4.7 from 72 votes
Greek Meatballs - Keftedes
Delicious Greek meatballs with lots of herbs and olive oil.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 35 meatballs (approximately)
Calories: 114 kcal
Course:
Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine:
Greek
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 8 lices white bread with the crust cut off.
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 large onion grated. Keep the juices. I usually go for red onions.
- 2 cloves garlic minced.
- 1 cup fresh spearmint leaves finely chopped.
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped.
- ½ cup fresh oregano leaves roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried spearmint or mint
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
- 1 shot ouzo or 1-2 tsp ground aniseed. Optional.
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
For frying
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- Extra light olive oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Soak the bread in the milk. Carefully squish the bread so most of the milk is out.
- In a large bowl, add the bread and all the other ingredients—season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the ouzo shot or 1-2 tsp ground aniseed. Mix everything and knead well until the mixture is moist and fluffy.
- Cover with a towel and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to incorporate together well.
- Spread some flour on a plate. Use a small ice-cream scooper or a spoon or your hand and take about 2 tbsp of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Run ball in the flour, shake off the excess, and place on a clean surface until all your meatballs are ready for frying.
- In a deep frying pan, add enough oil to cover 2/3 of the pan. Turn the heat on to medium-high. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs (in small doses), about 2-3 minutes tops on each side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and arrange them on absorbent paper to drain the excess oil.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.
- I suggest mincing the onion pretty well. I use my food processor because my knife skills are not perfect for dicing veggies really small. You can also grate it on the large holes of a coarse grater.
- If you don't have ouzo, substitute with 1-2 tsp ground anise seeds or ground star anise. If none are available, omit them altogether.
- You can use breadcrumbs if you don't have bread; add about 1/2 cup of milk to increase the mix's moisture. You can substitute ground pork with ground sausage, like a sweet Italian or hot Italian ground sausage to give a nice kick to the meatballs.
- If you have ground turkey, use the same ingredients apart from the bread. Substitute with 1/2 to 1 cup breadcrumbs (depending on how wet the ground turkey is) and add 1 tbsp ground coriander to the mixture.
Nutrition Information
Calories
114kcal
(6%)
Carbohydrates
6g
(2%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
7g
(11%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
30mg
(10%)
Sodium
58mg
(2%)
Potassium
143mg
(4%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
319IU
(6%)
Vitamin C
3mg
(3%)
Calcium
56mg
(6%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 35meatballs (approximately)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 114
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 114kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 58mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 143mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 319IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 56mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.