meatballs — I’d call that a lunchtime win.
PPS: These tools are super helpful when you’re making this recipe (and many others!): A 1.5 tablespoon scoop (also called #40) and an instant read meat thermometer (this one is my ABSOLUTE favorite).
FAQs
What is the secret to good meatballs?
There are a few things to remember when making meatballs:
Follow the recipe. It’s important to have the correct balance of meat, binder, and filler.
Stir the mixture lightly. I use my hands.
Form the meatballs gently. A scoop gives the right shape without compressing it too firmly.
What does keftedes mean in Greek?
Pronounced kef-teh-des, it simply means meatballs in Greek. Usually deep-fried, they are often found as part of a meze (appetizer) platter with tzatziki and pita bread.
Is it better to bake or fry meatballs?
I much prefer baking meatballs. It’s totally hands-off once you put the pan in the oven. Not only does it save you work, the meatballs turn out so much better. They brown evenly and don’t crumble and stick to the skillet. It’s a beautiful thing! Once you bake meatballs, you won’t go back to frying them.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Greek meatballs can be made ahead and stored either baked or unbaked, in the fridge or in the freezer.
- Baked: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, wrapped well. Freeze in freezer container or bag for up to 6 months.
- Unbaked: Refrigerate for up to one day, bake as directed. To freeze, place on baking sheet or tray in freezer for 2 hours or until frozen. Place in freezer container or bag and store for up to 6 months. Bake as directed (no need to thaw), adding a few minutes to baking time.
More Meatball Recipes
- Classic homemade meatballs (beef/pork blend)
- Baked turkey meatballs (perfect for spaghetti or a meatball sub sandwich)
- Looking for a vegetarian meatball? Try Eggplant Meatballs!
- Turkey Enchilada Slow Cooker Meatballs with Cheese
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs (turkey meatballs)
- Crockpot Meatballs with Cherry Bourbon Sauce
- Turkey Meatballs with Chipotle Honey Glaze
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
These Greek meatballs are healthy and gluten-free, making them perfect for meal prep, but they're also great for parties. Pair them with tzatziki sauce and you're good to go!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (16 oz.) extra lean ground turkey breast
- ¼ cup grated red onion
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat works fine, don’t use fat-free)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (omit if using less lean cuts of ground turkey)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil (high). Position oven rack 4-5 inches from broiler.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I recommend using your hands so you don’t overmix.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop (or eyeball it) to roll meat mixture into about 20 meatballs.
- Spray a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet lightly with oil or cooking spray. Place meatballs on baking sheet. Broil until meatballs reach internal temperature of 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes.
Notes
- If desired, use regular ground turkey (93/7). Omit olive oil. Ground chicken can be substituted, if desired.
- Fresh oregano may be substituted for dried. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons. Fresh parsley can be substituted or added.
- See post for make-ahead and storage tips.
- Serve with homemade tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4meatballs, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 447mg, Potassium: 300mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 96IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Alison Freeman says
Amazing!! So easy!! ❤
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you so much!
DeAnna says
Can I leave out the feta?
Rachel Gurk says
That should be fine. Let me know if you give it a try!
GG says
Delicious! Used 4 #s of ground lamb and added 2 eggs. Served it in a tomato sauce with linguine! Gave some of the meatballs to my neighbors and they loved them!
Rachel Gurk says
Sounds amazing!
Brooke says
Could I prep these the day before and then keep in fridge until ready to broil?
Rachel Gurk says
That should work well!
Brooke says
Do you find that the inside has a pink color bc of the red onion? It almost looked like it wasn’t done but it tasted done and a meat thermometer said 165.
Violet Town says
I love medeterian cuisine and this being one of the best dishes that I have made. It was also quite easy to make thanks to your easy to follow instructions. Thanks.
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Rita Gintz says
I added fresh chopped spinach and 1 large egg and I used fresh garlic, instead. I am very pleased with how these came out! I will be making these often! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked these, Rita! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Kara Vanderpol says
Looking forward to making these! Would these freeze well? If so, when would you recommend freezing– before or after we bake them up?
Rachel Gurk says
I think they would freeze great and that it would work to freeze them both pre- and post-baking. You might have slightly better results freezing them before baking. Since they’re so lean, they do have a tendency to dry out, so I would worry that baking then freezing then reheating might dry them out too much. Let us know if you try it, though!
Amy says
I am excited to try these! I’ve been looking for healthy, flavorful alternatives and this looks delish! Can’t wait!!!
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you love them!
Julia Mueller says
I’m in the same boat – unless I’m diligent, I under-eat protein as well, and these meatballs look like the perfect remedy. I’m loving all the flavors! Perfect for getting my protein on!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m glad I’m not the only one! Thanks Julia! :)