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5.0 from 39 votes

Greek Meatball Recipe (Keftedes)

This Greek meatball recipe is so easy and quick to make. It's tasty, and I love them served with homemade tzatziki.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 24 meatballs
Calories: 50 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

  • 450 g (1 lb) lean ground beef
  • 1 large yellow onion, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 6 tbsp fresh chopped mint
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • olive oil for cooking
  • tzatziki for serving (use our tzatziki recipe!)
Variation: serve with whipped feta
  • 1 1/2 cups feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp brine from the feta (the liquid the feta comes in)
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix together ground beef, grated onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, egg, chopped mint and breadcrumbs.
  2. Once combined, form into meatballs using about 1 heaping tablespoon per meatball.
  3. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and turn to medium heat.
  4. Fry the meatballs in batches, stirring everything few minutes until meatballs are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
  5. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and our best ever tzatziki.
Variation: serve with whipped feta
  1. Make the whipped feta by adding the feta cheese, feta brine, lemon juice, olive oil and lemon zest to a food processor and pulse until smooth and light. Set aside to make the meatballs.
  2. After you've made the whipped feta, follow the instructions above to make the Greek meatballs (keftedes). Once the meatballs are cooked, serve on top of the whipped feta with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh mint.

Notes

  • Serve this recipe as an appetizer for 4 people, about 6 meatballs per person.

  • Or, serve as a main dish with side dishes like:

    Maroulosalata aka my Mamas Salad Homemade Greek Salad Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe Greek Cabbage Salad

  • Maroulosalata aka my Mamas Salad
  • Homemade Greek Salad
  • Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe
  • Greek Cabbage Salad

Nutrition Information

Calories 50kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 3.1g (1%) Protein 4.9g (10%) Fat 2.1g (3%) Saturated Fat 0.5g (3%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat 1.1g Cholesterol 19mg (6%) Sodium 226.1mg (9%) Fiber 0.5g (2%) Sugar 0.6g (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 50

% Daily Value*

Calories 50kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 3.1g 1%
Protein 4.9g 10%
Fat 2.1g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 1.1g 6%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 226.1mg 9%
Fiber 0.5g 2%
Sugar 0.6g 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.