Herby Chicken Meatball Pitas with Jalapeño Tzatziki
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
535 kcal
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, American
Herby Chicken Meatball Pitas with Jalapeño Tzatziki
Description
This recipe starts by mixing ground chicken with herbs such as parsley, mint, dill, oregano, and lemon zest along with breadcrumbs, egg, and diced jalapeño to form tender meatballs. After pan-frying until browned and cooked through, the meatballs provide a flavorful protein with a subtle spice note from jalapeño.
A jalapeño tzatziki sauce is prepared by combining traditional yogurt-based tzatziki with finely diced jalapeño for added heat, complementing the herby meatballs. The combination is assembled in soft pita bread pockets alongside sliced Persian cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced or pickled red onions, and crumbled feta cheese, along with extra fresh dill for garnish.
This dish works well as an informal handheld meal or appetizer, offering a range of textures from creamy sauce to juicy vegetables and tender meatballs. It’s flexible to adjust spice by removing jalapeño for milder taste.
Jalapeños can be omitted for children or those sensitive to spice. The tzatziki sauce can be made a day or two ahead to blend flavors well. Using water-dipped hands when forming meatballs helps prevent sticking and ensures uniform size.
Ingredients
- For the jalapeño tzatziki sauce:
- 1 recipe for tzatziki sauce
- 1 jalapeño finely diced, remove seeds if heat sensitive
- For the meatballs:
- 1 pound chicken ground, lean, or turkey ground, lean
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 jalapeño finely diced
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh
- 2 tablespoons mint chopped, fresh
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- For assembly:
- 4 to 8 pieces pita bread depending on how you want to serve them
- 4 Persian cucumbers mini, sliced
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced or pickled
- feta cheese crumbled
- dill extra fresh
Instructions
- Make jalapeno tzatziki sauce: While the meatballs cook, make your jalapeno tzatziki sauce by combining all ingredients for tzatziki sauce and diced jalapeno in a medium bowl. Set aside or cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve. This can also be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time.
- Prepare the meatballs: Fill a small bowl with water and place it on the counter.
- In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, panko, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, parsley, mint, dill, oregano, lemon zest, salt and black pepper. Use clean hands to mix until well combined; avoid overmixing otherwise the meatballs will become tough. Form into 16 golf ball sized meatballs, dipping your hands in water between each meatball to prevent sticking.
- To pan-fry the meatball (my preference for more flavor!): In a large, deep nonstick skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs, leaving about ½ inch between each (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how many meatballs you can fit in your skillet without overcrowding them), and brown on all sides until cooked through (a meat thermometer should register 165°F degrees), 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs, adding more oil, if necessary.
- To bake the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the meatballs at least an 1 inch apart on the parchment paper. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the meatball reads 165°F, 17 to 22 minutes.
- Assemble and serve: You can either slice your pita bread in half and open it to stuff them, or you can use a whole pita bread and treat it like a taco. It depends on how thick your pita bread is. Either way, dollop jalapeno tzatziki sauce in or on each pitta, then add 2 to 3 meatballs, a layer of tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion, feta and dill, if desired. Top with a little more jalapeno tzatziki, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Omit jalapeño in both meatballs and tzatziki sauce to reduce heat for children or sensitive eaters.
- Prepare jalapeño tzatziki sauce 1 to 2 days ahead to enhance flavor melding.
- Wet your hands between shaping meatballs to prevent sticking and form even sizes.
- Assemble pitas with fresh vegetables and feta for complementary texture and flavor balance.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 535 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1pita (with 1 piece of pita bread, fully assembled) | |
| Calories | 535cal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 47.5g | 16% |
| Protein | 38g | 76% |
| Fat | 21.2g | 33% |
| Saturated Fat | 5.5g | 28% |
| Fiber | 2.7g | 11% |
| Sugar | 5.9g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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