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Healthy Greek Turkey Meatballs
These Greek meatballs are made with lean ground white meat turkey breast. They're moist, tender and very flavorful. Bake them in the oven or pan fry them for a quick and easy appetizer with tzatziki or for a tasty dinner anytime.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 6 Appetizer Portions
Calories: 239 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Greek
Ingredients
FOR MEATBALLS:
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion (from one medium sized onion)
- 1 small zucchini grated on a box grater
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes less if you don't like spice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano preferably Greek oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh mint chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 pound lean ground turkey breast
- ½ cup feta cheese finely crumbled
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- If you plan on baking the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350°.
Cup of Yum
MAKE THE PANADE:
- In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs and milk, stir to combine and set aside.
Cup of Yum
SWEAT THE VEGETABLES AND BLOOM THE SPICES:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil and swirl it around the pan to coat.
- Add the onion, zucchini and garlic and sweat them, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables soften up. Don’t let them brown, you just want them to get soft and slightly translucent.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, mint, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for one minute until the spices are fragrant and set aside to cool.
ASSEMBLE THE MEATBALL MIXTURE:
- In a large bowl combine the turkey breast, breadcrumb mixture and egg. Use your clean hands to combine them very well, so that the breadcrumbs almost disappear and the egg is completely combined into the turkey mixture.
- Transfer the cooled vegetables and feta cheese to the turkey mixture and stir well to combine.
- With slightly wet hands, form the scoops into balls and transfer to either the prepared baking sheet or the dish.
2 WAYS OF COOKING THE TURKEY MEATBALLS:
FOR BAKING MEATBALLS:
- Spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray.
- Arrange the meatballs so they aren’t touching on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
TO PAN FRY THE MEATBALLS:
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Work in batches and add the meatballs, browning them for 3-4 minutes on one side before rolling them over to the other to continue cooking. Cook the meatballs for about 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.
- Transfer the meatballs to a dish lined with paper towels to soak up any excess grease.
- Serve meatballs on a platter with tzatziki sauce for dipping or on top of spaghetti or spaghetti squash, tucked into sandwiches or hoagies or any way you can think of.
TO FREEZE LEFTOVER MEATBALLS:
- Place meatballs 1" apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a storage bag or container and freeze. This way you can pull out just what you need, when you need it.
Nutrition Information
Calories
239kcal
(12%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
85mg
(28%)
Sodium
720mg
(30%)
Potassium
404mg
(12%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
215IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
6mg
(7%)
Calcium
138mg
(14%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Appetizer Portions
Amount Per Serving
Calories 239
% Daily Value*
Calories | 239kcal | 12% |
Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
Protein | 24g | 48% |
Fat | 8g | 12% |
Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
Cholesterol | 85mg | 28% |
Sodium | 720mg | 30% |
Potassium | 404mg | 9% |
Fiber | 2g | 8% |
Sugar | 4g | 8% |
Vitamin A | 215IU | 4% |
Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
Calcium | 138mg | 14% |
Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.